The winning Wools of New Zealand NZ shearing team at Raetihi, David Gordon (left), Paerata Abraham (right), and manager Ronnie King. Photo – SSNZ.

IT was redemption time for Masterton shearers David Gordon and brother-in-law Paerata Abraham who have taken a 1-0 lead over Wales in the Wools of New Zealand Shearing Series with a win in the opening match on Saturday.

The series is the reciprocal leg of an annual home-and-away arrangement, in which New Zealand’s black singlets pair was beaten 3-0 in Wales last July.

They won the battle of 20 sheep for each shearer during the Waimarino Shears at Raetihi, where Wales was represented by champion Shearer of Wales Gethin Lewis and teammate Llyr Jones.

It left Wales yet to win a shearing test match in New Zealand, although the moccasins have often been on the other feet in the United Kingdom.

The Welsh team at Raetihi, with Llyr Jones (left) and Gethin Lewis (right), with manager Hywel Jones, Photo – SSNZ.

The series continues at the Waitomo Caves sports next Saturday and finishes at the New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti in the weekend after Easter.

It was a particularly big day at Raetihi for Gordon who won the four-man Waimarino Shears open final in a one-two finish for Abraham Shearing, with workmate Chris Dickson, from Raetihi but based in Masterton, and the first to finish the showdown also of 20 sheep each.

He claimed second place ahead of Hawke’s Bay-based world nine-hour lamb shearing record holder and 2019 England world championships team member Stuart Connor, with fourth place going to eight-hour record holder Jack Fagan, of Te Kuiti.

Forde Alexander, of Taumarunui, continued his winning form to add the Waimarino senior title to the Golden Shears senior title he won in Masterton a fortnight ago. The intermediate final was won by Blake Mitchell, of Patea, and Napier shearer Kaivah Cooper, scored his fifth win in a row by taking the junior title.