MEDIA RELEASE

From Doug Laing, media officer, Shearing Sports New Zealand

February 23, 2014

King hit adds even more spark to Golden Shears

Hastings shearer Dion King added even more spark to the Golden Shears mix when he completed a weekend of upsets by winning the Pahiatua Shears Open today(Sunday).

King, 37, had competed only sparingly this season and hadn’t won any event since October 2012.

But, beating all of the other top hopes for shearing’s biggest event next Saturday in Masterton, King showed he’s in the right form to qualify for an eighth Golden Shears Open final, go one better than when runner-up last year, and to repeat the win he had in 2006.

Today’s victory meant  the three TAB favourites for the Golden Shears - defending Golden Shears champion Rowland Smith, of Hastings, Napier shearer and four-times winner John Kirkpatrick, and Te Kuiti icon David Fagan - were all left without a win in the weekend’s big three pre-shears events..

On Friday, Te Kuiti shearer Marg Grainger had his maiden Open-class victory in the Taumarunui Jamboree Shears Open final, beating Fagan, Kirkpatrick and Smith, who were second, third and fourth respectively.

On Saturday, Smith and Kirkpatrick were second and third respectively as Pongaroa farmer David Buick successfully defended the Apiti Sports title in Northern Manawatu.

Today, Smith and Kirkpatrick were second and third, again, followed by Southland hope Nathan Stratford, Buick, and Fagan.

With 16 Golden Shears Open wins to his name from 1986 to 2009 and still a real winning hope at the age of 52, Fagan is as enthralled as anyone about the contest emerging in Masterton, where the winner will also claim selection for the 16th World Championships, to be held in Gorey, Ireland, in May.

“Anything could happen,” said Fagan, who did, however, still manage to claim one winning cheque during the weekend, with a Saturdaynight Speedshear victory at the Cheltenham Hotel, between Apiti and Feilding.

ENDS