Young newbie outshears the old guard

PETER DRURY/Waikato Times

NOT THIS YEAR: David Fagan placed third at the Golden Shears.

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A new kid on the block, Hawke's Bay shearer Cam Ferguson, will wave the New Zealand flag at the World Championships.

Ferguson, 26, brought a crowd of more than 2000 to its feet in a frenzied six-man showdown on Saturday night at the Golden Shears 50th birthday bash in Masterton. He is at least 10 years younger than four of his five rivals, who included reigning champion David Fagan, 48, of Te Kuiti, shearing in his 24th final and trying to win the title for the 17th time.

Commentator Koro Mullins' voice – getting hoarse as the stadium noise rose to fever pitch – summed it up: "If the All Blacks could play like these guys shear, we'd win every World Cup. Look at these men, some of the finest athletes you will see anywhere in the world. This is the most fabulously smoking final you will ever see."

It was a high-tension, 20-sheep final, and Ferguson was a cut above his rivals, finishing in 16min 36.353 secs.

Napier farmer and two-time champion John Kirkpatrick, 39, had to settle for second place.

Shears titan Fagan proved he was far from washed up, finishing shearing his flock in 16min 49sec to take third place.

But it was Ferguson's night as Golden Shears celebrated the dawning of a new 50 years.

The Waipawa father, who won his first shearing title only three seasons ago, is one of the youngest to win the Golden Shears crown.

"I just need 15 more now to catch up with Fagan," he said. "My family helped make it happen. I'm just proud I pulled it off for them."

His triumph includes gaining one of two places in the New Zealand machine shearing championships in Wales in July. The second spot, which Fagan is still chasing hard, will be decided at the NZ shearing champs in Te Kuiti next month.

In other action on the night, after four days of competition, New Zealand beat the Australians to avenge a loss in last year's trans-Tasman test, and former world champion Joanne Kumeroa won the open woolhandling title.

On Friday night, David Fagan's son Jack, 18, failed to make the top six in the juniors semifinals.

Golden Shears president Mavis Mullins said the 50th Golden Shears, which included past champions from the 60s and 70s in a veterans grade, had been a work of art.

- Dominion Post, NZPA

- © Fairfax NZ News