Mutch still a Shears frontrunner
Whangamo¯ mona shearer Gavin Mutch remained one of the frontrunners to take out the Golden Shears open title despite finishing runner up for the eighth time since early January.
Mutch finished second to Rowland Smith at the Pahiatua Shears on Sunday as Smith rounded-off his preparation for the defence of the Golden Shears open title next weekend.
Mutch, the 2012 world champion, was runner-up for the eighth time since winning the Tauranga Shears, and reigning world champion John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, had his
13th top-three placing in a season which has yielded just one one win. But the gap is closing.
Smith won by just 0.13pts and needed the better combination of quality points to beat Mutch, who shore the 20 sheep in 16min
37.33sec. Smith was first to finish by 15 seconds as the first five shearers all shore quicker than anyone in last year’s Pahiatua final.
Mutch, Smith and Kirkpatrick are expected to be the first three favourites for the Golden Shears Open final when the TAB opens, in addition to a Smith v The Field option which opened almost a fortnight ago. It was Smith’s second consecutive clean sweep of the pre-shears weekend treble. Smith also won the Taumarunui Shears Open title on Friday, and the Apiti Sports Shears Open title on Saturday.
The 58th Golden Shears start in Masterton on Thursday.
Results: Pahiatua Shears, Fouhy Family Farm Mangaone Valley, February 25:
Open final (20 sheep):
Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho)
16min 55.73sec, 60.787pts, 1; Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Whangamomona)
16min 57.33sec, 60.917pts, 2; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 17min
0.73sec, 63.737pts, 3; Matthew Smith (Ruswai/Cornwall, England) 16min 52.11sec, 64.206pts,
4; David Buick (Pongaroa) 17min
6.17sec, 64.259pts, 5; Murray Henderson (Halcombe)18min
46.9sec, 70.095pts, 6.
Senior final (12 sheep):
Tegwyn Bradley (Woodville)
13min 8.12sec, 50.406pts, 1; Lionel Taumata (Taumarunui/Gore)
13min 19.27sec, 51.464pts, 2; Jade Maguire Ratima (Winton) 14min
0.63sec, 51.866pts, 3; David Gordon (Masterton) 13min 50.05sec,
52.153pts, 4; Ricci Stevens (Napier)
12min 48.57sec, 53.763pts, 5; Sean Gouk (Masterton) 13min 59.15sec,
54.458pts, 6.
Intermediate final (8 sheep): Brandon Maguire Ratima (Winton) 11min 6.68sec, 39.334pts,
1; Jeremy Leygonie (France) 11min
0.36sec, 39.768pts, 2; Tawera Brown (Martinborough) 11min 49.69sec,
45.61pts, 3; Daniel Seed (Woodville)
11min 3.11sec, 46.906pts, 4; Paora Moanaroa (Eketahuna) 10min
19.61sec, 47.106pts, 5; Emily Te Kapa (Scotland) 11min 45.4sec,
47.52pts, 6.
Junior final (5 sheep): Reuben Alabaster (Taihape) 10min 7.14sec,
40.157pts, 1; Jonathan Painter (Pahiatua) 10min 16.04sec,
40.802pts, 2; Matthew Smith (Otorohanga) 11min 16.07sec,
41.404pts, 3; Liam Pritchard (Pongaroa) 10min 48.12sec,
41.806pts, 4; Joseph Gordon (Masterton) 11min 47.87sec,
46.33pts, 5; Mark Baxter (Pongaroa) 11min 47.87sec,
57.394pts, 6.