Left-handed shearer wins Open again

Press, 9 March 1987, Page 3

Left-handed shearer wins Open again

PA Wellington New Zealand’s only top competition left-handed shearer has won the Golden Shears Open for the second time. Colin King, of Otorohanga, a shearing contractor and farmer, won the event on Saturday well ahead of his nearest rival, John Fagan, of Te Kuiti.

King sheared on the sixth stand at Golden Shears which meant he faced away from the other five shearers and had to rely on commentary to keep up with their progress. However, he applied his usual tactics of slowly improving his speed and maintaining quality. The Carterton shearer, Ricky Pivac, finished third, but had earlier achieved his ambition of becoming the first Wairarapa man to win one of the two main events at the Golden Shears.

Pivac won the- Caltex

National title in a superb display of consistent shearing. He maintained a careful approach and while Larry Lewis, of Gisborne, led most of the event, finishing his 15 sheep in 17min 23.405, Pivac’s approach resulted in a good quality.

Pivac has been in most Open and Caltex National finals for the last few years and came closest last year when he just missed as David Fagan, of Te Kuiti, set new speed and quality records. Fagan, who has been suffering back problems, made an early exit this year.

The Australian win at the world championships in Perth last year was avenged when a New Zealand team led by Pivac beat an Australian invitation team led by the world champion, Mark Colan, of Victoria. South Island shearers came to the fore in the senior final. Otago’s Lionel Bugden won the event a clear two points

ahead of his fellow Otago rival, Richard Pierce. David Fords, of Tuatapere, in Southland, was third.

The Stratford shearer, Paul Avery, won the tightly fought intermediate final from Brendan Cox, of Timaru, by 0.3 points. Cox was first off the board but Avery, who has been winning shows since the start of the season, picked up on quality points. An Invercargill shearer, Phillip Spain, won the junior final with a strong lead over his nearest rival. Spain was almost three points ahead of John Phillips, of Rakaia. A Pio Pio shearer, Jillian Burney, won the women’s championship, beating Teena McColl, of Stratford, and Liz Robinson, of Taupo. Burney was pleased with the win but disappointed she did not get past the senior quar-ter-finals. Her performance was the best of the nine women shearers at! competition this year. I