Pressing Business At The Golden Shears

An apple orchardists’ daughter who reckons she entered the wool industry by accident in a school holiday job while at high school has become the Golden Shears Women’s woolpressing champion.

Mollie Moffett, 24, who grew up on the orchard near Fernhill in Hawke’s Bay, won the final on Thursday, the second day of the 64th annual Golden Shears, beating defending champion Savannah King, of Masterton.

The win came alongside the 14th men’s title success for Jeremy Goodger, also of Masterton, who made a rushed trip home from Australia, where work had been disrupted by wet weather.

He said he made the decision when he realised no other member of the family would be competing at this year’s Shears, which also includes the 20th World shearing and woolhandling championship.

Winning the event after three years without the red ribbon, he beat defending champion Ricci Stevens, of Napier, in the final, and also claimed the Golden Shears pairs title for a 16th time, and 7th in a row, this time with Conan Gray-Harmon, also of Masterton.

By contrast the women’s final provided a first win for 26-year-old Moffett, who now lives in Hastings and who has also dabbled at shearing and woolhandling in competition.

As fiancé of Open-class shearer and now shearing contracting partner Brook Hamerton, she decided that as she would be heading for Masterton she had better be competitive about it.

She did a full season pressing about two years ago, but said this season she’s filled-in when needed.

Results:

Woolpressing

Golden Shears Mens Singles: Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 46.05pts, 1; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 48.35pts, 2.

Golden Shears Womens Singles: Mollie Moffett (Hastings) 62.85pts, 1; Savvanah King (Eketahuna) 69.2pts, 2.

Golden Shears Pairs: Jeremy Goodger and Conan Harmon (Masterton) 26.05pts, 1; Ricci and Angela Stevens (Napier) 37.5pts, 2

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