Gisborne teenager shoots for gold after second southern wins

Gisborne teenager shoots for gold after second southern wins

Gisborne woolhandler Joel Henare made it two out of two in the countdown to his bid to win a Golden Shears title for the first time when he won the open woolhandling final on the first day of the 46th Southern Shears in Gore today.

Henare, who last weekend won the New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year title at the Otago championships in Balclutha for the fourth time in a row although aged just 19, is now expected to start favourite to win the big one in Masterton on March 5, after being runner-up in 2009 and 2010.

His Gore results hadn’t matched those of Balcluth, and it was a triumph for Henare after failing to reach the final last year in defence of a title he won the previous year.

Today he scored by a wide margin from runner- up and New Zealand World champion team member Keryn Herbert, of Te Awamutu, who had also been second at Balclutha. Third was Bernadette Forde, of Tuatapere,

Today’s final was over full-wool fleeces, each handler working two shearers, which provided a tough contest.

Henare had easily the best fleece points with the judges and, never lost for words and having been the stadium commentator for some of the heats, he said after winning the event: “It was hard with all the stains we had to take out, but it was a good challenge.”

The senior final was won by 19-year-old Sharni Graham, beating fellow Masterton woolhandler Cushla Gordon by just nine points, with Kyle Wihongi, of Hastings, beating the only South Island in the final, Casey Howat, of Balclutha.

Ironically, the oldest winner of the day was the new junior champion, 23-year-old Southlander Natasha Waikato.

Although having been woolhandling for eight years, she competed for the first time only last October, and today’s triumph was her first win. She did not make the final of her grade at Balclutha last weekend.

The three grades attracted 65 woolhandlers, and competition when the Shears end tomorrow will focus on the four shearing grades, including the feature Open final, along with the South Island Shearer of the Year final, an interisland match, and an international between New Zealand World champion team of Cam Ferguson and David Fagan and UK representatives Gavin Mutch and Ian Montgomery.

Results of the woolhandling events at the 46th Southern Shears in Gore today (February 18):

Woolhandling:

Open final (2 shearers, 5 fleeces): Joel henare (Gisborne) 230.27pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu) 319.05pts, 2; Bernadette Forde (Tuatapere) 332.24pts, 3.

Senior final (4 fleeces): Sharni Graham (Masterton) 184.834pts, 1; Cushla Gordon (Masterton) 191.868pts, 2; Kyle Wihongi (Hastings) 339.504pts, 3; Casey Howat (Balclutha) 372.948pts, 4.

Junior final (3 fleeces): Natasha Waikato (Tuatapere) 140.334pts, 1; Ebony Turipa (Gore) 150.092pts, 2; Denise Murray (Alexandra) 186.348pts, 3; Jenna Holland (Tuatapere) 230.17pts, 4.

ENDS

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