Elers retains Golden Shears senior title

Southland woolhandler Lucy Elers defended her senior woolhandling title at the 64th Golden Shears...
Southland woolhandler Lucy Elers defended her senior woolhandling title at the 64th Golden Shears competition in Masterton last week. Photo: supplied
Mataura woolhandler Lucy Elers is among the winners of the 64th Golden Shears competition.

The 25-year-old won the senior woolhandling final in Masterton last week.

She successfully defended the title she won last year, after winning the junior title a year earlier.

Toa Henderson, of Northland, defended his Golden Shears open shearing title, and Joel Henare, of Gisborne, won a 12th Golden Shears open woolhandling title.

Jack Fagan, of Te Kuiti, won the National Shearing Circuit final.

Nathan Stratford, of Invercargill, was a major threat and led the chase in the shearing circuit final.

Fagan finished in 17min 15.213sec, a time advantage of almost four points, which Stratford pegged back with the better quality.

However, Fagan won by 1.378 points, to secure a place in the 2026-27 New Zealand transtasman shearing and woolhandling series team.

GOLDEN SHEARS RESULTS FEATURING SOUTHERN SHEARERS AND WOOLHANDLERS:

Shearing

National circuit shearing final (15 sheep — 3 merino, 3 corriedale, 3 crossbred long wool, 3 second-shear, 3 lambs): Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 17m 15.213s, 65.631pts, 1; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 18m 29.571s, 67.009pts, 2; Hugh De Lacy (Rangiora) 18m 38.815s, 68.341pts, 3; Justin Meikle (Oamaru) 18m 51.353s, 72.098pts, 4; Brook Hamerton (Hastings) 21m 01.431s, 75.132pts, 5; Lionel Taumata (Gore) 20m 50.185s, 76.439pts, 6.

Open final (20 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 16m 13.228s, 56.111pts, 1; Gavin Mutch (Dannevirke) 15m 59.996s, 56.650pts, 2; Leon Samuels (Roxburgh) 16m 18.999s, 57.300pts, 3; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 16m 47.383s, 57.619pts, 4; Rowland Smith (Hastings) 17m 46.701s, 57.885pts, 5; Corey Palmer (Dipton) 17m 41.009s, 61.700pts, 6.

Senior final (12 sheep): Taelor Tarrant (Taumarunui) 12m 25.546s, 49.027pts, 1; Dre Roberts (Mataura) 13m 01.429s, 49.231pts, 2; Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 13m 38.292s, 52.755pts, 3; Frazer Caldwell (Omagh) 13m 28.019s, 52.991pts, 4; Daniel Copley (ENG) 14m 0.809s, 53.120pts, 5; Callum Bosley (Cornwall) 13m 22.493s, 53.705pts, 6.

Intermediate final (8 sheep): Joseph Scahill (Mayo, Ireland) 10m 35.740s, 42.537pts, 1; Tamati Dennison (Kurow) 10m 51.350s, 42.938pts, 2; Mitchell Yates (Kimba, South Australia) 11m 4.9s, 43.365pts, 3; Tye Meikle (Oamaru) 10m 37.57s, 43.878pts, 4; Zakaia Lewis (Gisborne) 11m 0.71s, 44.656pts, 5; Michael Buick (Pongaroa) 11m 16.33s, 46.566pts, 6.

Junior final (5 sheep): Steffan George (Aberystwyth, Wales) 8m 43.333s, 33.367pts, 1; Sean Dunne (Wicklow, Ireland) 8m 38.211s, 33.511pts, 2; Ashlin Swann (Wairoa) 9m 26.154s, 34.908pts, 3; Mac Foreman (Pahiatua) 9m 14.877s, 34.944pts, 4; Phoebe Monk (Masterton) 8m 53.851s, 35.293pts, 5; Trent Alabaster (Taihape) 8m 27.713s, 35.586pts, 6.

Women’s invitation shearing final (6 sheep): Laura Bradley (Woodville) 8m 3.351s, 32.668pts, 1; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 9m 7.208s, 34.7pts, 2; Emma Martin (Gore) 8m 47.807s, 35.22pts, 3; Kate Donald (Stirling) 8m 46.318s, 37.316pts, 4; Nicki Guttler (Lockhart) 9m 26.355s, 39.318pts, 5; Una Cameron (St Boswells) 8m 31.728s, 42.416pts, 6.

Senior speed shear (1 sheep): Cheyden Winiana (Nuhaka) 22.094s, 1; Randall Aranui (Martinborough) 24.365s, 2; Ryka Swann (Wairoa) 3; Dre Roberts (Mataura) 4.

Woolhandling

Open final (10 fleeces): Joel Henare (Gisborne) 122.893pts, 1; Logan Kamura (Marton) 133.447pts, 2; Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 136.86pts, 3; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 140.999pts, 4.

Senior final (5 fleeces): Lucy Elers (Mataura) 132.419pts, 1; Tre Ratana- Sciascia (Taihape) 134.806pts, 2; Amy Bell (Dannevirke) 154.321pts, 3; Shyla Gordon (Masterton) 169.534pts, 4. — Allied Media