Hawkes Bay shearer Cam Ferguson has taken the 2010 Otago Shears title, beating four of the country's top shearers in the open shearing final on Saturday in Balclutha.
The Otago wool handler title went to the current NZ wool handler of the year Joel Henare, of Gisborne, while his woolhandling mentor Joanne Kumeroa, of Wanganui, won the 2010 wool handling circuit competition.
About 200 shearers and wool handlers came to Balclutha for the Otago shearing and woolhandling competition, which celebrated its 50th annual show this year.
The two-day event marked the end of the 2010 calendar.
Next weekend the field moves to Gore for the start of the 2011 competition, the high point of which will be the Golden Shears in Masterton in March.
The winner of the Golden Shears will become the final member of a four-person team to represent New Zealand in Wales at the world shearing and wool-handling championships in July.
The Welsh team sent a six-strong contingent to the Otago Shears to battle NZ in the lead-up to the world championships.
Welsh shearers Gareth Daniel and Garth Evans, and wool handlers Bronwen Tango and Meinir Evans, faced off against New Zealand representative shearers Simon Bradfield and Bruce Walker, of Owaka, and wool handlers Henare and Keryn Herbert, but the New Zealand team was too strong.
It was also a special night for Bill Potae and Jim Murdock, of Milton, along with Ron Davis and Roger Merit, of Balclutha.
All four received life memberships, presented by president of the Otago shearing and wool handling competition Bruce Walker.
Results: Open shearing final: Cam Ferguson 1, John Kirkpatrick 2, Dion King 3, James Fagan 4.
Senior shearing final: Nick Pyper 1, Martene Mason 2, Ant Frew 3, Rob Mainland 4.
Intermediate shearing final: Corey Miford 1, Brook Todd 2, Cory Palmer 3, Jake Rangiwai 4.
Junior shearing final: Brett Roberts 1, Brett Langrell 2, Brendon Graham 3, Johnny Crawford 4.
Teams event: Heiniger/Kirkpatrick 1, Hotsteppers 2, Wool Partners 3, Elders 4. 2010 open woolhandling circuit: Joanne Kumeroa 1, Bernadette Forde 2, Joel Henare 3, Keryn Herbert 4.
NZ wool handler of the year open: Joel Henare 1, Joanne Kumeroa 2, Pagan Rimine 3, Lisa Fagan 4.
NZ wool handler of the year senior: Choppy Patterson 1, Krystal Wilson 2, Kelly Brooking 3, Moana Waikato 4.
Otago v Wales shearing challenge: Shearing: Wales 1, 87.705 points; Otago 2, 104.647 points.
NZ v Wales wool handling challenge: NZ 1, 386.594 points; Wales 2, 607.960 points.
