The guns are firing for NZ Shears champs this week

MEDIA RELEASE

On behalf of Shearing Sports New Zealand

March 26, 2012

The guns are firing for NZ Shears champs this week

This week’s New Zealand Shearing Championships in Te Kuitiseem set for a classic showdown after wins by World champion team members and Hawke's Bay guns Cam Ferguson and John Kirkpatrick during the weekend.

It was a particularly special moment for Ferguson when he won the Waitomo Caves Shears on Saturday, his first Open final win in the North Island since November 2010, the year he won the Golden Shears Open final in Masterton and the World individual title in Wales .

He then finished fourth to Kirkpatrick in the Taranaki Shears final in Stratford yesterday.

Troubled by a back injury for half this season, the Waipawa shearer still managed to win the World teams title with Napier gun Kirkpatrick in Masterton three weeks ago, as well finish runner-up in both the Golden Shears Open and World Championships individual finals.

Afterwards he headed for the South Island to get back into winning form and reckoned after his weekend efforts: “The back’s all good. Heaps of work. Back to normal.”

The 20-sheep Stratford final was a spectacular affair with just six seconds separating the first four, veteran David Fagan first to the button in 15min 37.02sec and showing he’s still capable of another big win for the hometown fans in Te Kuiti.

Dion King, of Hastings , was next in 15min 42.19sec, just beating Kirkpatrick defending Taranaki and New Zealand champion Rowland Smith, of Ruawai.

But Kirkpatrick, who in Masterton won the Golden Shears Open for a fourth time, got the nod with the better quality, denying Smith of a third win in a row after victories at Kumeu and Raetihi in the previous fortnight.

Hometown hero, 2008 World Champion and Coast-to-Coast racer Paul Avery was fifth, dedicating his emergence from (shearing) semi-retirement to wife Debra, who remains in hospital after being seriously injured in a road crash about a month ago.
A single cut proved a costly blemish for Fagan, relegating him to sixth place, but it was still better than new World champion Gavin Mutch, the Taranaki-based Scotsman whose day away from the Whangamomona farm ended with his elimination in the semi-final.

New Golden Shears champions won two of the other four finals, with Tysson Hema, of Waipukurau, claiming the senior title and Josh Balme, of Te Kuiti, the novice title. The intermediate final was won by Michael Rolston, of Levin, while Dannevirke’s Keanu Sutton had his maiden junior victory.

The Open woolhandling final was won by Keryn Herbert, of Te Awamutu, securing her Shearing Sports New Zealand’s No 1 open ranking for the season.

The New Zealand championships start on Thursday and end on Saturday.
Results of the Taranaki Shears shearing events at Stratford on Sunday March 25:

Open final (20 sheep): John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 15min 42.24sec, 59.012pts, 1; Rowland Smith (Ruawai) 15min 43.07sec, 60.404pts, 2; Dion King (Hastings) 15min 42.19sec, 61.36pts, 3; Cam Ferguson (Waipawa) 16min 11.41sec, 62.02pts, 4; Paul Avery (Toko) 16min 30.3sec, 64.465pts, 5; David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 15min 37.02sec, 66.851pts, 6.
Senior final (10 sheep): Tysson Hema (Waipukurau) 12min 16.88sec, 46.344pts, 1; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 11min 25.96sec, 48.498pts, 2; Krishane Edmonds (Raetihi) 11min 39.64sec, 50.182pts, 3; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 11min 35.96sec, 50.698pts, 4; Lachie Baynes (Wairoa) 13min 26.74sec, 54.037pts, 5; David Hodge (Te Puke) 12min 3.75sec, 57.888pts, 6.
Intermediate final (6 sheep): Michael Rolston (Levin) 6min 51.77sec, 31.588pts, 1; Bryce Guy (Kaeo) 6min 39.08sec, 31.62pts, 2; Tui Pene (Waipawa) 7min 31.7sec, 43.252pts, 3.
Junior final (4 sheep): Keanu Sutton (Dannevirke) 7min 50.93sec, 31.046pts, 1; Marshall Guy (Kaeo) 6min 54.74 sec, 32.737pts, 2; Charlie Guy (Kaeo) 6min 42.6sec, 33.13pts, 3; Catherine Mullooly (Matawai) 7min 50.1sec, 34.005pts, 4; Sam Brooks (Pio Pio) 7min 13.36sec, 41.668pts, 5; Liam Quinlivan (Feilding) 7min 28.79sec, 42.19pts, 6.
Novice (1 sheep): Josh Balme (Te Kuiti) 3min 29sec, 20.45pts, 1; Neil Bryant (Levin) 3min 37sec, 21.85pts, 2; Kevin Whitehead (Pio Pio) 2min 30sec, 40.5pts, 3; Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 4min 14sec, 45.7pts, 4; Laura Bradley (Woodville) 4min, 47pts, 5; Anna Moerua (Te Kuiti) 4min 25sec, 68.25pts, 6.
ENDS

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