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.
Boothman sheared for Australia for the first time in a three a-side transtasman win at the Golden Shears in Masterton earlier this year.
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.
It was Henare’s 144th open win and lined him up for a 15th transtasman test in three weeks’ time.
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.
On Saturday the junior woolhandling final provided a first win for 23-year-old Mady Little, from Balclutha, but living in Alexandra.
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. — Allied Media
