Joel Henare Favourite For Double Gold At Goldies 2026

Defending Golden Shears Woolhandling champion Joel Henare has been made a warm TAB favourite to win a big double at the four-day Golden Shears and 20th World shearing and woolhandling championships which start in Masterton on Wednesday.

Henare is going for a third World individual woolhandling title and a 12th consecutive Golden Shears Open Woolhandling title.

Having won Open finals at the Otago Shears, the Southern Shears and Sunday’s Wairarapa Pre-Shears on the three consecutive weeks before the annual trek to Masterton, Henare was on Monday made a $1.35 favourite to add the World title to those he won in Masterton in 2012 and Invercargill in 2017, and a $1.50 favourite to retain the Golden Shears Open title.

Both finals will be contested on an action-packed last night on Saturday, with King Country woolhandler and Cook Islands representative Keryn Herbert the second favourite, after finishing third at the Taumarunui Jamboree Shears on Friday and winning the Apiti Show final 24 hours later.

On Sunday, Henare faced a field of 45 in the Open competition, among a total of 81 cross three grades packing the Riverside Farm woolshed at Mikimiki, north of Masterton, for a programme including the local show titles, two North Island Woolhandling Circuit finals, and an international match won by New Zealand teammate Marika Braddick, of Eketahuna.

The runner-up in the Open final was Pagan Rimene, of Alexandra, Logan Kamura, of Marton, was third, and fourth was Ngaio Hanson, of Eketahuna.

The best-placed of those from overseas ws Jess Parkhouse, of Englands, who was 19th in the heats.

The Cook Islands team of Herbert and Mataura-based Tina Elers was runner-up in the International event, and third was Wales, which this week defends the World title won by Wales at the 2023 World championships in Scotland.

RESULTS from the Wairarapa Pre-Shears Woolhandling Championships at Riverside Farm, Mikimiki, on Sunday, March 1, 2026:

Open final: Joel Henare (Motueka) 137.488pts, 1; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 197.06pts, 2; Logan Kamura (Marton) 222.116pts, 3; Ngaio Hanson (Eketahuna) 253.142pts, 4.

Senior final: Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa/Napier) 140.782pts, 1; Laura Bradley (Woodville) 150.35pts, 2; Kelly Barrett (Kawhia) 154.28pts, 3; Amy Bell (Weber) 175.008pts, 3.

Junior final: Jayda Millanta (Te Kaha) 122.524pts, 1; Ngahuia Salmond (Te Kuiti) 131.288pts, 2; Jade Hikawai (Dannevirke) 139.85pts, 3; Waiari Puna (Napier) 149.69pts, 4.

North Island Circuits

Senior final: Amy Bell (Weber) 96.67pts, 1; Eleri Bradley (Woodville) 111.47pts, 2; Laura Bradley (Woodville) 131.44pts, 3; Te Whetu Brown (Wairoa/Napier) 145.37pts, 4.

Junior final: Miracle Waikato (Hastings) 132.732pts, 1; Ngahuia Salmond (Te Kuiti) 150.47pts, 2; Leah Tamainu (Nuhaka) 181.9pts, 3; Waiari Puna (Napier) 243.03pts, 4.

Pre-Shears International: New Zealand (Joel Henare/Marika Braddick) 99.012pts, 1; Cook Islands (Keryn Herbert/Tina Elers) 166.526pts, 2; Wales (Sarah Jane Rees/Jess Morgan) 255.43pts, 3; Ireland (

Hazel Crowe/Joanne Devaney) 359.68pts, 4.

Teams: Perfect Rhythm (Pagan Rimene/Jayda Millanta) 25.26pts, 1; Go Getters (Logan Kamura/Tamainu) 34.25pts, 2; King Country (Vinniye Phillips /Te Whetu Brown) 40.45pts, 3; West Coast (Keryn Herbert/Kelly Barrett) 46.78pts, 4.

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