Rakaia performers show off top mettle

Rakaia shearers took first and second place at this year's Ellesmere A&P Show shears at Leeston.

Tony Coster won the open class shearing event for the fourth time, with fellow Rakaia shearer Grant Smith taking second place. Coster previously won the Ellesmere title in 1998, 2008 and 2009.

There was no open event at last year's rain-affected show because of a clash with the New Zealand Spring Shears in Waimate.

Competition at Leeston was restricted to just the senior and junior classes.

Coster has recently returned from representing New Zealand in an eight-match series in the United Kingdom - the 2013 Elders Primary Wool UK Tour, to which Smith is a former New Zealand representative.

Rakaia-based Jock Barrett won the senior final, and Irish shearer Joseph Stephens won the intermediate final.

Although Coster and Smith won at Leeston on points, it was Ashburton shearer Rocky Bull who won time honours shearing his eight in 9min 16sec.

Bull took fourth place behind Blenheim shearer Chris Jones. Bull is one of seven shearers supporting Rakaia shearer and judge John Hough, who is bowing out of shearing sports at the end of this season in which he hopes to contest 21 competitions.

In the first Shearing Sports New Zealand North Island competition of the season, Napier shearer John Kirkpatrick won the Poverty Bay Shears, in Gisborne.

In the woolhandling events, reigning world and Golden Shears champion Joel Henare successfully defended his home town's open title which he won for the first time 12 months ago.

Kirkpatrick joined Alexandra fine-wool merino shearer Dion Morrell and Golden Shears and New Zealand Open champion Rowland Smith, of Hastings, in a transtasman series test match on Saturday in Warrnambool, Victoria.

New Zealand representatives in the woolhandling test were Te Awamutu's Keryn Herbert, last season's North Island circuit winner and also Shearing Sports New Zealand annual rankings champion, and 2013 Otago Championships New Zealand Woolhandler of the Year final winner Tia Potae, of Milton.

Upcoming shearing sports events in Canterbury are the Ashburton A&P shears at Ashburton and the Pleasant Point Gymkhana at Pleasant Point on November 2 and the Canterbury A&P, NZ Corriedale Championships at Christchurch on November 14 and 15.


Results of shearing at Leeston on Saturday, October 19

Open final (8 sheep): Tony Coster (Rakaia) 9min 38sec, 50.53pts, 1; Grant Smith (Rakaia) 10min 48sec, 50.9pts, 2; Chris Jones (Blenheim) 11min 51.25pts, 3; Rocky Bull (Ashburton) 9min 16sec, 65.3pts, 4.

Senior final (5 sheep): Jock Barrett 8min 28sec, 47pts, 1; Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton) 8min 33sec, 49.05pts, 2; Rowan Nesbit (Rangiora) 8min 23sec, 51.95pts, 3; Lance Barnes (Diamond Harbour) 10min 24sec, 56.4pts, 4.

Intermediate final (3 sheep): Joseph Stephens (Ireland) 6min 34sec, 48.37pts, 1; Cory Green (Rakaia) 8min, 51.67pts, 2; Darren Alexander (Whangamomona) 7min 31sec, 55.55pts, 3; Lyall Windleburn (Waiau) 5min 43sec, 64.15pts, 4.

Junior final (2 sheep): Joel Richards (Oamaru) 6min 3sec, 45.65pts, 1; Edward Harrington (West Melton) 6min 56sec, 48.8pts, 2; Brendon Ridgen (Darfield) 6min 6sec, 57.3pts, 3; Allan Oldfield (Geraldine) 5min 42sec, 71.1pts, 4.

 

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