The Gore A&P Showgrounds, was packed out on Saturday, as the best of the best shearers competed in heats and categories.
Corey Palmer, of Dipton, was awarded the South Island Shearer of the Year and Toa Henderson, of Kaiwaka, won the open machine shearing.
The North Island defeated the South Island in a competition in which two teams of three shearers went head to head.
Palmer scored one of the biggest upset wins in open class shearing, as he had not won a final since the 2012-13 season.
Southern Shears chairman Willie Hewitson said it was a great year for the competition.
"It’s been exceptional. We’ve had great numbers across wool handling and shearing, especially with our higher open grades," he said.
Mr Hewitson said the sport was still strong and was arguably getting stronger.
"Definitely a high quality of shearers. It’s quite rewarding for us to be able to see shearers who can still shear to a high quality and taking a fair bit of pride, that it still has a place.
"The standard is as high as it’s ever been, and we’ve probably seen the best numbers in the higher grades in 20 years," he said.
Mr Hewitson said he was grateful for all the sponsors in the community who banded around the event, and hoped the success of the event would be carried on through the district.
"It’s huge for us, and we think it’s really good for Gore at the same time."
Alexandra woolhandler Foonie Waihape won her second Southern Shears final in Gore on Friday.
Waihape claimed maximum points in the first round of a series to find two New Zealand representatives for the next World Championships, in Masterton next year.
Scoring her second win of the season, having won the New Zealand Crossbred Lambs woolhandling title in Winton on January 18, she moved into second place in the South Island Woolhandling Circuit.
SHEARING RESULTS
Inter-Island (10 sheep): North Island (Toa Henderson 8m 12.97s, 30.7485pts; David Buick 9m 13.78s, 31.489pts; David Gordon 9m 9s, 32.55pts) 94.7875pts, beat South Island (Leon Samuels 9m 0.03s, 30.8015pts; Brett Roberts 8m 55.93s, 32.0965pts; Nathan Stratford 9m 52.38s, 33.819pts) 96.717pts.
South Island Shearer of the Year final (20 sheep): Corey Palmer (Dipton) 18m 12s, 59.5pts, 1; Jack Fagan (Te Kūiti) 17m 19.34s, 60.667pts, 2; Casey Bailey (Riverton) 18m 33.84s, 61.092pts, 3; Angus Moore (Ward) 17m 20.72s, 61.986pts, 4; Justin Meikle (Oamaru) 18m 6.72s, 62.036pts, 5; David Buick (Pongaroa) 18m 21.5s, 62.425pts, 6.
Southern Shears:
Open final (20 sheep): Toa Henderson (Kaiwaka) 16m 22.96s, 53.998pts, 1; Casey Bailey (Riverton) 16m 47.75s, 54.4875pts, 2; David Buick (Kaiwaka) 16m 52.97s, 55.5485pts, 3; Rowland Smith (Maraekakaho) 17m 16.03s, 55.9015pts, 4; John Kirkpatrick (Pakipaki) 17m 15.4s, 56.52pts, 5; Corey Palmer (Dipton) 17m 33.7s, 56.635pts, 6.
Senior final (10 sheep): Bruce Grace (Wairoa) 10m 14.28s, 37.914pts, 1; Brodie Horrell (Gore) 11m 13.97s, 38.2985pts, 2; John Cherrington (Oamaru) 11m 12.09s, 39.9045pts, 3; Blake McKenzie (Riverton) 11m 15.13s, 41.0565pts, 4; Dre Roberts (Mataura) 11m 18.84s, 41.342pts, 5; Richard Lancaster (Clitheroe, England) 11m 2.03s, 42.6015pts, 6.
Intermediate final (5 sheep): Daniel Michelmore (Yorketown, South Australia) 7m 16.06s, 29.803pts, 1; Evan Rowbotham (Pontrhydfendigaid, Wales) 7m 13.44s, 30.472pts, 2; Connor Wilkinson (Wyndham) 8m 6.53s, 31.5265pts, 3; Paddy Dunne (Wicklow, Ireland) 7m 40.4s, 32.22pts, 4; Jet Schimanski (Gore) 8m 16.2s, 33.031pts, 5; Caleb Brooking (Mataura) 7m 57.19s, 33.8595pts, 6.
Junior final (3 sheep): Tye Meikle (Oamaru) 4m 6.31s, 19.6488pts, 1; Joseph Scahill (Mayo, Ireland) 4m 9.68s, 20.8173pts, 2; Paddy Hudson (Hokonui) 4m 52.62s, 20.9643pts, 3; Reuben Wilkinson (Wyndham) 4m 28.22s, 23.7443pts, 4; Galaxy Waihape (Mataura) 6m 36.69s, 30.5012pts, 5; Ryan O’Neill (Alexandra) 6m 28.93s, 33.1132pts, 6.
Novice (1 sheep): Aimee Atkin (Masterton) 4m 27s, 16.35pts, 1; Bridee Wilkinson (Wyndham) 5m 37.84s, 19.89pts, 2; Jake Watt (Owaka) 4m 3.91s, 23.2pts, 3; Abbey Mallise (Barraba, New South Wales) 4m 54s, 24.7pts, 4; Ffion Jones (Wales) 6m 16.66s, 26.83pts, 5; Kayden Gaffery (Owaka) 4m 30s, 31.5pts, 6.
Women (3 sheep): Emma Martin (Wyndham) 5m 22.6s, 20.8012pts, 1; Emilia Melinng (Norway) 6m 2.78s, 24.139pts, 2; Ally Johnson (Barraba, New South Wales) 6m 43.59s, 25.8462pts, 3; Jana Sinova (Czech Republic) 6m 5.31s, 26.5988pts, 4; Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 7m 35.31s, 29.0988pts, 5; Tarryn Perriam (Gore) 8m 35.06s, 31.753pts, 6.
WOOLHANDLING RESULTS
Open final: Foonie Waihape (Alexandra) 106.894pts, 1; Joel Henare (Gisborne/Motueka) 132.65pts, 2; Krome Elers (Mataura) 180.16pts. Also: Amy-Lee Ferguson (Alexandra) 4, Candy Hiri (Mataura) 5, Cushla Abraham (Masterton) 6.
Senior final: Emma Martin (Gore) 134.35pts, 1; Amy Bell (Weber) 150.18pts, 2; Ashley Clarke (Gore) 156.25pts, 3; Lucy Elers (Mataura) 182.41pts, 4. Also: Krystal Gulliver (Gore) 5, Tatijana Keefe (Raupunga) 6.
Junior final: Marilyn Harrison (Taumarunui) 106.84pts, 1; Ella Harvey (Australia) 124.494pts, 2; Alyssa Bartlett (Gore) 126.22pts, 3; Vicky Kawenga (Mataura) 137.432pts. Also: Jasmine Emery (Oamaru) 5, Grace Croasdale (Masterton) 6.
