Fagan Takes Out Shearing Title

MEDIA RELEASE

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

July 20 7am (NZT)

Fagan Takes Out Shearing Title

Champion King Country shearer David Fagan may have cramped his already tight World Championships odds with the New Zealand TAB even tighter when he won the Royal Welsh Show's All Nations final earlier today (NZT).

Fagan was paying $1.40 to win a sixth World title on Thursday morning, but today scored his third win in four shows in a week in the UK, and the 602nd of his astonishing open-class shearing career which started almost 28 years ago.

It was the class of today's win which was even more astonishing for in a frantic race with Kiwi teammate Cam Ferguson, in a six-man final which also featured two other New Zealanders, the Te Kuiti icon who was idolised by a crowd of over 2000 watching the final stripped the wool from 20 lambs in just 10 minutes 27 seconds, beating Ferguson off the board by just three seconds.

Ultimately, it was a Kiwi trifecta with Ferguson winning by 1.35 points from surprise finalist and World eight-hours lambshearing record holder Matt Smith, of Ruawai in the Far North, with 2008 World teams champions John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, third. New zealand-based Scotsman Gavin Mutch was fourth, and Welsh champion Gareth Daniel fifth.

Ferguson had to settle for sixth, incurring a maximum penalty on one sheep, without which New Zealand would have taken the first four places.

Fagan had won the All Nations 11 times from 1988-2005, and late tonight (NZT), he and Ferguson shear in the first round of the 14th Golden shears World Championships, with Fagan after a sixth World title

Also today, Canterbury blade shearer Brian Thomson, of West Melton, finished second to South African Bangani Joel in the final of the Royal Welsh Show Commercial Blades championship, while teammate Allen Gemmell, of Loburn, was fourth, in two confidence-boosting performances previewing their chances of a challenge to the African straglehold on World blades titles over thye next two days.

New Zealand woolhandlers Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, and Keryn Herbert, of Te Awamutu, missed out on the three berths in today's Royal Welsh Show woolhandling championship final, but Herbert was placed fourth on the strength of her performance in the semi-finals.

Alabaster, however, remains the TAB favourite to retain the World title she won in Norway in 2008. It is the first time TAB betting has been available on woolhandling events, and TAB spokesman Kieran McAnulty is confident it will become an important part of interest in the unique grassroots agri-sport.

Betting on the six options had been light since they were opened last week, but stronger interestt was expected today, and leading to the six individual and teams finals on Thursday morning (NZT).

In a special moment for Ferguson, the machines final today was watched by Central Hawke's Bay farmer Sam Morrah, who earlier in the day was presented with an international lamb supply award at the show, frpom retailing giant Marks and Spencer. Last December, Ferguson shore 856 lambs in a nine-hour day at Mr Morrah's Ohineumeri Farm, between Waipukurau and Porangahau.

ENDS

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