Story and image courtesy of Doug Laing - Shearing Sports New Zealand
With a World shearing championships in the South Island for the first time less than a month away Peninsula Shears organiser Phil Bremner faces a dilemma in not knowing how many more competitors he can expect for his show next Saturday (January 14).
The shears, at the Duvauchelle A and P Show, on Banks Peninsula, will provide one of several opportunities for early arrivals to get in some competition time on New Zealand sheep ahead of the 40th anniversary World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in ILT Stadium Southland, Invercargill, on February 8-11.
The Peninsula Shears is the first shearing championship in the South Island in the New Year, following a seasonal break of almost eight weeks, and has been a happy hunting ground for budding champions from overseas over the years.
Irish World championships hopeful and now World eight and nine hours lambs shearing record holder Ivan Scott won it's Open final in 2005, and eight lower grade finals at the Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears have been won by shearers from overseas in the last decade.
They include Chilean World championships hopeful Luis Pincol who won the Senior final last year. He is pictured below shearing for fourth in the Otago Shears intermediate final in 2015.
Other Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears winners over the last 10 years have included competitors from Norway, England, Scotland, and, of course, New Zealand.
Anticipating at least a small increase, Mr Bremner, the A and P association's senior vice-president, has organised an extra 50 sheep and said: "No one seems too sure on committing to any sort of guess on numbers, but with our show being a few days later than normal I am hoping for more from around Canterbury, as long as the wet weather doesn't get the contractors behind schedule in the woolsheds."
"The sheep are in good condition this year on the Peninsula and are shearing well," he said.
Among those entering is defending Open champion, Shearing Sports New Zealand UK Tour and Transtasman series representative, reigning PGG Wrightson National and NZ Shears Circuit champion Tony Coster, going for a third Peninsula Shears title in a row and winner of about 70 finals in an Open-class career dating back more than 25 years. Fellow Rakaia shearer, 2012 and 2013 Peninsula Shears winner and current National series leader Grant Smith will also compete.
The Peninsula Shears will be shorn in the traditional Open, Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades, with the first heats starting at 10am. There will also be a Contractors teams event and a Speedshear at the end of the day.
While shearing competitions have been a comparatively recent event at the picturesque beachfront Duvauchelle showgrounds, about an hour from central Christchurch, the A and P association is planning a 150th anniversary show in two years' time, having had its centenary just four years ago. Mr Bremner said research had since revealed origins in beach races and other events much earlier than the registration of the association.
Winners of Peninsula Shears finals since 2007:
Open: 2007 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2008 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2009 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2010 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2011 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2012 Grant Smith (Rakaia), 2013 Grant Smith (Rakaia), 2014 David Fagan (Te Kuiti), 2015 Tony Coster (Rakaia), 2016 Tony Coster (Rakaia).
Senior: 2007 Richard Millar (Nelson), 2008 Lachlan Holmes (Waimate), 2009 P.J.White (Nelson), 2010 Osmund Kringeland (Norway), 2011 Malcolm Sweeney (England), 2012 Greg Moriarty (Waiau), 2013 Lance Barnes (Diamond Harbour), 2014 Jock Barrett (Taumarunui), 2015 David Jackson (Sefton), 2016 Luis Pincol (Chile).
Intermediate: 2007 Lance Dennison (Nelson), 2008 P.J.White (Nelson), 2009 Shane Hackett (Christchurch), 2010 Calum Shaw (Scotland), 2011 Brendan Graham (Ireland), 2012 James Wilson (Hunterville), 2013 Vinnie Enright (Rangiora), 2014 Lyall Windleburn (Waiau), 2015 High De Lacy (Fernside), 2016 Edward Harrington (Akaroa).
Junior: 2007 Shane Dennison (Mayfield), 2008 Francis Pickles, 2009 Rowan Forrest (Scotland), 2010 Brendan Graham (Ireland), 2011 Ray Kinsman (Fairlie), 2012 Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton), 2013 Cory Smith (Rakaia), 2014 Joel Richards (Oamaru), 2015 Emily Te Kapa (Scotland), 2016 Sarah Higgins (Havelock).
With a World shearing championships in the South Island for the first time less than a month away Peninsula Shears organiser Phil Bremner faces a dilemma in not knowing how many more competitors he can expect for his show next Saturday (January 14).
The shears, at the Duvauchelle A and P Show, on Banks Peninsula, will provide one of several opportunities for early arrivals to get in some competition time on New Zealand sheep ahead of the 40th anniversary World Shearing and Woolhandling Championships in ILT Stadium Southland, Invercargill, on February 8-11.
The Peninsula Shears is the first shearing championship in the South Island in the New Year, following a seasonal break of almost eight weeks, and has been a happy hunting ground for budding champions from overseas over the years.
Irish World championships hopeful and now World eight and nine hours lambs shearing record holder Ivan Scott won it's Open final in 2005, and eight lower grade finals at the Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears have been won by shearers from overseas in the last decade.
They include Chilean World championships hopeful Luis Pincol who won the Senior final last year. He is pictured below shearing for fourth in the Otago Shears intermediate final in 2015.
Other Peninsula Duvauchelle Shears winners over the last 10 years have included competitors from Norway, England, Scotland, and, of course, New Zealand.
Anticipating at least a small increase, Mr Bremner, the A and P association's senior vice-president, has organised an extra 50 sheep and said: "No one seems too sure on committing to any sort of guess on numbers, but with our show being a few days later than normal I am hoping for more from around Canterbury, as long as the wet weather doesn't get the contractors behind schedule in the woolsheds."
"The sheep are in good condition this year on the Peninsula and are shearing well," he said.
Among those entering is defending Open champion, Shearing Sports New Zealand UK Tour and Transtasman series representative, reigning PGG Wrightson National and NZ Shears Circuit champion Tony Coster, going for a third Peninsula Shears title in a row and winner of about 70 finals in an Open-class career dating back more than 25 years. Fellow Rakaia shearer, 2012 and 2013 Peninsula Shears winner and current National series leader Grant Smith will also compete.
The Peninsula Shears will be shorn in the traditional Open, Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades, with the first heats starting at 10am. There will also be a Contractors teams event and a Speedshear at the end of the day.
While shearing competitions have been a comparatively recent event at the picturesque beachfront Duvauchelle showgrounds, about an hour from central Christchurch, the A and P association is planning a 150th anniversary show in two years' time, having had its centenary just four years ago. Mr Bremner said research had since revealed origins in beach races and other events much earlier than the registration of the association.
Winners of Peninsula Shears finals since 2007:
Open: 2007 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2008 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2009 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2010 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2011 Jason Win (Ikamatua), 2012 Grant Smith (Rakaia), 2013 Grant Smith (Rakaia), 2014 David Fagan (Te Kuiti), 2015 Tony Coster (Rakaia), 2016 Tony Coster (Rakaia).
Senior: 2007 Richard Millar (Nelson), 2008 Lachlan Holmes (Waimate), 2009 P.J.White (Nelson), 2010 Osmund Kringeland (Norway), 2011 Malcolm Sweeney (England), 2012 Greg Moriarty (Waiau), 2013 Lance Barnes (Diamond Harbour), 2014 Jock Barrett (Taumarunui), 2015 David Jackson (Sefton), 2016 Luis Pincol (Chile).
Intermediate: 2007 Lance Dennison (Nelson), 2008 P.J.White (Nelson), 2009 Shane Hackett (Christchurch), 2010 Calum Shaw (Scotland), 2011 Brendan Graham (Ireland), 2012 James Wilson (Hunterville), 2013 Vinnie Enright (Rangiora), 2014 Lyall Windleburn (Waiau), 2015 High De Lacy (Fernside), 2016 Edward Harrington (Akaroa).
Junior: 2007 Shane Dennison (Mayfield), 2008 Francis Pickles, 2009 Rowan Forrest (Scotland), 2010 Brendan Graham (Ireland), 2011 Ray Kinsman (Fairlie), 2012 Ethan Pankhurst (Masterton), 2013 Cory Smith (Rakaia), 2014 Joel Richards (Oamaru), 2015 Emily Te Kapa (Scotland), 2016 Sarah Higgins (Havelock).
