It was a case of 13 being a lucky number for one contender at the Otago Shearing and New Zealand Woolhandling Championships on Saturday.
Top Gisborne woolhandler Joel Henare won the national open woolhandling trophy for the 13th time in 16 years at Carterhope Estate, south of Balclutha, against solid competition, despite "retiring" after his last win, in 2021.
Henare said he had stepped away from competition to spend more time with his young family at the time, but circumstances meant he was now able to blend family commitments with attendance at the country’s top events.
