Eketahuna shearer Hemi Braddick took a big step up towards a possible World championships berth with his first national title in a big Friday and Saturday of shearing sports in Southland.
Braddick was runner-up to veteran Southlander and former World teams champion Nathan Stratford in the New Zealand Long Wool Championships Open final in the Selbie family’s Lowther Downs woolshed near Lumsden on Friday and then won the New Zealand Crossbred lambs title at the Winton A and P Show’s Southland Shears on Saturday.
Both events carried points in the World Championships New Zealand team selection series, and, with 17 of the maximum possible 18 points from the southern legs, a week before the last points round, Braddick is guaranteed a place in a final next month, just four weeks before the World titles are decided at the Golden Shears in Masterton.
Northland shearer Toa Henderson, who included his first Golden Shears and New Zealand Shears wins among a haul of 44 points from the first five rounds of the year year-long series, has confirmed as one member as the top points-scorer in the series, and the next six face a February 7 final at the Rangitikei Shearing Sports in Marton to decide the second representative.
It was a particularly close near all-North Island six-man, 20-lambs final contest at Winton, where there was less than 0.6 of a point between Braddick, runner-up David Gordon, of Masterton, Jack Fagan, of Te Kuiti, in third place, and fourth placegetter, Hawke’s Bay shearer and 2014 World champion Rowland Smith.
David Buick, of Pongaroa, was fifth, and lone South Island finalist Casey Bailey, of Riverton, was sixth, combating a major machinery breakdown after which the referee had to account for the time lost while repairs were effected.
There had been similar tightness in the Lumsden result 24 hours earlier, with less than a point separating Stratford, Braddick, and third placegetter Brett Roberts, of Mataura.
The big movers in the woolhandling selection series were Lumsden winner Pagan Rimene, of Alexandra and a teams title winner at the 2019 World championships in France, and Winton winner Tia Potae, of Milton, a former New Zealand transtasman series representative.
Two-times World individual champion Joel Henare, of Motueka, has a one-point lead at the top of the circuit, which has similar final stages, the tightness highlighted by the fact that each of the five rounds to date has had a different top points-scorer.
The two shows had what are thought to have been record entries, with 93 shearers and 51 woolhandlers at Lumsden and 89 shearers and 50 woolhandlers at Winton.
Hogan said when numbers were in decline at competitions in recent years he had suggested a “bounce-back” with growing numbers of younger people taking to the shearing industry and its sport, and the hopes materialised on Friday and Saturday.
The southern events were part of the biggest weekend on the Shearing Sports New Zealand calendar of almost 60 shows nationwide.
Others were shearing-only events at Kaikohe, Wairoa, and Motueka on Saturday, and Levin on Sunday.
A feature of the other events was the fourth Wairoa win, and a third in the last four years at the championships, for 2012 World champion and southern Hawke’s Bay farmer Gavin Mutch, who will again be representing his native Scotland in the World Championships, being held on March 4-7.
Mutch has won the Wairoa title at three different venues amid the weather calamities that led to Saturday’s show being the last at the Wairoa Showgrounds, which will be used for a Wairoa River spillway in a new flood protection scheme. The southern events were part of the biggest weekend on the Shearing Sports New Zealand calendar of almost 60 shows nationwide.
His first win in 2010 was at Ohuia Station, after the A and P show was washed-out by torrential rain, and the second was at the showgrounds in 2023, four weeks before the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, leading to a two-year shift of the Shears to Kauhouroa Station, where Mutch won in 2024.
The show will be at a new venue in 2027.
The flooding from the river three years ago left silt up to 30cm deep on the shearing board, more than a metre above ground level, and demolished an implement shed alongside.
Mutch praised the volunteers who had worked so hard to get the facilities back into use, including the addition of a fifth shearing stand, and one show loyal, not involved with the shearing, said the organisers of the shearing had done an “exceptional” job inn running the event, including during another day of threatened rain.
“It just about didn’t happen,” he said. “But it did, and it made our show.”
Among the factors I bigger numbers this season is the influx of competitors from overseas for the World championships and the associated Golden Shears.
At Levin on Sunday, three of the four in the Horowhenua Open final were from overseas, but it was won by first-time Open-final winner Clay Harris, of Piopio.
RESULTS from the Northern Southland Community Shears and national log wool shearing and woolhandling championships at Lowther Downs, Lumsden, on Friday, January 16, 2026:
Shearing:
Open final (20 sheep): Nathan Stratford (Invercargill) 19m 34.85s, 62.6425pts, 1; Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 19m 32.95s, 63.0795pts, 2; Brett Roberts (Mataura) 19m 19.5s, 63.425pts, 3; Casey Bailey (Riverton) 20m 0.94s, 63.747pts, 4; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 19m 50.4s, 64.27pts, 5.
Senior final (10 sheep): Cody Waihape (Gore) 13m 46.09s, 46.4045pts, 1; Richard Lancaster (Clitheroe, England) 13m 1.88s, 47.794pts, 2; Emma Martin (Wyndham) 14m 20.75s, 48.7375pts, 3; Dalton Tangiwai (Pahiatua) 14m 40.03s, 50.8015pts, 4; Jack Pringle (Balclutha) 14m 26.97s, 51.2485pts, 5.
Intermediate final (6 sheep): Tye Meikle (Oamaru) 8m 55.31s, 36.2655pts, 1; Connor Wilkinson (Winton) 10m 9.5s, 37.8083pts, 2; Michael Buick (Pongaroa) 10m 7.28s, 38.1973pts, 3; Paddy Hudson (Hokonui) 8m 50.84s, 39.2086pts, 4; Sam Abbey 10m 24.97s, 43.7485pts, 5.
Junior final (4 sheep): Reuben Wilkinson (Winton) 8m 51.63s, 31.5815pts, 1; Ben Rowson-Jones (North Derbyshire, England) 9m 26.31s, 35.3155pts, 2; Ben Hathaway (Perth, Scotland) 9m 2.38s, 35.619pts, 3; Tom Anderson 8m 42.59s, 36.6295pts, 4; Ace Kawenga 9m 14.62s, 40.481pts, 5.
Woolhandling:
Open final: Pagan Rimene (Alexandra) 100.538pts, 1; Joel Henare (Motueka) 143.394pts, 2; Foonie Waihape (Alexandra) 164.494pts, 3.
Senior final: Ashley Clarke (Gore) 145.336pts, 1; Chenelle Hiri (Gore) 145.67pts, 2; Tre Sciascia (Taihape) 165.094pts, 3.
Junior final: Mady Little (Balclutha) 87.244pts, 1; Lucy Black 100.792pts, 2; Vicky Kawenga 124.074pts, 3.
Results from the Southland Shears New Zealand Crossbred Lambs Shearing and Woolhandling Championships at the Winton A and P Show on Saturday, January 17, 2026:
Shearing:
Open final (20 lambs): Hemi Braddick (Eketahuna) 17m 2.69s, 57.4845pts, 1; David Gordon (Masterton) 16m 33.19s, 57.5095pts, 2; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 16m 21.75s, 57.5375pts, 3; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 17m 16.32s, 58.016pts, 4; David Buick (Pongaroa) 17m 0.59s, 58.7795pts, 5; Casey Bailey (Riverton) 18m 35.35s, 60.2175pts, 6.
Senior final (10 sheep): Tommy Stevenson (Dargaville) 12m 3.03s, 44.5515pts, 1; Richard Lancaster (Clitheroe, England) 11m 50.25s, 45.1125pts, 2; Hamish Lee 12m 16.71s, 46.3355pts, 3; Jack Pringle (Balclutha) 13m 8.75s, 46.3375pts, 4; James Wilson (Winton) 12m 3.65s, 47.5825pts, 5; Caleb Brooking (Rakaia) 13m 8.82s, 49.641pts, 6.
Intermediate final (5 sheep): Paddy Hudson (Hokonui) 6m 48.28s, 28.214pts, 1; Tye Meikle (Oamaru) 6m 40.19s, 29.2095pts, 2; Hamish Bielski (Clinton) 8m 10.55s, 31.528pts, 3; Michael Buick (Pongaroa) 7m 49.31s, 31.6655pts, 4; Connor Wilkinson (Winton) 8m 32.13s, 35.4065pts, 5; Caleb Makuch 8m 12.16s, 36.808pts, 6.
Junior final (3 sheep): Tane Maguire 6m 25.5s, 22.6083pts, 1; Reuben Wilkinson (Winton) 6m 35.53s, 24.7765pts, 2; Chloe Bingham (Port Wakato) 7m 13.31s, 24.9988pts, 3; Ben Hathaway (Perth, Scottland) 6m 9.59s, 25.1461pts, 4; Oliver Keast (Tokanui) 6m 29.22s, 27.461pts, 5; Gueto James 6m 56.44s, 30.1553pts, 6.
Woolhandling:
Open final: Tia Potae (Milton) 32.958pts, 1; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 36.19pts, 2; Paga Rimenne (Alexandra) 41.38pts, 3; Viniye Phillips (Taumarunui) 56.524pts, 4.
Senior final: Lucy Elers (Mataura) 54.04pts, 1; Ashley Clarke (Gore) 54.84pts, 2; Tia Manson (Piopio) 65.46pts, 3; Emma Martin (Wyndham) 75.4pts, 4.
Junior final: Mady Little (Balclutha) 58.27pts, 1; Vicky Kawenga 59.28pts, 2; Zoe Meikle (Oamaru) 76.9pts, 3; Gabriela Schmidt-Morrell (Alexandra) 80.46pts, 4.
RESULTS from the Wairoa A and P Show Shears on Saturday, January 17, 2026:
Open final (20 sheep): Gavin Mutch (Scotland/Dannevirke) 16m 12s, 58.3pts, 1; Clay Harris (Piopio) 16m 39s, 61.33pts, 2; Laura Bradley (Papatawa) 20m 8s 68.54pts, 3; Matene Mason (Masterton) 19m 35s, 71.43pts, 4; Tristan Mackay (Wairoa) 19m 54s, 72.26pts, 5.
Senior final (10 sheep): Taelor Tarrant (Taumarunui) 10m 14s, 40.98pts, 1; Duncan Adams (Banchory, Scotland) 11m 38s, 42.6pts, 2; Dylan Young (Gisborne) 11m 41s, 42.8pts, 3; Callum Bosley (Camelford, England/Otorohanga) 11m 12s, 44.9pts, 4; Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 10m 26s, 45.78pts, 5.
Intermediate final (5 sheep): Rhys Davis (Builth Wells, Wales) 7m 27s, 30.17pts, 1; Zakaia Lewis (Gisborne) 7m 7s, 31.32pts, 2; Lydia Thompson (Rangiora/Hastings) 8m 15s, 345.15pts, 3; Teifon Morgan (Cardigan, Wales) 8m 51s, 38.83pts, 4; Jodiesha Kirkpatrick (Gisborne) 8m 23s, 41.18pts, 5.
Junior final (3 sheep): Sean Dunne (Wicklow, Ireland) 5m 35s, 22.81pts, 1; Chris Ley (England) 5m 30s, 23.96pts, 2; William Clarkson (Martinborough) 6m 24s, 24.92pts, 3; Ashlin Swann (Wairoa) 6m 7s, 25.13pts, 4; Colby Davis (Ontario, US) 5m 24s, 25.3pts, 5.
Novice (1 sheep): Connor Rose (Central Hawke’s Bay) 3m 39s, 27.01pts, 1; Sophie Orchard (North Canterbury) 6m 43s, 28.53pts, 2; Jess Broad (Wairoa) 5m 10s, 28.74pts, 3; Tom Brickell (Putere) 4m 37s, 33.16s, 4; Alexis Wallace (-) 3m 59s, 43.05pts, 5.
Veterans (3 sheep): Peter McCabe 5m 33s, 25.22s, 1; David Hodge 4m 55s, 26.93pts, 2; Kevin Buckman (Apiti) 4m 51s, 28.64pts, 3; Warren Baker 5m 25s, 41.58pts, 4; Colin Baynes (Makapua) 7m 2s, 47.86pts, 5.
RESULTS from the Kaikohe Shears at the Kaikohe Agricultural, Pastoral and Horticultural Show on Saturday, January 17, 2026:
Open final (18 sheep): Neville Osborne (Dargaville) 16m 59s, 58.56pts, 1; Phil Wedd (Silverdale) 17m 18s, 60.73pts, 2; Callum Eagles (Kaikohe) 20m 1s, 70.1pts, 3; Allan Bramley (Kaeo) 20m 40s, 70.65pts, 4.
Senior final (8 sheep): Alan Boler (Wellsford) 12m 51s, 44.43pts, 1; Jordan Wilson (Taheke) 13m, 48.24pts, 2; Steve Coop (Wellsford) 13m 10s, 50.38pts, 3; Ratu Peri (-) 13m 1s, 57.93pts, 4.
Intermediate/Junior/Novice: Liam Smedley (Whangaroa) 4m 22s, 23.43pts, 1; Dylan Geange 3m 19s, 26.95pts, 2; Nathan Cook 4m 14s, 44.2pts, 3; Isaac Hati 5m 31s, 45.55pts, 4.
Veteran (2 sheep, points age adjusted): Allan Bramley (Kaeo) 5m 12s, 23.6pts, 1; Neville Osborne (Dargaville) 4m 1s, 25.75pts, 2; Ralph Smith 5m 6s, 26.97pts, 3.
Results from the Golden Bay A ad P Show Shears at Takaka on Saturday, January 17, 2026:
Open final (20 sheep): Hugh de Lacy (Rangiora) 16m 2.28s, 57.11pts, 1; Travers Baigent (Wakefield) 15m 49.71s, 61.09pts, 2; Floyd Haare (Ohai) 15m 27.59s, 61.68pts, 3.
Open Plate (8 sheep): Timo Hicks (Tapawera) 8m 26.81s, 32.47pts, 1; Chris Jones (Blenheim) 8m 28.53s, 37.18pts, 2; Richard Sampey (Blenheim) 8m 51.37s, 39.57pts, 3.
Senior final (10 sheep): Nick Owen (Darfield) 13m 33.69s, 48.26pts, 1; Dylan Hamlin (Bainham), 14m 18.12s, 51.11pts, 2; Andrew Ferguson (Kaihoka) 15m 16.28s, 52.71pts, 3.
Junior final (3 sheep): Katie Hicks (Tapawera) 10m 27.47s, 36.37pts, 1; Kadie Simpson (Tapawera) 10m 48.63pts, 42.43pts, 2; Charlotte Boyce (Blenheim) 9m 45.41s, 56.27pts, 3.
Classic (10 sheep): Chris Jones (Blenheim) 12m 57.15s, 46.26pts, 1; Frank Bint (Tapawera) 13m 13.89s, 47.39pts, 2; Rodger Simpson (Tapawera) 13m 14.07s, 48.2pts, 3.
Clean Shear (2 sheep): Hugh de Lacy (Rangiora) 2pts, 1; Andrew Ferguson (Kaihoka) 5pts, 2; Floyd Haare (Ohai) 5.5pts, 3.
RESULTS from the Horowhenua Shearing Championships at Levin on Sunday, January 18, 2026:
Open final (20 sheep): Clay Harris (Piopio) 17m 3.7s, 66.085pts, 1; Gethin Lewis (Wales) 18m 22.8s, 68.04pts, 2; Nick Greaves (England) 18m 11.1s, 69.605pts, 3; Llyr Jones (Wales) 18m 7.9s, 69.795pts, 4.
Senior final (10 sheep): Luke Parkhouse (England) 12m 3.9s, 50.495pts, 1; Kaivah Cooper (Napier) 11m 50.1s, 50.505pts, 2; Cheyden Winiana (Nuhaka) 11m 44.3s, 54.015pts, 3; Duncan Adams (Banchory, Scotland) 11m 56.1s, 56.405pts, 4.
Intermediate final (6 sheep): Riley Norman (Eketahuna) 10m 9.1s, 35.1217pts, 1; Aaron Christensen 9m 13.2s, 36.4933pts, 2; Neil Bryant 9m 18.9s, 37.445pts, 3; Lydia Thomson (Rangiora/Hastings) 11m 5.7s, 39.9517pts, 4.
Junior final (4 sheep): Mac Forman (Pahiatua) 7m 17s, 32.35pts, 1;Sean Dunne (Wicklow, Ireland) 8m 43.2s, 33.41pts, 2; Alex Wrenn (Dannevirke) 7m 19.1s, 35.705pts, 3; Cian Dafis (Llanrwst, Wales) 8m 0.2s, 37.76pts, 4.
Novice final (1 sheep): Laura Matheson 3m 19.2s, 20.96pts, 1; Harrison Gullery 4m 6.2s, 35.31pts, 2.