The national multibreeds shearing circuit finals are back on the calendar for the New Zealand Shears at Te Kuiti in April.

The national multibreed final looked to have become a non-event this year until the cancellation of the Golden Shears in Masterton because of Covid-19 restrictions.

The move to resurrect the event was announced last Friday (March 5) by circuit committee chairman Warren White, of Waimate, after representatives from Golden Shears and the New Zealand Shears had a meeting.

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The series is currently led by Hawke’s Bay-based Scotland international Gavin Mutch, who in 2012 won the World title in Masterton and three years later became the first and-still only shearer from overseas to win the Golden Shears Open Final.

Other top seeds are Invercargill’s Nathan Stratford (ranked second), Mataura’s Brett Roberts (fourth equal) and Ringakaha Paewai of Gore (sixth).

Shearing Sports New Zealand chairman Sir David Fagan congratulated the circuit organisers and Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears organisers for agreeing and “making it happen.”

He said it wouldn’t have happened without the support of merinos provider and Central Otago breeder Alan Paterson.

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The turn-around followed the cancellation of usual last qualifying-round host, the Pahiatua Shears, and the Golden Shears, including the 12-shearer circuit semi-finals and the final.

The New Zealand Shears shearing and woolhandling championships, a casualty of last year’s Covid-19 lockdown, are scheduled for April 8-10.

The Open shearing championship heats on the Friday will replace the lost Pahiatua round and will be followed by the semi-finals and final.

It will be a busy two days for the country’s top shearers, with the NZ Shears Circuit and Open Championships already on the programme.

Both the Pahiatua Shears and the New Zealand Shears Open championships are shorn on second-shear sheep, one of the five wool types in the series.

This event had its difficulties earlier in the season with the cancellation of traditional opener the New Zealand Merino Championships in Alexandra.

White’s Waimate Shears then picked up the challenge, staging the finewool round as the New Zealand Winter Comb Championship at the Waimate Shears, along with its own round on long strongwool.

The third round went ahead at the Canterbury Shears New Zealand Corriedales Championships, which were held at Marble Point Station after the cancellation of the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch. The fourth round was on lambs at Marton in February.

Reigning two- times champion and Marlborough shearer Angus Moore, currently third, and one of 10 National Circuit winners from the South Island, won’t be defending the title, as he has other plans for his shearing business and family for the rest of the season.

National Shearing Circuit points and placings after four of the five qualifying rounds: 

Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke), 31pts, 1; Nathan Stratford (Invercargill), 29pts, 2; Angus Moore (Seddon), 28pts, 3; Paerata Abraham (Masterton) and Brett Roberts (Mataura), 24pts, 4 equal; Ringakaha Paewai (Gore), 20pts, 6; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki), 18pts, 7 Troy Pyper (Cheviot), Axle Reid (Taihape) and Leon Samuels (Invercargill), 17pts, 8 equal; Simon Goss (Mangamahu), 14pts, 11; Matene Mason (Masterton), 13pts, 12; James Ruki (Te Kuiti), 12pts, 13; Aaron Haynes (Feilding), 11pts, 14; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna), Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) and David Gordon (Masterton), 10pts, 15 equal; Duncan Higgins (Blenheim) and Jimmy Samuels (Marton), 9pts, 18 equal; Lionel Taumata (Gore), 8pts, 20; Paul Hodges (Geraldine), 6pts, 21; Chris Vickers (Palmerston), 4pts, 22; Sarah Higgins (Blenhim), Alex Smith (Rakaia), Ricci Stevens (Napier) and Phil Wedd (Silverdale), 3pts, 23 equal; David Gower (Stratford) and Tamihana Karauria (Alexandra), 2pts, 27 equal.