Henare regains Gore title

Former World champion Joel Henare further cemented his favouritism to claim a fourth consecutive Golden Shears Open title in two weeks’ time when he won the Southern Shears Open title in Gore yesterday.

It was his third win in a row and his 10th in 14 finals this summer, following immediately his win in last weekend’s New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year final in Balclutha and the previous weekend’s Rangitikei Shear Sports title in Marton.

An absentee from the final at last year’s 50th anniversary Southern Shears, and runner-up a year earlier. Henare was made to work hard today after qualifying from the heats of more than 20 top woolhandlers in just third place behind defending titleholder Keryn Herbert, a Waimiha farmer originally from Te Awamutu, and Masterton competitor Cushla Abraham.

But Both Herbert and Abraham exited in the semi-finals, which were headed by surprise final qualifier Tina Elers, of Mataura.

In the final he had the fastest finishing time, and best oddment and fleece points, enough to take vicitor over runner-up and best board-points scorer Monica Potae, of Milton, with Elers claiming the third ribbon.

Meanewhile the final day of the two day 51st Southern Shears is under way with signs of a significsnt revolution in lower grade shearing. Of more than 50 in the Junior and Intermediate shearing heats today, almost half were from overseas and working in New Zealand. Countries of origin were Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Japan and Australia.

Results from the woolhandling on the first day of the Southern Shears in Gore yesterday were:

Open final: Joel Henare (Dunedin/Gisborne) 161.66pts, 1, Monica Potae (Milton) 206.59pts, 2; Tina Elers (Mataura) 241pts, 3.

Senior final: Destiny Pohatu (Mataura) 124.94pts, 1; Denise Murray-Karaka (Alexandra) 126.918pts, 2; Krystal Schmanski (Gore) 129.09pts, 3; Liv Gardner (Alexandra) 177.59pts, 4.

Junior final: Summer Ashcroft (Geraldine) 114.97pts, 1; Angela Kirkpatrick (Napier) 137.22pts, 2; Te Atawhai Nunn (Palmerston/Papakura) 144.6pts, 3; Chennell Waihape (Gore) 155.88pts, 4.

ENDS