Southern Hopeful Eliminated From Shearing Champs

From Shearing Sports New Zealand

April 3

Southern Hopeful Eliminated From Shearing Champs

Southern national championships shearing hopeful Nathan Stratford was a notable deletion from the New Zealand open shearing championships after being eliminated in the heats in Te Kuiti today.

One of 63 open class shearers on the board at the 25th championships, the Invercargill-based former New Zealand representative failed to make the 24 for the quarterfinals starting at 1pm tomorrow, but had some quality company to share the moment in Te Kuiti veteran Digger Balme, who was also eliminated.

Balme missed qualifying by six-tenths of a point at 27th on the list, while Stratford was 30th, 1.5pts off the tail of the qualifying field, which was headed by World champion and Taranaki farmer Paul Avery, followed by the home-town pair of past winners Dean Ball and Golden Shears champion David Fagan.. Hot favourite John Kirkpatrick, with 16 wins in 22 competitions this season, qualified comfortably in 12th place.

With Stratford's departure, the South Island hopes of of winniong the title for the first time since Edsel Forde's victory in 1993 are left with his brother, Darrin Forde, of Tuatapere, and Rakaia shearer Tony Coster, who won the PGG Wrightson National series final at the Golden Shears in Masterton four weeks ago.

Filtered through the usual list of New Zealand country towns testing even the most geographically accomplished are two overseas competitors in Whangamomona-based Scotsman Gavin Mutch, and Welsh test-team member Gareth Daniel.

The 24 qualifiers for the quarterfinals at the New Zealand Shearing Championships in Te Kuiti are (in order of qualifying): Paul Avery (Stratford) 1, Dean Ball (Te Kuiti) 2, David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 3, Gavin Mutch (Whangamomona) 4, Jason Win (Ikamatua) 5, Dion King (Napier) 6, Chris Brears (Matiere) 7, Sean Edmonds (Wanganui) 8, Jerome McCrea (Wanganui) 9, James Fagan (Te Kuiti) 10, Alan Bramley (Hikurangi) 11, John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 12, Jordon Marshall (Pio Pio) 13, Angus Moore (Blenheim) 14, Tony Coster (Rakaia) 15, David Buick (Eketahuna) 16, Phil Wedd (Napier) 17, Roger Neil (Taumarunui) 18, Darrin Forde (Tuatapere) 19, Jimmy Edmonds (Raetihi) 20, James Ritchie (Pio Pio) 21, Gareth Daniel (Wales) 22, Colin Thirkell (Te Kuiti) 23, Lawrence Aspinall (Eketahuna) 24.

ENDS

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