Women steal the show in shearing champs

The future of women in shearing is looking positive after they dominated the lower grades at the Northern A and P Show.

Female competitors came first and second in the Junior Final Shearing Championships in Rangiora on Saturday.

Adele Lemercier, of France, claimed victory by almost five points over runner-up Kelly Poehls, of Makara.

She was the fourth shearer from France to win in New Zealand in the past four seasons.

Third was English shearer Henry Mayo, who has already won three finals in New Zealand, including an A-grade show New Zealand Spring Shears title at Waimate earlier this month.

The junior final lineup at the Northern A and P Show's shearing championships in Rangiora on Saturday, with women first and second. From left competition organiser Noel Handley, fourth-placed Liam Allwood, of Christchurch, third-placed Henry Mayo, of England, runner-up Kelly Poehls, of Makara, and winner Adele Lemercier, of France.
The junior final lineup at the Northern A and P Show's shearing championships in Rangiora on Saturday, with women first and second. From left competition organiser Noel Handley, fourth-placed Liam Allwood, of Christchurch, third-placed Henry Mayo, of England, runner-up Kelly Poehls, of Makara, and winner Adele Lemercier, of France. Photo credit: Supplied

The Intermediate final was won by Oxford shearer Eve Peddie, her second win in the grade, while women were also represented in the Senior final by former Golden Shears Novice shearing and Junior woolhandling champion Sarah Higgins, from Marlborough.

Shearing Sports records show 21 women have won shearing finals in New Zealand in the past four seasons, from Senior to Novice. 

In the same time-period 23 shearers, from nine countries, have won shearing finals in New Zealand.

Top New Zealand women shearers are featured in the movie 'She Shears'.
Top New Zealand women shearers are featured in the movie 'She Shears'. Photo credit: Supplied

Geraldine blades shearer Allan Oldfield made another strong claim for a World Championships by beating favourite Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, in the blades shearing final.

Oldfield beat favourite Tony Dobbs, of Fairlie, by just 0.9pts, relying on a 48 seconds time advantage after shearing the four sheep in o in the Open blades final at the Northern A and P Show in Rangiora.

The pair are entrenched at the top of the points table in a series set to end at the New Zealand Agricultural Show in Christchurch next month with the top two claiming the blades shearing places in the Shearing Sports New Zealand team for the World shearing and woolhandling championships in Le Dorat, Central France, next July.

The Senior final provided a family quinella for Southland brothers Jade and Brandon Maguire Ratima. Jade won by 0.66pts from Brandon, the 2018 Golden Shears Intermediate champion.

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