W. Karaitiana Wins National Blade-Shearing Title

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29766, 8 March 1962, Page 17

W. Karaitiana Wins National Blade-Shearing Title

W. Karaitiana, aged 31, a member of a notable bladeshearing family, won the New Zealand blade-shearing

championship at Canterbury Court last evening. Only two points separated the six Canterbury men who competed in the final.

In second place was another member of the Karaitiana family, George, aged 28. only a fraction of a point behind his brother.

G. Karaitiana was the fastest shearer in both the preliminary beats and the final of the championship. He shore five sheep in the final in Motrin 30sec. This was seven seconds faster than the time of another brother, Paul, who also reached the final

Placing* in the final, which carried a first prize of £lOO and a gold medal were: W. Karaitiana (Woodend), 1825 points for board work. 22.25 points for finished job. 44.9 points fort time (12min 21aee), total on a percentage basis 85.4 points, 1; G. Karaitiana (North Beach, 185. 16.75, 50 (lOmin 30sec), 85J5 points, 2; R. Perry (Kaiapoi), 16.75, 215, 44.85 (12min 23sec). 85.1 points, 3; D. Hammond (Riccarton), 20.75, 19, 44.85 < Ulmin 22sec), 84.6 points, 4; L. N. Richards (Rak*!*), 20.75, 175, 4546 (lOmin 18 sec), 83.4 points, 5; P. Karaitiana (Woodend), 1825, 15.25, 40.65 (lOmin 46sec), 83.15 points, 8. The feature of the preliminary heats to determine the six finalists was the extraordinary speed of some of the leading contestants. Six of the 27 finished their four sheep in less than 10 minutes. First were G. and P. Karaitiana, who took only Bmin 7sec and Bmin 12sec respectively. • Some of their competitors made up for their slightly slower pace by the quality of their work and headed the brothers among the six selected for the final Notable among these were Richards, who scored high points for work on the board and for his finished job. High Standard

After the preliminary heats, Mr W. R. Pickering, head shepherd of Richmond Brook station, Marlborough, who judged the blade sheering with Mr S. M. A. Ohaffey, of Mount Possession station, Mid-Cawtertnury, said that the standard of shearing had been fully as good as he had expected. “If there are better shearers in the country I do not know where they would come from," he said.

An extremely strong Northern Southland team, led by J. A. Barclay, had a runaway victory in the final of the South Island open team shearing and wool handling contest, for which there was a first prize of a trip to Australia to attend the Sydney sheep show. The team had as its two shparars, R. J. Me-

Donald, of Dipton, a professional abearer who until recently held toe South bland cheering record of 357 for a day, and I. J. Harrison, of Dipton, wbo bat been shearing for 13 years and who has a top taUy of 380. The wool handlers included, on toe table, T. W. Lynch, of Gore, a woolbuyer and former AU Black and Hatotax Nub League player. The other wool handler was J. A. Barclay. of Gore, wbo is a Wool Board shearing instructor. The ptactags in toe final were: Northern Southland 75 pointe for taeartag. 96 potato for wool handling, 87.6 potato for time (lOmta 37sec), a total of 862 potato on a percentage harts, 1; Marlborough, 48.75, 66. 100 (Ornin 35sec). 71583 2.

Ten teems from ail parts of the South Island competed in the preliminary heats. Barclay's team was planed first, and G. Pickering's Marlborough teem atoo qualified with 6125, 8225, 100 (tone taken lOmin 36eec,

which was toe fastest for the heats). and a final percentage score of 81.166 potato. Others highly placed were: N. Sanson's teem (South Otego), 75.5, 925, 682 (13mta 15aec), 78.733 potato, 3; R. Snowball's teem (Ashburton), 71.25, 87.5, 755 (12mki 37aec), 78.183 potato 4; M. Scott’s team (Waunate), 42.75, 81. 90.4 (lOmin 39eec), 74.38$ potato. 5; D. BiaheU's team (Hawarden-Waikari), 53, 89, 712 (13min), 71.066 potato, 6.

The Tlmeru team, which •cored highest point* in the preliminary heat*, failed by • fraction of a point to qualify tor th* final.

The shearing judge* were Meesr* K. Kin*, of Gore, and Mr G. Laing. o< Marterton, and the wool-handling judge* were Maser* L Galloway, of Christchurch. and W. J. Hanaen. of Dunedm. AH were pleased with the standard* shown. Thia was the first Um* that a full-scale sheering and wool handling contest has bean held in Christchurch and the event attracted audience* of from 300 to «O during the day and up to UM for the final event* during the evening- During both th* afternoon and evening, demoewtraUon* of shearing were given by Godfrey Bowen, the Wool Board's field director, who also hold* th* world shearing record. In presenting th* prizaa. the ehairman of the organising committee, Mr R. E. Hiatt, of Culverden, said that he had been very pleased that the teams and file shearer* who had won had not been the faataat.

Tbe Chrlitchunch district Young Farmer*' Club teem also won a trip to Australis. Il narrowly won th* South Island Young Farmers' Club teems' shearing and wool handling competition by a fraction of a point from the western SouthLand district turn. The Christchurch team scored more point* for both shearing end wool handling than it* Southland opponent in th* final but it was 18 second* slower. Th* Christchurch team scored «.3 points for shearing, « points for wool-handling, and M. 4 point* for time (12min 30 sec), with • total of 88433 point*. The Southland team received *423 points for ahearing, 91 points for wool-handling. 100 point* for time (llmin 12 sec), and a final percentage •cor* Of 98 003 points. The shearers in th* Christchurch teem were E. F. Buxton, aged 19. of Sheffield, who hae been shearing since he was 11. »nd H. Johnston, aged 23. of Darfield. W. L. W. Breitmeyer, aged 20. of Little River, wa* on th* table, and on the board era* W. L. Wylie, aged 21, a farm hand of West Melton.