Lucy Elers won the junior woolhandling event at the 62nd Golden Shears International Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at Masterton last week.
She had not taken part in many woolhandling competitions, but it was her second time competing at the shears, Lucy said.
She was not expecting to win.
"I was just hoping to make it to the final."
Prior to competing, she judged woolhandling events for three years.
"Now I like the competing," she said.
Mother Tina and sister Maiden have competed in woolhandling events for many years and have represented the Cook Islands at world shearing championships.
Grandmother Gloria and family members were very proud of her efforts, Tina said.
"She’s the first one in the whanau to win a Golden Shears final."
Lucy had won titles that she and Maiden had not won, Tina said.
"That’s how far out in front of us she really is.
"She’s the youngest to come along and she’s done better than any of us that are ahead of her.
"She’s really outstanding."
In the Shearwell Data Regional Teams Challenge, three longwool and four second-shear sheep, the South zone 4 pairing of Brett Roberts, of Mataura, and Nathan Bee, of Wyndham finished first.
Other eastern Southland shearers and woolhandlers made it though to finals.
Mr Bee finished third in the senior final and second in the speed shears senior final.
In the intermediate shearing final, Emma Martin finished fourth and in the senior woolhandling finished third.
In the junior final, Jet Schimanski of Gore was sixth.
