Shearing: Second consecutive win at Pahiatua Shear for Rowland Smith
Hawke's Bay shearer Rowland Smith rounded off his preparation for his defence of the Golden Shears open title by completing a second consecutive clean sweep of the pre-shears weekend treble at the Pahiatua Shears on Sunday, February 25.
Smith also won the Taumarunui Shears Open title on the Friday and the Apiti Sports Shears Open title on Saturday.
The 2014 World champion won all three events last year before going to Masterton to win his fourth Golden Shears Open title, and has now won 36 Open finals in New Zealand in a row, his only blemish since the end of January 2017 being when he was a semi-final elimination at the Tauranga A & P Show six weeks ago.
The 2012 World champion, Taranaki farmer and Scotland international Gavin Mutch, was runner-up for the eighth time since winning the final at Tauranga, and reigning world champion John Kirkpatrick of Napier had his 13th top three placing in a season yielding just one win.
But the gap has been closing, Smith winning on the day by just 0.13pts, needing quality points to beat Mutch, who sheared 20 sheep in 16min 37.33sec, first to finish by 15 seconds as the first five all sheared quicker than anyone in last year's Pahiatua final.
The three are expected to be the first three favourites for the Golden Shears Open final, in addition to a Smith v The Field option.
The only change was the emergence of Smith's fellow world record-breaking brother Matthew, who was fourth, home from England to receive his Master Shearer award at the Golden Shears.
Woodville shearer Tegwyn Bradley had his seventh win in his last eight finals to claim the Senior title by just over a point from runner-up, and Gore-based Lionel Taumata. There was a winning margin of just 0.34pts in the Intermediate final by beating French Golden Shears lower grades hope Jeremy Leygonie, and 14-year-old Reuben Alabaster scored his second win of the weekend, a strong prospect to become the youngest to win the Golden Shears Junior title at 14.
The Pahiatua Shears attracted 66 shearers to a Mangaone Valley woolshed southeast of Pahiatua, a huge decline since the 1970s when more than 200 shearers competed.
Results from Fouhy Farm Mangaone Valley:
Open final (20 sheep): Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 16min 55.73sec, 60.787pts, 1; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Whangamomona) 16min 57.33sec, 60.917pts, 2; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 17min 0.73sec, 63.737pts, 3; Matthew Smith (Ruswai/Cornwall, England) 16min 52.11sec, 64.206pts, 4; David Buick (Pongaroa) 17min 6.17sec, 64.259pts, 5; Murray Henderson (Halcombe)18min 46.9sec, 70.095pts, 6.
Senior final (12 sheep): Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville) 13min 8.12sec, 50.406pts, 1; Lionel Taumata (Taumarunui/Gore) 13min 19.27sec, 51.464pts, 2; Jade Maguire Ratima (Winton) 14min 0.63sec, 51.866pts, 3; David Gordon (Masterton) 13min 50.05sec, 52.153pts, 4; Ricci Stevens (Napier) 12min 48.57sec, 53.763pts, 5; Sean Gouk (Masterton) 13min 59.15sec, 54.458pts, 6.
Intermediate final (8 sheep): Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton) 11min 6.68sec, 39.334pts, 1; Jeremy Leygonie (France) 11min 0.36sec, 39.768pts, 2; Tawera Brown (Martinborough) 11min 49.69sec, 45.61pts, 3; Daniel Seed (Woodville) 11min 3.11sec, 46.906pts, 4; Paora Moanaroa (Eketahnuna) 10min 19.61sec, 47.106pts, 5; Emily Te Kapa (Scotland) 11min 45.4sec, 47.52pts, 6.
Junior final (5 sheep): Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 10min 7.14sec, 40.157pts, 1; Jonathan Painter (Pahiatua) 10min 16.04sec, 40.802pts, 2; Matthew Smith (Otorohanga) 11min 16.07sec, 41.404pts, 3; Liam Pritchard (Pongaroa) 10min 48.12sec, 41.806pts, 4; Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 11min 47.87sec, 46.33pts, 5; Mark Baxter (Pongaroa) 11min 47.87sec, 57.394pts, 6.