Mataura shearer Brett Roberts, has secured a place in the New Zealand team after placing second in the Merino Shears open shearing final on Saturday.
New South Wales farmer-shearer Jamie Boothman won the title.
Boothman, 31, from Crookwell, in the Southern Tablelands, arrived from Australia on the day and was in charge almost all of the way, as top qualifier for the quarterfinals and then the semifinals, and fourth going into the six-man final.
Boothman claimed the title by more than three points from runner-up Roberts, who as the first New Zealander, secured a place in the national team for the first time.
Defending champion Chris Vickers, of Palmerston was third.
He will face Roberts in the return match at the Australian national shearing and woolhandling championships in Jamestown, South Australia, on October 24-26.
A surprise elimination in the open shearing semifinals was Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford.
The five-time winner placed seventh, missing a place in the final for only the third time since his first in 2002.
Two-time world woolhandling champion Joel Henare, from Gisborne, but based in Motueka, started his 20th season in the open woolhandling class by winning the Alexandra open woolhandling title a fifth time.
Defending champion Pagan Rimene, of Alexandra, was the runner-up.
The senior shearing final (four sheep each) was won by 26-year-old Western Australia-based Tawhaarangi Taylor, from Ohakune, who planned to defend the national winter comb senior title at Waimate this weekend.
Dre Roberts, brother of Brett Roberts, was second, beaten by about five and a-half points.
The first winner of the new season was 19-year-old Zoe Meikle, of Oamaru, claiming the novice woolhandling title on Friday.
Later she made up a family team with father Justin Meikle (open shearing), brother Tye (senior shearing), and mum Renee (open woolhandling) competing for McSkimming Shearing.
They finishing ninth of 18 in the shearing and woolhandling team events.
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, was the first of 57 shows on the Shearing Sports calendar for the season.
RESULTS
New Zealand Merino Shears shearing and woolhandling championships held in Alexandra on Saturday. —
Shearing
Open final (12 sheep): Jamie Boothman (Crookwell, NSW) 21min 6.36sec, 82.735pts, 1st; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 22min 21.52sec, 85.743pts, 2nd; Chris Vickers (Palmerston) 21min 2.08ses, 87.604pts, 3rd; James Fagan (Te Kuiti) 20min 41.16sec, 91.058pts, 4th; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 20min 28.13sec, 92.074pts, 5th; Erick Klabe (Guyra, NSW) 23min 34.73sec, 93.82pts, 6th.
Woolhandling
Open final (five fleeces): Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka) 191.612pts, 1st; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 247.2pts, 2nd; Foonie Waihape (Alexandra) 263.762pts, 3rd; Jasmin Tipoki (Napier) 292.664pts, 4th.
Senior final (three fleeces): Tia Manson (Piopio) 192.732pts, 1st; Chiquita Tamepo (Hastings) 209.94pts, 2nd; Ashley Clarke (Gore) 254.1pts, 3rd; Misty-Rose Kokiri Elers (Mataura) 273.862pts, 4th.
Junior final (three fleeces): Mady Little (Balclutha) 182.874pts, 1st; Jayda Millanta (Tauranga) 188.442pts, 2nd; Maia Rauhina (Whanganui) 189.062pts, 3rd; Grace Croasdale (Masterton) 216.706pts, 4th.
Novice: Zoe Meikle (Oamaru) 88.056pts, 1st; Priah Ratana Sciascia (Feilding) 97.07pts, 2nd; Angel Spooner (Ashburton) 103.6pts, 3rd; Jayda White (-) 133.5pts, 4th.
Shearing and Woolhandling teams (five fleeces): Korua Ma (Ringakaha Paewae, Troy Christy, Pagan Timene, Foonie Waihape) 333.929pts, 1st; You’re Kidding (Paraki Puna, Tawhaarangi Taylor, Maia Rauhina, Jasmin Tipoki) 342.51pts, 2nd; Shedtalk (Paerata Abraham, David Gordon, Cushla Abraham, Amy Ferguson) 366.825pts, 3rd. — Allied Media
