Shearing Test

MEDIA RELEASE

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

July 4, 2011.

Kiwis shearers Rowland Smith and Dion King are struggling to post their first victory together in the New Zealand singlet after being beaten by Scottish pair Hamish Mitchell and Gavin Mutch on Sunday.

Norway-based Mitchell dominated the test match at the Lochearnhead Shears, 77km north of Glasgow, finishing first through the race over 15 scottish blackface sheep and also carding the best combined board and pen quality points.

Finishing in 9min 57sec, he was six seconds ahead of Mutch, with half-a-minute to King and Smith a further five seconds later, the New Zealanders’ time points deficit accounting for 3.55 of the total margin of 4.41pts.

Smith, who produced marginally the best quality points in the test, was third in the Lochearnhead Open final, also dominated by Mitchell who cleared his 20-sheep pen in 12min 23sec, 39 seconds and ultimately 2.2pts clear of runner-up Mutch, back home in the UK from the farm he runs in Taranaki.

New Zealanders were also in good form in the Lochearnhead Senior final, won comfortably by Irish shearer Jack Robinson. Dominating the class in the UK this season and showing the benefits of two seasons working with Hastings contractors WoolQual in New Zealand, he finished almost four points clear of runner-up and surprise finalist Reece Munro, from Taranaki, with Te Kuiti’s Jack Fagan third.

Shearing Sports New Zealand team manager Bruce Walker, of Owaka, South Otago, described Lochearnhead as “a great show” and said the sheep were as good as had been seen at the Shears – “nice and round, and great combing.”

The defeat of Smith and King was the third in three tests for the new Kiwi combination, up against a string of Home Nation sides hitting their peak qualifying for their teams for the next World Championships in Masterton in March.

A fortnight ago they were beaten by England shearers Mark Fox and Adam Berry, and last week by Mutch and Welsh shearer Gareth Daniel, shearing as a United Kingdom team.

The Kiwis’ next test is against England during the Lakeland Shears at Cockermouth, Cumbria. A third test against England is expected on July 14, preceding a four-test series against Wales.

Results of key shearing events featuring New Zealanders at the Lochearnhead Shears which finished on Sunday:
International (15 sheep): Scotland 77.87pts (Hamish Mitchell 9min 57sec, 38.72pts; Gavin Mutch 10min 3sec, 39.15pts) beat New Zealand 82.28pts (Rowland Smith 10min 38sec, 40.7pts; Dion King 10min 33sec, 41.58pts).

Lochearnhead Shears Open final (20 sheep): Hamish Mitchell (Scotland) 12min 23sec, 46.55pts, 1; Gavin Mutch (Scotland) 13min 2sec, 48.65pts, 2; Rowland Smith (New Zealand) 13min 30sec, 49.7pts, 3; Simon Bedwell (Scotland) 13min 2sec, 50.2pts, 4.

Lochearnhead Shears Senior final (10 sheep): Jack Robinson (Ireland) 8min 54sec, 34.75pts, 1; Reece Munroe (New Zealand) 8min 54sec, 38.65pts, 2; Jack Fagan (New Zealand) 9min 20sec, 39.6pts, 3; Robert Davidson (Ireland) 8min 38sec, 40.4pts, 4.

ENDS

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