Otago Shears

Otago Shears

Henare stays in the hunt for Balcluth title No 6

Golden Shears and former World champion Joel Henare has remained on target to regain the New Zealand woolhandler of the year title by qualifying for today’s final at the Otago Shears in Balclutha.

From Gisborne but based in the South Island, Henare was runner-up last year and the year before, having in 2012 won the title for a remarkable fifth time in a row, at the age of just 20.

Defending champion Keryn Herbert, of Te Awamutu, was eliminated in yesterday’s semi-finals, but 2012 winner Tia Potae, of Milton, survived the cut to make the four-person showdown.

Masterton woolhandler Kodi Hawkins was a surprise top-qualifier, while 2012 Golden Shears junior champion Annemaree Kahukura, of Omakau, is the fourth qualifier, facing her biggest challenge in the open class.

The event carries the biggest prize in New Zealand woolhandling competition, the winner receiving $2000 and becoming an automatic selection for the 2015-2016 New Zealand Transtasman Series team, for tests against Australia in Forbes, NSW, later this year, and Masterton in March next year.

Jaya-Deva Henry, of Milton, won the Woolhandler of the Year junior final yesterday, while there were two South Island Citcuit finals, the senior title being won by Sarah Higgins, from Havelock, and the junior by Chiquita Tamepo, of Gisborne.

The youngest competitor at the shears, 15-year-old Hemi Lambert, from Raupunga in Northern Hawke’s Bay won the junior shearing final, which had been won last year by Carlton Aranui, also from Raupunga.

Marley Waihape, who grew-up in Mataura but who also links back to Ngati Pahauwera of Raupunga, won the intermediate final.

A feature today will be the Open shearing championship, with King Country legend David Legend a favourite to win one last time, having first won the Otago title 32 years ago and having recently announced he will retire from competition at the end of this season.

The championships, which had been held annually in the Balclutha Town Hall for over 50 years, are this year being held at Telford Farm, about 5km east of the South Otago town on the Owaka Highway.

ENDS

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