Invercargill shearer Nathan Stratford and the New Zealand Shearing team celebrated success after wins in Northern Ireland at the weekend.

John Kirkpatrick, of Napier, and Stratford, shearing their first lambs on tour after four weeks' shearing adult sheep, won a test match against Northern Ireland, and finished first and second respectively in the Rickamore Shears Open final, in which all five finalists are based in New Zealand. 

Third was Te Kuiti shearing legend David Fagan, Irish champion, World eight-hour lambshearing record holder and Irishman Ivan Scott was fourth, and Hawke's Bay shearer Matt Smith was fifth.

Fagan's son, Jack, who has dominated senior class shearing in the UK this season, had to settle for second to Irishman Sean Kerlin in the Rickamore Senior final.

Kirkpatrick and Stratford earlier in the tour shared a test series 1-1 with Scotland.

They now head to Wales for the final stage of their tour with the Cothi Shears on Friday, the Lampeter Shears the following day, the Royal Welsh Show on July 23-26, and the Corwen Shears in North Wales on July 27-28.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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