North Canterbury-based Southland shearer Troy Pyper kicked-off the new shearing sports season with a win in the New Zealand Winter Comb Open final in Waimate on Friday (October 9).

But it was close with the victory in a six-man final of 10 merino wethers on the first day of the Waimate Shears New Zealand Spring Shearing and Woolhandling Championships, coming by just 0.637pts from the runner-up, Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford.

Stratford is Pyper's New Zealand Transtasman tests teammate, was the event favourite and won the Winter Comb title when it was last contested at Omarama in 2009.

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"It's just awesome to be competing and seeing everyone happy," Pyper said after a long wait for confirmation at a prizegiving ceremony.

The title has been resurrected this season, giving extra bite to the 53rd Waimate Shears and the new season, which has had at least eight competitions cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis.

There was noe rest for Pyper, who along with almost 50 others, chased the New Zealand Spring Championships Open title, on the long strongwool of the romney ewes.

Pyper perhaps had a point to prove, having been runner-up in both 2017 and 2018, but had to be content with fourth, behind John Fitzpatrick (Pakipaki), Brett Roberts (Mataura) and Leon Samuels (Invercargill), .

The championships attracted over 170 shearers and woolhandlers.

Tony Dobbs of South Canterbury won his 100th open bladeshearing title: PHOTO: Waimate Shears

In other event highlights, South Canterbury farmer Tony Dobbs became the first person in the World to win 100 Open bladeshearing finals.

The win came on the second and last night of the 43rd Waimate Shears New Zealand Spring championships, in which he first competed in 1979.

Three days before the event the 58-year-old Dobbs, who farms near Fairlie, said he had barely shorn any sheep with the blades since he won a World teams title with fellow South Canterbury shearer Allan Oldfield in France in July 2019.

But he was certainly in the right form for the six-man showdown of four sheep each, finishing third-off in just under 15mins and beating individual runner-up and reigning individual World champion Oldfield, on both time and in the final count, with a winning margin of 1.645pts.

John Fitzpatrick of Hawke's Bay enjoys his win in the open machine shearing final. PHOTO: Waimate Shears

The other big winner of the night was veteran Hawke’s Bay gun and 2017 World champion John Kirkpatrick who won the Open machine-shearing final.

Third to finish, 18 seconds after first-man-off Pyper, and with just 40 seconds separating the first five off the board, all averaging under a minute a sheep for the 16 across the board, Kirkpatrick had the best quality points overall to beat win by 2.3265pts from Mataura shearer and runner-up Brett Roberts, who headed a three-man Southland attack, with Leon Samuels, of Invercargill third, and Pyper fourth. 

Pagan Karauria, of Alexandra, successfully defended the Open woolhandling title she won for the first time last year.

The all-female, six-shearers Novice shearing final, the first in New Zealand other than events run specifically for women, was won by Emma Martin, of Gore.

Chris Malcolm, of Winton, won the Senior shearing final, his first win in the grade after three seasons of trying, 2019-2020 Junior No-1 ranked shearer

Reigning Golden Shears Senior champion and Southland woolhandler Amber Poihipi won both Senior woolhandling finals.

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Results:

New Zealand Spring Championships:

Open final (16 sheep): John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 15min 18.25sec, 52.7875pts, 1; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 15min 11.03sec, 55.114pts, 2; Leon Samuels (Invercargill) 15min 9.72sec, 55.4235pts, 3; Troy Pyper (Amberley) 15min 0.97sec, 56.5485pts, 4; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 15min 40.65sec, 59.595pts, 5; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Whangamomona) 17min 22.43sec, 59.809pts, 6.

Open Novice (9 sheep): Axle Reid (Taihape) 9min 52.23sec, 36.5004pts, 1; Lionel Taumata (Gore) 10min 0.64sec, 41.6987pts, 2; David Gordon (Masterton) 9min 12.72sec, 42.636pts, 3; Luis Pincol (Chile) 11min 9.34sec, 44.1337pts, 4; Jimmy Samuels (Marton) 8min 58.81sec, 44.2738pts, 5; Simon Goss (Mangamahu) 9min 53.69sec, 45.0178pts, 6.

Senior final (8 sheep): Chris Malcolm (Winton) 10min 49.6sec, 42.73pts, 1; Taare Edwards (Ashburton) 11min 17.83sec, 42.7665pts, 2; Duncan Leslie (Kaka Point) 11min 15.19sec, 43.2595pts, 3; Ruka Braddick (Eketahuna) 10min 1.04sec, 43.427pts, 4; Jayden Mainland (Wellsford) 10min 16.44sec, 43.572pts, 5; Brayden Clifford (Waikaka) 11min 25.29sec, 54.2645pts, 6.

Intermediate final (5 sheep): Adam Gordon (Masterton) 8min 45.92sec, 35.896pts, 1; John Cherrington (Huntly) 9min 10.53sec, 36.1265pts, 2; Chase Rattray (Ashburton) 8min 44.78sec, 39.039pts, 3; Gabriel Winders (Oamaru) 9min 6.06sec, 40.103pts, 4; Cody Davidson (Hakatere) 8min 1.96sec, 43.498pts, 5; Ruby Stone (Christchurch) 9min 22.49sec, 43.7245ts, 6.

Junior final (3 sheep): Reuben King (North Canterbury) 8min 56.25sec, 31.8125ts, 1; Tes Paewai (Wales) 6min 34.02sec, 36.701pts, 2; Harley-James Ransfield (Ohai) 6min 48.81sec, 37.1072pts, 3; Ariana Te Whata (Mossburn) 6min 59.96sec, 40.998pts, 4; Jordan White (Balclutha) 6min 45.45sec, 44.9392pts, 5; Justin Anderson (Fairlie) 10min 31.37sec, 56.5685pts, 6.

Novice final (1 sheep): Emma Martin (Gore) 5min 47.05sec, 29.3525pts, 1; Robin Krause (Germany) 5min 48.29sec, 31.4145ts, 2; Annette Schneider (Germany) 7min 2.44sec, 36.122pts, 3; Alice Robinson (Blenheim) 5min 22.28sec, 41.114pts, 4; Siobhan Mosan-Dennison (Gisborne) 3min 37.85sec, 53.8925pts, 5; Tyla Harraway (Rakaia) 7min 0.54sec, 55.027pts, 6. 

Open Blades (4 sheep): Tony Dobbs (Fairlie) 14min 58.84sec, 57.442pts, 1; Allan Oldfield (Geraldine) 15min 26.75sec, 59.0875pts, 2; Mike McConnell (Waikari) 15min 18.32sec, 61.666pts, 3; Scott McKay (Christchurch) 14min 27.94sec, 66.397pts, 4; Allen Gemmell (Rangiora) 14min 20.19sec, 69.0095pts, 5; Phil Oldfield (Geraldine) 18min 33.85sec, 75.9425pts, 6. 

Intermediate Blades (2 sheep): Jordan White (Balclutha) 9min 11sec, 72.05pts, 1; Lyall Windleburn (Rangiora) 9min 6sec, 90.3pts, 2; Hemi Waenga (Gisborne) 9min 15.89sec, 121.7945pts, 3; Shaun Burgess (Rakaia) 9min 4.49sec, 125.2245pts, 4; Evalyn McGregor-Koch (Glenorchy) 13min 3.94sec, 129.697pts, 5; Jills Angus-Burney (Masterton) 17min 3.72sec, 138.686pts, 6.

New Zealand Winter Comb Championships:

Open final (10 sheep): Troy Pyper (Amberley) 20min 42.51sec, 84.6255pts, 1; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 22min 27.25sec, 85.2625pts, 2; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) 20min 44.75sec, 90.5375pts, 3; Chris Vickers (Palmerston) 20min 13.56sec, 96.478pts, 4; Barry Taylor (Peebles) 21min 34.75sec, 106.1375pts, 5; Duncan Higgins (Havelock) 28min 2.02sec, 126.501pts, 6. 

Senior final (5 sheep): Duncan Leslie (Kaka Point) 16min 31.87sec, 67.3935pts, 1; Hohepa Te Rata-Taituha (Taumarunui) 13min 15.43sec, 84.1715pts, 2; Cody Mann (Kurow) 13min 14.5sec, 86.525ts, 3; Ruka Braddick (Eketahuna) 17min 4.62sec, 90.431pts, 4; Wilton Weeks (Apiti) 17min 16.28sec, 96.614pts, 5; John Cherrington (Huntly) 19min 5.34sec, 96.667pts, 6.

Woolhandling:

New Zealand Spring Championships:

Open final: Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 121.244pts, 1; Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 131.064pts, 2; Chelsea Collier (Gore) 132.434pts, 3; Candy Hiri (Mataura) 160.406pts, 4.

Senior final: Amber Poihipi (Ohai) 95.44pts, 1; Nova Elers (Mataura) 124.346pts, 2; Kahlo Tuuta (Matauri Bay) 140.53pts, 3; Chenell Waihape (Mataura) 172.94pts, 4.

Junior final: Kirwyn Kora-Rogers (Feilding) 170.22pts, 1; Ashley Clark (Gore) 174.43pts, 2; Emma Martin (Gore) 178.65pts, 3; Samantha Allan (Milton) 190.09pts, 4.

South Island Circuit:

Open final: Kelly Macdonald (Lake Hawea)1, Keryn Herbert (Te Kuiti) 2, Pagan Karauria (Alexandra) 3, Candy Hiri (Mataura) 4.

Senior final: Amber Poihipi (Ohai) 1, Sunnii Te Whare (Ohai) 2, Nova Kumeroa-Elers (Mataura) 3, Sarah Davis (Rerewhakaaitu) 4.

Junior Final: Heaven Little 1, Samantha Allen (Milton) 2, Emma Martin (Gore) 3, Georgie Blackburn, 4.

Shearing and woolhandling teams event: Perfect Rhythm (Jimmy Samuels, Rangipa Chase, Cheyenne Howden, Pagan Karauria) 1, Peter Lyon Shearing (Troy Pyper, Yaden Mainland, Amy Lee Ferguson, Ripeka Ferris) 2, Monica and The Seniors (Alex Smith, Ruka Braddick, Monica Potae, Cystal Braddick)   

Reporting by Doug Laing, media officer, Shearing Sports New Zealand