NEW Zealand gun Nathan Stratford made his last trans-Tasman shearing test a winner to help secure a Kiwi double in the trans-Tasman events at the Masterton Golden Shears on Saturday.

On Saturday night, Stratford led fellow South Islander Leon Samuels and Marlborough shearer Angus Moore to a close win over Australia’s trans-Tasman team of Daniel McIntyre, Nathan Meaney and Josh Bone.

It was Stratford’s 18th trans-Tasman test and Shearing Sports New Zealand media officer Doug Laing said the winning margin of 2.51pts was the closest margin in trans-Tasman shearing tests since an Australian victory in Warrnambool, Victoria, in 2013, and New Zealand’s narrowest win since 2009.

The first test in the annual home-and-away series was in Euroa, Victoria, in October 1974, and there have now been 71 tests, with Australia winning 38 and New Zealand 33. There were no tests from 1984 to 1997.

The shearing test win gave New Zealand a 2-0 weekend, after Kiwi wool handlers Tia Potae and Cushla Abraham won their match against the Australian team of Marlene Whittle and Alexander Scholl on Friday night by a decisive 36.6 point margin.

Several other Australians performed well at the premier New Zealand event, with Queensland shearer Karl Schoff placing second in the novice final, just 4.4 penalty points behind Ashlin Swann from Wairoa.

In the women’s invitation event, Australian shearer Nicki Guttler managed third, just half a point behind second place NZ shearer Emma Martin, who was less than three points behind winner Laura Bradley from Papatawa.

In the Wairarapa-Moana Maori-Pakeha Teams event, Australian shearer Paul Robertsopn teamed up with Lionel Taumata from Gore to place third.

In the Golden Shears junior wool handling final, Tasmania’s Cally Spangler placed fourth.

Kiwis also won the big events

On Sunday, Leon Samuels became the first South Islander to win the Golden Shears Open shearing title in 35 years in a dramatic six-man final of 20 sheep each in Masterton.

And New Zealand wool handler Joel Henare, from Gisborne, won his 10th consecutive Golden Shears Open Woolhandling title.

RESULTS from the 62nd Golden Shears International Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at Masterton on Thursday-Saturday February 29-March 2, 2024:

International

Lister Trans-Tasman Shearing (12 sheep – 6 merino, 3 long wool, 3 second-shear): New Zealand (Leon Samuels 14m 53.94s, 65.28pts; Nathan Stratford 17m 3.02s, 67.568pts; Angus Moore 16m 19.76s, 67.821pts) 200.669pts, beat Australia (Daniel McIntyre 16m 11.08s, 65.554pts; Nathan Meaney 15m 30.34s, 65.6pts; Josh Bone 17m 35.94s, 71.464pts) 202.61pts.

Trans-Tasman Woolhandling: New Zealand (Cushla Abraham, of Masterton/Tia Potae, of Kennedy Bay) 302.6pts, beat Australia (Marlene Whittle, of Coleraine, Vic/Alexander Schoff, of Chinchilla, Qld) 339.2pts.

Shearing:

PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit final (15 sheep – 3 merino, 3 long strongwool, 3 corriedale, 3 lambs, 3 second-shear): Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 17m 48s, 66.153pts, 1; Leon Samuels (Invercargill/Roxburgh) 16m 44.821s, 66.508pts, 2; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 17m 36.462s, 67.023pts, 3; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 16m 50.912s, 68.013pts, 4; David Gordon (Masterton) 18m 11.587s, 74.046pts, 5; Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 16m 45.366s, 75.868pts, 6.

Bayley’s Golden Shears Open final (20 sheep): Leon Samuels (Invercargill/Roxburgh) 16m 37.697s, 56.585pts, 1; Casey Bailey (Tiverton) 17m 18.856s, 57.843pts, 2; David Buick (Pongaroa) 16m 16.064s, 59.103pts, 1; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 17m 41.91s, 59.596pts, 4; James Ruki (Te Kuiti) 18m 38.826s, 64.391pts, 5; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 17m 36.608s, 66.68pts, 6.

Golden Shears Senior final (12 sheep): Forde Alexander (Taumarunui) 12m 36.273s, 44.898pts, 1; Gabriel Winders (Invercargill) 13m 18.718s, 47.936pts, 2; Nathan Bee (Wyndham) 12min 30.431s, 47.939pts, 3; Bruce Grace (Wairoa/Napier) 14m 3.753s, 50.438pts, 4; William Sinclair (Balclutha) 13m 48.349s, 50.5pts, 5; Blake Crooks (Rangiora) 14m 4.408s, 50.72pts, 6.

Trust House Golden Shears Intermediate final (8 sheep): Tini Papanui (Feilding) 11m 7.542s. 41.002pts, 1; Dylan Young (Gisborne) 10m 0.938s, 41.547pts, 2; Ethan Fladgate (Kihikihi) 11m 31.51s, 41.576pts, 3; Emma Martin (Gore) 11m 47.137s, 41.982pts, 4; Tomo Glyn Davies (Wales) 11m 33.506s, 43.55pts, 5; Julian Karl (Traunstein, Germany) 11m 38.138s, 44.40pts, 6.

Farmers Weekly Golden Shears Junior (5 sheep): Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 7m 37.755s, 1; 30.688pts, 1; Orlando Ratima (Hunterville) 8m 27.023s, 32.351pts. 2; Lachie Cameron (Pohangina) 8m 6.148s, 32.507pts, 3; Thomas Marchant (Pokeno) 7m 50.896s, 35.545pts, 4; Marshall Buckman (Apiti) 7m 55.552s, 36.378pts, 5; Jet Schimanski (Gore) 9m 4.14s,41.207pts, 6.

Cydectin Novice final (2 sheep): Ashlin Swann (Wairoa) 5m 43.19s, 23.16pts, 1; Karl Schoff (Chinchilla, Queensland) 5m 52.881s, 27.644pts, 2; Ryan Craw (Coromandel) 5m 21.203s, 28.56pts, 3; Rebecca Dickson (Tikokino) 7m 27.019s, 29.351pts, 4; Grady Collis (Tauhoa) 6m 38.079s, 30.404pts, 5; Bugs Butler (Tikokino) 6m 44.53s, 30.726pts, 6.

Abraham Shearing Women’s Invitation (six sheep): Laura Bradley (Papatawa) 7m 29.93s, 31.163pts, 1 Emma Martin (Gore) 8m 54.959s, 34.081pts, 2; Nicki Guttler (Australia) 9m 19.903s, 34.662pts, 3; Catherine Mullooly (Matawai) 8m 0.655pts, 34.7pts, 4; Danielle Mauger (Australia) 9m 43.13s, 36.823pts, 5; Alice Watson (Seddon)  8m 57.279s, 39.197pts, 6.

Wairarapa-Moana Maori-Pakeha Teams (8 sheep per shearer): Adam Gordon (Masterton) and Corey Palmer (Dipton) 67.975pts, 1; Cory Barrowcliffe (Piopio) and Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 75.921pts, 2; Lionel Taumata (Gore) and Paul Robertson (Australia) 78.075pts, 3.

Shearwell Data Regional Teams Challenge (3 longwool and four second-shear sheep): South Zone 4 (Brett Roberts, of Mataura; Nathan Bee, of Wyndham) 7m 55.377s, 29.198pts, 1; South Zone 2 (Hugh De Lacy and Blake Crooks, of Rangiora) 7m 58.086s, 29.904pts, 2; North Zone 2 (Tama Niania and Te Ua Wilcox, of Gisborne) 7m 50.986s, 30.406pts, 3; North Zone 3 (Jack Fagan, of Te Kuiti; Forde Alexander, of Taumarunui) 8m 8.372s, 31.276pts, 4; North Zone 4 (David Buick, of Pongaroa; Laura Bradley, of Papatawa) 7m 53.367s, 31.811pts, 5; South Zone 1 (Angus Moore and Alice Watson, of Blenheim) 8m 345.035s, 32.845pts, 6.

MKM Student Shearing Challenge (2 sheep): Pukemiro Cadetship, Dannevirke (Ryan Craw/Grady Collis) 6m 17.828s, 23.391pts, 1; Smedley Station, Tikokino (Bugs Butler/Rebecca Dickson) 7m 25.251s, 28.763pts, 2; Napier Boys High School (George Prouting/Waiari Puna) 5m 41.137s, 35.05pts, 3; Feilding Agricultural High School (Abbey Grant/Mack Belton) 9m 22.634a, 37.132pts, 4; Palmerston North Boys High School (Ernie Fowler/James Bigham) 6m 10.987s, 49.049pts, 5; Growing Future Farmers (Brett Eastwood/Cameron Judd) 7m 6.189s, 52.809pts, 6.

Speed shears:

Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa Open final (1 sheep): Paerata Abraaham (Masterton) 17.789s, 1; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 18.105s, 2; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 19.204s, 3.

Rabobank Senior final (1 sheep): Forde Alexander (Taumarunui) 178.646s, 1; Nathan Bee (Wyndham) 19.623s, 2; Taelor Tarrant (Taumarunui) 20.849s, 3.

Wool handling

Trust House Open final: Joel Henare (Gisborne) 181.66pts, 1; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 187.9pts, 2; Tia Potae (Haratanga) 233.9pts, 3; Foonie Waihape (Alexandra) 302pts, 4.

Te Puni Kokiri Golden Shears Senior final: Vinniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 145.61pts, 1; Tira Ngarangione (Gisborne) 154.1pts, 2; Emma Martin (Gore) 156.818pts, 3; Rahera Kerr (Hauturu) 225.89pts, 4.

WBS Golden Shears Junior final: Lucy Elers (Mataura) 111.122pts, 1; Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 117.286pts, 2; Kelly Barrett (Kawhia) 125.804pts, 3; Cally Spangler (Hobart, Tas) 136.3pts. 4.

Paewai Mullins Novice woolhandling final: Keisha Reiri (Masterton/Piopio) 165.84pts, 1; Gemma Buick (Pongaroa) 172.92pts, 2; George Whiunui (Napier) 193.92pts, 3; Gen Wood (Pongaroa) 278.46pts, 4.

North Island Circuit Open final: Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 126.368pts, 1; Ngaio Hanson (Eketahuna) 140.636pts, 2; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 144.408pts, 3; Ngaira Puha (Kimbolton) 155.53pts, 4.

Wool Pressing:

Farmlands Men’s final (170kg target): Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 166kg, 34.75pts, 1; Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 156.5kg, 32.6pts, 2.

Farmlands Women’s final (150kg target): Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 150kg. 57.6pts, 1; Summer Pritchard (Pongaroa) 150.5kg, 61.8pts, 2.

Farmlands Pairs (170kg target): Vinnie and Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 166kg, 32.4pts, 1; Joseph and Shyla Gordon (Masterton) 160.5kg, 75.75pts.

Triathlon (best heats points shearing, woolhandling and woolpressing combined): Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 124.265pts, 1; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 141.268pts, 2; Summer Prichard (Pongaroa) 146.224pts, 3; Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 168.097pts, 4; Jodeisha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 179.198pts, 5; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 193.819pts, 6.

Source – Doug Laing, SSNZ.