Competing in his first woolhandling contest, 12-year-old Joel Henare dreamed about receiving the sport's top accolade one day.
He fulfilled his dream a decade later, back in Alexandra where it all began, becoming the country's youngest woolhandler to be awarded master status.
Shearing Sports New Zealand made the presentation to Henare at the New Zealand Merino Shearing Championships prizegiving in Alexandra on Saturday night.
Organisation chairman Gavin Rowland said it was an award not given lightly.
''Joel has moved up through the ranks very quickly and was the youngest world champion we've ever had,'' he said.
Master Shearer status was created in 1975 and 64 shearers have received the honour, while Master Woolhandler status was created in 1991 and Henare is the 22nd to receive that status.
He is from Gisborne but works for Peter Lyon Shearing, of Alexandra. The honour was ''a dream come true'', Henare said. He first competed in the merino shearing championships 10 years ago, making the final and finishing third in the junior woolhandling section as a 12-year-old.
''That's when I got the bug. I'd encourage any young person today to strive for what I did 10 years ago - I wanted to be like Tina Rimene, a master woolhandler.''
He won the merino open title again on Saturday night with Rocky Hape-Taite second and Tia Potae, of Milton, third.
The senior woolhandling final was won by Sharnee Keefe (Taihape) from Creedence Culshaw (Raupunga) and Ruby O'Neill (Alexandra). Clarissa Lewis (Gisborne) won the junior woolhandling, with Chiquita Tamepo (Gisborne) second and Jade Culshaw (Raupunga) third.
