“This is such a dream: - Scots lassie wins at Golden Shears

Lanarksire lassie Claire Wilson thought she was just making up the numbers when she entered the novice woolhandling competition on the first day of the 55th Golden Shears in Masterton today.

But not only did she reach a final for the first time in New Zealand, the 21-year-old Scotswoman won – possibly to the chagrin of older brother Scott who has reached 12 senior shearing finals in New Zealand this summer, and is still waiting for his first win.

One of 18 who took part in the heats of the first of the 22 events to be decided over the three days of the World’s greatest shearing and woolhandling championships she said after receiving her winner’s red ribbon from Minister of Primary Industries Nathan Guy: “I didn’t think I would even reach the semi-final.”

Asked for the secret behind her sudden success, she said: “I don’t even know. I can’t believe it, this is such a dream.”

From Biggar, in South Lanarkshire and about 50km southwest of Edinburgh, she has been woolhandling about 12 months, working mainly for her 23-year-old brother, who shears in the Golden Shears senior shearing heats tomorrow.

She came to New Zealand at the end of November, having already worked in Scotland and Norway, and got a job with Wairarapa contractor Greg Herrick.

Therein perhaps the secret. He’s a former Golden Shears Open shearing finalist and Golden Shears championships society president, and the current president of the Golden Shears World Council.

As an added bonus were a couple of days from Masterton’s Fiona Christensen, theb 2011 and 2012 Golden Shears senior woolhandling champion.

She’s only the second person from Scotland to win a Golden Shears International championships title in shearing or woolhandling, after 1990 senior winner Doug Lambie. Scotland has, however, had two other big wins in Masterton – the World chamnpionships teams title in 1996 and Gavin Mutch’s individual title three years ago.

Result of the Golden Shears Novice woolhandling final: Claire Wilson (Biggar, Scotland) 99.6pts, 1; Chynna Haney (Eketahuna) 102pts, 2; Bianca Hawea (Masterton) 109pts, 3; Hazel Wood (Ruawai) 136pts, 4.

http://www.goldenshears.co.nz/the-2015-event/2015-press/

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