World champion Joel Henare throws a fleece at the 2018 Golden Shears open wool handling. Picture – Golden Shears.

WORLD wool handling champion Joel Henare has celebrated his 100th open class win by claiming a sixth consecutive Golden Shears Open Woolhandling title on Saturday.

It may have taken more than 30 years, but a wool handler was the genuine star of the final night of the 58th Golden Shears in Masterton on Saturday night as ultimate rousie Joel Henare overshadowed the performance of shearing phenomenon Rowland Smith.

The two each lived up to the tag of hot favourites for their successful defences of the open wool handling and shearing titles, but Henare just went one step better, scoring his 100th open class wool handling win, at the age of just 26.

An emotional Henare stood as he was saluted with the powerful Ngati Kahungunu haka Tika Tonu and presented with a commemorative cake, by mum Greta Davoren and fellow wool handlers Candy Hiri and Nicole Petuha.

It was with similar emotion he paid tribute to some of the tutors he had in his younger days where he grew up around the wool sheds of Otago – including late former Golden Shears open champions Joanne Kumeroa and Gina Nathan.

The victory was his sixth Golden Shears open title, a record sequence and equalling Kumeroa’s record for the most Golden Shears open wool handling titles.

Henare plans to defend world title in France

Henare, from Gisborne and mainly of Ngati Porou heritage, said he plans to defend his New Zealand championships title in Te Kuiti next month and follow other top shows next year in the hope of defending his world title in France in July 2019. However, he has taken a job in a Motueka fish processing plant, and is no longer working fulltime in the wool industry.

Despite Henare’s success, the 31-year-old Smith, from Maraekakaho, near Hastings, was hardly any less impressive, becoming the third most successful shearer in Golden Shears open final history, with five wins in six years, behind only Sir David Fagan’s 16 and Snow Quinn’s six.

Astoundingly it was his 36th consecutive win in open class finals in New Zealand, during which the only blemish was being eliminated from one competition in a semi-final.

He was put under pressure by Pongaroa farmer David Buick in the 20-sheep final, with Wairarapa’s biggest hope of a first Golden Shears Open title for the host region looking a distinct possibility as the pair finished the race almost together.

Buick was first to the button in 16min 29.618sec, and had the better points in the judging on the shearing board. It was left to the judging in the pens, with many surprised Smith had ultimately won by more than two points.

Reigning world champion John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, unloaded another “burden” when he won the PGG Wrightson Wool National Circuit final for a second time, meaning he and Smith will again be in the New Zealand team for next season’s trans-Tasman test series.

However, with teammate Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, Smith and Kirkpatrick were heavily beaten by Australians Shannon Warnest, Daniel McIntyre and Jason Wingfield in a test match tonight, although Kiwi wool handlers Henare and Maryanne Baty balanced the international ledger with a win over their counterparts, Melanie Morris and Sophie Huf.

More than 20 titles were decided during the three-day championships which attracted almost 400 competitors.

Golden Shears results

RESULTS from the 58th Golden Shears international shearing and woolhandling championships in the Masterton War Memorial Stadium on Thursday-Saturday March 1-3, 2018:

International: Trans-Tasman shearing test ((12 sheep – 6 merinos, 3 crossbred longwool, 3 second-shear): Australia 251.251pts (Shannon Warnest 17min 26.542sec, 82.327pts; Jason Wingfield 16min 51.981sec, 84.182pts; Daniel McIntyre 18min 4.847sec, 84.742pts) beat New Zealand 267.029pts (John Kirkpatrick 19min 26.677sec, 87.001pts; Nathan Stratford 19min 9.981sec, 87.166pts; Rowland Smith 20min 42.231sec, 92.862pts) by 15.778pts.

Trans-Tasman woolhandling test: New Zealand (Joel Henare/Maryanne Baty) 285.85pts beat Australia (Melanie Morris/Sophie Huf) 453.47pts.

Shearing: Golden Shears Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min 32.402sec, 57.27pts, 1; David Buick (Pongaroa) 16min 29.618sec, 59.631pts, 2; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 16min 45.86sec, 60.843pts, 3; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Whangamomona) 17min 48.159sec, 61.758pts, 4; Murray Henderson (Halcombe) 18min 17.077sec, 63.154pts, 6.

PGG Wrightson Wool National Shearing Circuit final (15 sheep – 3 finewool, 3 longwool, 3 corriedale, three lambs, 3 second shear): John Kirkpatrick (Napier)  19min 54.216sec, 78.244pts, 1; Grant Smith (Rakaia) 20min 3.352sec, 80.835pts, 2; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 20min 49.313sec, 80.599pts, 3; Stacey Te Huia (Te Kuiti NZ/Forbes NSW) 19min 23.222sec, 81.761pts, 4; Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 21min 9.338sec, 86.267pts, 5; Colin O’Neill (Alexandra) 22min 8.184sec, 89.542pts, 6.

Senior final (12 sheep): Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 13min 35.059sec, 51.836pts, 1; David Gordon (Masterton) 14min 51.409sec, 57.07pts, 2; Cody Greig (Levin) 14min 14.977sec, 59.666pts, 3; Lionel Taumata (Taumarunui/Gore) 14min 19.55sec, 59.811pts, 4; Pul Swann (Wairoa) 15min 3.1sec, 63.571pts, 5; Barney Cummings (Winton) 14min 38.93sec, 65.031pts, 6.

Intermediate final (8 sheep): Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton) 12min 2.785sec, 45.264pts, 1; Gwydion Davies (Wales) 11min 45.641sec, 50.907pts, 2; Madison Br ight (Takapau) 12min 2.187sec, 51.234pts, 3; Daniel Seed (Woodville) 11minh 24.133sec, 51.332pts, 4; Trent Hewes (Glen Murray) 12min 6.13se, 52.807pts, 5; Cob Higgins (Havelock/Blenheim) 13min 17.041sec, 52.977pts, 6.

Junior final (5 sheep): Brook Hamerton (Ruawai/Hastings) 9min 48.5sec, 41.425pts, 1; Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 10min 42.579sec, 43.329pts, 2; Keith Swann (Wairoa) 10min 44.472sec, 43.424pts, 3; Jonathan Painter (Pahiatua) 10min 4.607sec, 43.63pts, 4; Leam Pritchard (Pongaroa) 9min 49.662sec, 44.283pts, 5; Daniel Biggs (Mangamahu) 11min 6.797sec, 44.94pts, 6.

Novice final (2 sheep): Andrew Baxter (Pongaroa) 7min 11.684sec, 40.026pts, 1; Kirk Karaitiana (Takapau) 7min 26..523sec, 41.826pts, 2; Logan Kamura (Marton) 9min 1.698sec, 45.085pts, 3; Jerome Papworth (Eketahuna) 9min 26.246sec, 45.312pts, 4; Kendra Paulsen (Waikaretu) 10min 28.939sec, 50.447ppts, 5; Samantha Baxter (Pongaroa) 10min 0.532sec, 50.527pts, 6.

Maori Pakeha Teams event (8 sheep each): Brett Roberts (Mataura) and Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 79.478pts, 1; Ringakaha Paewai (Gore) and Hayden Tapp (Taihape) 85.212pts, 2; Robert Mudgway (Taihape) and Darren Alexander (Whangamomona/Hastings) 88.779pts, 3.

Open Invitation Encouragement (6 sheep): Axle Reid (Taihape) 6min 44.936sec, 28.413pts, 1; Floyde Neil (Taumarunui) 5min 42.339sec, 29.617pts, 2; Ringakaha Paewai (Gore) 6min 234.25sec, 32.496pts, 3; Matt Tumohe (Balclutha) 5min 51.078sec, 33.054pts, 4; Michael Fabish (Stratford) 6min 5.856sec, 33.793pts, 5; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 6min 25.168sec, 35.258pts, 6.

Life Members Student Shearing Challenge (1 sheep): Waipaoa Station Cadet Training, Gisborne (Kristy Roa 4min 57.706sec, 25.885pts; Jacob Maxwell 4min 2.717sec, 35.136pts) 161.021pts, 1; Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, Carterton (Hamish Maher 4min 10.814sec, 55.541pts; Kody Kingi 4min 12.753sec, 60.638pts) 116.179pts, 2; Smedley Station Cadet Training, Tikokino (Jack Harley 3min 45.922sec, 42.296pts; Ben Weeks 4min 0.092sec, 77.005pts) 119.301pts, 3.

Wool handling: Golden Shears Open final (5 fleeces): Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka) 174.202pts, 1; Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 240.782pts, 2; Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 242.336pts, 3; Maryanne Baty (Gisborne) 364.2pts, 4.

North Island Circuit Open final (6 fleeces – 3 longwool, 3 second shear): Sheree Alabaster (Taihape) 143.01pts, 1; Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 155.46pts, 2; Keryn Herbert (Te Awamutu/Te Kuiti) 161.346pts, 3; Monica Potae (Milton) 180.22pts.

Senior final (4 fleeces): Sharon Tuhakaraina (Gore) 129.864pts, 1; Ash Boyce (Dannevirke) 178.03pts, 2; Lashara Anderson (Invercargill) 198.078pts, 3; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 2345.76pts, 4.

Junior final (4 fleeces): Ngaira Puha (Kimbolton) 173.598pts, 1; Sarah Davis (Rotorua) 174.712pts, 2; Summer Pritchard (Pongaroa) 246.25pts, 3; Samantha Baxter (Pongaroa) 252.394pts, 4.

Novice final: Heaven Kemp (Gisborne) 104.398pts, 1; Tracie Baxter (Pongaroa) 112.808pts, 2; Georgia Oliver (Masterton) 114.382pts, 3; Chelsea Duffy (Eketahuna) 151.764pts, 4.

Wool pressing: Men’s final: Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 41.45pts, 1; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 59.8pts, 2. Women’s final: Cushla Abragam (Masterton) 79.35pts, 1; Carmen Smith (Pongaroa) 178.65pts, 2.   Pairs final: Jimmy Samuels and Jono Hicks (Marton) 63.9pts, 1; Carlene Karaitiana and Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 75.85pts, 2.

Veterans(over 60 years): Shearing final (3 sheep): Russell Knight (Apiti) 4min 23.923sec, 20.312pts, 1; Peter McCabe (Tauranga) 4min 54.505sec, 26.391pts, 2; Koro Mullins (Dannevirke) 3min 49.286sec, 26.464pts, 3; Kevin Buckman (Apiti) 4min 41.699sec, 31.418pts, 4; Allan Williams (Masterton) 5min 51.713sec, 32.252pts, 5; Hugh McCarroll (Tauranga/Whangamata) 6min 20.47sec, 38.024pts, 6.

Wool handling final: Bo Paku-Clark (Masterton) 66.91pts, 1; Mavis Mullins (Dannevirke) 66.69pts, 2; Mii Nooroa (Masterton) 99.25pts, 3; Oti Mason (Dannevirke) 109pts, 4; John Hodder (Featherston) 141.75pts, 5; Missy Riddell (Masterton) 198.88pts, 6.

Triathlon (shearing, wool handling, wool pressing): Jeremy Goodger (Masterton) 143.21pts, 1; Vinnie Goodger (Masterton) 148.453pts, 2; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 180.321pts, 3; Jared Mullins (Dannevirke) 211.092pts, 4; Jono Hicks (Marton) 212.152pts, 5; Conan Gray-Harmon (Masterton) 215.299pts, 6.

YFC Events: YFC Open Shearing (6 sheep): Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 6min 48.824pts, 1; Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 6min 45.167sec, 29.591pts, 2; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 7min 14.233sec, 30.046pts, 3; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 7min 12.336sec, 30.284pts, 4; Floyde Neil (Taumarunui) 6min 49.335sec, 30.8pts, 5; Turi Edmonds (Raetihi) 7min 1.961sec, 33.432pts, 6.

NZ YFC Teams event: West Coast (shearers Jimmy Samuels, Connor Puha; woolhandlers Logan Kamura, Ngaira Puha) 175.953pts, 1; South Island (shearers Ethan Pankhurst, Duncan Higgins; woolhandlers Sarah Higgins, Samantha Gordon) 237.316pts, 2; East Coast (shearers Mark Baxter, Cullum Pritchard; woolhandlers Samantah Baxter, Summer Pritchard) 269.894pts, 3.

Special Wards: Best quality in shearing heats: Open, James Ruki (Te Kuiti); Senior, Sarah Higgins, (Blenheim); Interrmediate, Dane Fredrickson (Tumby Bay, Australia); Junior, Brayden Clifford (Gore).

Best Quality in wool handling heats: Open, Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka); Senior, Lashara Anderson (Invercargill); Junior, Cortez Ostler (Kimbolton). Les Field Memorial Trophy (best all grades): Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka).

Best quality points any final: Novice, Andrew Baxter (Pongaroa) 14.5pts; Junior, Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 10.2pts; Intermediate, Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton 9.125pts; Senior, Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 11.083pts; Open, Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 7.65pts. R E O’Hara Memorial Trophy – Rowland Smith.

Source: Doug Laing, Shearing Sports New Zealand.