NZ World Champs hopes on top as season ends downunder

April 20, 2014

NZ World Champs hopes on top as season ends downunder

New Zealand’s hopes for the shearing titles at the Golden Shears World Championships in Ireland next month wrapped up their home season in triumphant form over the Easter weekend.

Machine shearers Rowland Smith, of Hastings, and John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, were first and second respectively in the Open final at the Easter Show in Auckland on Saturday, while 1200km away in the South Island Blades representatives Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, and Mike McConnell, were first and second in the Blades final at the MacKenzie Shears.

They were the last two competitions of the Shearing Sports New Zealand season, with a month to the 16th World Championships in Gorey, Co Wexford, where New Zealand will also be represented by woolhandlers Joel Henare, of Gisborne, and Ronnie Goss, of Kimbolton, on May 22-25.

There was a particularly memorable moment in Auckland where Dean Herlihy, Darren Alexander and Craig Herlihy were first, second and third in the Senior final – all from Whangamomona.

The Intermediate final provided the fourth win of the season for Kaeo teenager Marshall Guy, while Kaleb Foote, of Waikaretu, followed a string of late-season minor placings, including fourth at the New Zealand championships, by scoring his maiden victory with a win in the Junior final.

Missing-out on the Open final in Auckland, multiple World, Golden Shears and New Zealand Opens champion David Fagan, of Te Kuiti, flew south to complete his 33rd Open-class season with second in the MacKenzie Shears machine shearing final, won by Tony Coster, of Rakaia.

ENDS

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