NSW shearer Jamie Boothman in action in the New Zealand Merino Shears Open shearing final on Saturday. Photo – www.image-central.co.nz
NEW South Wales farmer-shearer Jamie Boothman can add another tag to his Akubra after restoring ocker domination of the New Zealand Merino Shears open shearing title with a win in Saturday night’s final in Alexandra, Central Otago.
Boothman, 31, from Crookwell, in the southern tablelands about 240km south-west of Sydney, arrived from Australia on the day and was in charge almost all of the way.
He was the top qualifier for the quarter-finals and then the semi-finals, and fourth going into the six-man final.
The title’s Australian dominance had been highlighted by West Australian Damien Boyle’s eight wins between 2010 and 2019 and New South Wales shearer Daniel’s McIntyre’s win in 2022.
Boothman claimed the title by more than three points from runner-up and Mataura shearer Brett Roberts, who as the highest-placed New Zealander, secured a place in a New Zealand team for the first time, while defending champion Chris Vickers, of Palmerston, North Otago was 3rd.
New Zealand Merino Shears open winner New South Wales shearer and farmer Jamie Boothman. Photo – www.image-central.co.nz
Boothman sheared for Australia for the first time in a three-a-side trans-Tasman win at the Golden Shears in Masterton in March, and will face Roberts in the return match during the Australian National Shearing and Wool Handling Championships in Jamestown, South Australia on 24-26 October.
Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford was a surprise elimination in the open shearing semi-finals. He was a five times the winner, but in 2025 placed seventh and missed a place in the six-man final for only the third time since his first in 2002.
Two-times world wool handling champion Joel Henare, from Gisborne, but based in Motueka, started his 20th season in the open wool handling class by winning the Alexandra Open wool handling title for a fifth time, with defending champion Pagan Rimene, of Alexandra, the runner-up.
It was Henare’s 144th open win, and lined him up for a 15th trans-Tasman test in three weeks’ time.
Vickers and Te Kuiti shearer James Fagan were the only survivors from last year’s final among the six in Saturday’s final, but of the four in the wool handling final Henare, Rimene and Waihape had all reached the 2024 showdown.
The senior shearing final, over four sheep each, was won by 26 year-old Western Australian-based Tawhaarangi Taylor, from Ohakune, who plans to next weekend defend the national winter comb senior title at Waimate.
Dre Roberts, brother of Brett Roberts, was second, beaten by about 5.5 points.
The first winner of the new season was 19-year-old Zoe Meikle, of Oamaru, claiming the novice wool handling title on Friday.
Later she made up a family team with father Justin Meikle (open shearing), brother Tye (Senior shearing), and mum Renee (open wool handling) competing for McSkimming Shearing in finishing 9th of 18 in the shearing and wool handling teams event.
On Saturday, the junior wool handling final provided a first win for 23 year-old Mady Little, from Balclutha but now living in Alexandra, and the senior final was won by 24 year-old Tia Manson, of Piopio, who had scraped into the final as the fourth qualifier.
The shears, which attracted 139 competitors, including a small number from Australia, Wales, and South Africa and comprising 70 shearers (open 47, senior 23) and 69 wool handlers (open 30, senior 11, junior 12, novice 16), was the first of 57 shows on the Shearing Sports New Zealand calendar for the season.
They include the 20th Golden Shears World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in Masterton on 4-7 March, and end with the New Zealand Shears in Te Kuiti on 9-11 April.
The next is the Waimate Spring Shears next Friday and Saturday, incorporating a trans-Tasman blades shearing test and the fourth round of the New Zealand World Championships machine and blades shearing selection series.
The first event in the North Island is the Poverty Bay A and P Show’s Gisborne Shearing and Woolhandling Championships on 17-18 October.
Congratulations Jamie. Great achievement. Fantastic effort. Well-deserved.