Cummings wins North Canty Shears

Cummings wins North Canty Shears

South Canterbury shearer Eli Cummings was really going places when he scored a rare open competition win with a surprise victory over PGG Wrightson National champion Tony Coster at the Northern Canterbury Shears in Rangiora on Saturday.
Less than 24 hours later, the 33-year-old Pleasant Point gun was on a flight to Melbourne, en route for several weeks' work around Hamilton, Victoria, three competitions in the region, and then a return to New Zealand to start preparing for a possible World record tally bid early in the New Year.

The winner of just four titles at smaller competitions in about seven seasons of open-class shearing, Cummings was only third off the board in Saturday's four-man final, 42 seconds behind Christchurch-based World eight-hour lambshearing record holder Ivan Scott, of Northern Ireland, who was quickest through the 10 sheep in 12min 31 sec.

But he produced easily the best finished job, and took the money with time and quality points totaling 61.75, and a margin of almost two-and-a-half points to the Rakaia gun Coster, who won his national title at the Golden Shears in Masterton last March. Third was Dave Brooker, of Hawarden, while Scott was relegated to fourth.

Cummings said he thought as he came off the board that he had only done enough for third.

Coster had recently competed for New Zealand in a transtasman test in Australia, while Scott represented his country at the World championships in Norway a year ago.

"I was surprised, I was shocked," Cummings said from Australia. "I didn't really know what to say in my speech - I hadn't prepared for it."

His last open win was in Australia a year ago, and he's hoping Saturday's win is a pointer to some success in competitions over the next three weeks at Warrnambool, Coleraine and Hamilton.

While there is nothing firm about a record bid yet, Cummings shore 703 bellied ewes in nine hours two summers ago in what was a successful test-run to see if he could get himself fit enough.

"I was only aiming for 600," he said. "But the fuys said at lunch I only had to be a second quicker per sheep and I'd get 700."

He's been in focused training for 6-7 week and plans to return to New Zealand about November 20, possibly missing the rich Kangaroo Island Speedshear in South Australia, to head to Hawke's Bay to work with Porangahau shearer and World nione-hour ewes record holder and former nine-hour lambs record holder Rodney Sutton.

He expects to miss the remaining pre-Christmas competitions in the South Island at Ashburton next Saturday, Pleasant Point and Marlborough on November 7, the national corriedale championships at the Royal New Zealand Show in Christchurch on November 11-13, the West Otago Shears on November 21, and the Nelson Shears and Top of the South Finals on the same weekend.

The remaining North Island shows before the busy pre-Christmas shed shearing season in December are the Wairarapa Show at Carterton next Saturday, the Manawatu show at Manfeild on November 7, the CHB Shears in Waipukurau on November 14, and the Stratford shears on November 28.

RESULTS from the Northern Canterbury Show Shears at Rangiora on Saturday, October 24:
Open final (10 sheep): Eli Cummings (Pleasant Point) 13min 13sec, 61.75pts, 1; Tony Coster (Rakaia) 13min 6sec, 64.2pts, 2; Dave Brooker (Hawarden) 13min 50sec, 66.1pts, 3; Ivan Scott (Christchurch and Northern Ireland) 12min 31sec, 66.45pts, 4.
Senior final (6 sheep): Ant Frew (Amberley) 11min 36sec, 64.467pts, 2; Greg Moriarty (Waiau) 13min 39 sec, 66.617pts, 2; Rowan Nesbit (Loburn) 13min 50sec, 67pts, 3; Mark McCone (Rangiora) 13min 59sec, 81.783pts, 4.
Intermediate (4 sheep): Danny Newall (Waiau) 11min 45sec, 64.25pts, 1;Kane Henderson (-) 9min 34sec, 65.45pts, 2; Chriss Russell (Rangiora) 9min 39sec, 69.7pts, 3; Luke McCarthy 11min 11sec, 70.55pts, 4.
Open Blades (5 sheep): Brian Thomson (Darfield) 14min 39sec, 63.35pts, 1; Phil Oldfield (Geraldine) 14min 32sec, 66pts, 2; Noel Handley (Rangiora) 14min 53sec, 69.65pts, 3; Billy Michelle (Timaru) 13min 44sec, 69.8pts, 4.

ENDS

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