A shearer competing in his first Golden Shears final has toppled favourite David Fagan to take the top prize at the 50th anniversary event in Masterton.
Cam Ferguson from Waipawa beat 16-time winner and reigning champion Fagan and crowd favourite Dion King to take the open shearing title on Saturday.
Ferguson, 26, was the only contender who had never been in a Golden Shears final before, and was the youngest by about a decade.
Te Kuiti shearing legend David Fagan says Ferguson is a talented shearer and has a bright future ahead of him.
Fagan, who described his own performance as mediocre, says Ferguson had been showing strong potential on the local competition circuit before his win on Saturday.
He won the event on both speed and quality, clearing his 20 sheep in 16 minutes and 36 seconds, 10 seconds ahead of his closest rival, 2008 winner John Kirkpatrick.
Ferguson says he wanted to be a rugby player when he was growing up, but then got into a career in shearing, followed by competitions. He thinks shearing is an excellent career.
Fagan sixth in heats
Fagan only just sneaked into the final earlier on Saturday, qualifying sixth of six shearers.
Despite his near-disaster in the qualifiers, the TAB had Fagan as odds-on favourite to again win the prized crown.
World Champion Paul Avery failed to make the last six.
King led the qualifiers, followed by Dean Ball, Kirkpatrick, Nathan Stratford, Ferguson and Fagan.
Woolhandler section
Keryn Herbert from Te Awamutu won the World Championships woolhandling selection trial at the Golden Shears competition.
She will now travel to Wales for the World Shearing and Woolhandling championships.
The Open Woolhandling title went to Whanganui woolhandler Joanne Kumeroa for a record fourth time, but a number three placement in the World Championships trials meant she was unable to qualify for the event.
Herbert, who is a fulltime mother, says she has not worked fulltime in a woolshed for three years, but during that time she has still managed to compete in local competitions.
Sheree Alabaster, of Taihape, was awarded second place in the woolhandlers selection trial and will also represent New Zealand in Wales.
Wins over Australia, Wales
New Zealand shearers and woolhandlers won the international competitions against Australia and Wales.
The New Zealand woolhandling team of Joel Henare and Herbert beat Australians Rachael Hutchison and Wayne Laird by over 100 points, securing the ninth win in a row for the trans-Tasman woolhandling tests.
Kirkpatrick and James Fagan won their shearing test by a comfortable 12 point margin against the Welsh team of Gareth Daniels and Gareth Evans.
And the New Zealand team also came out on top for the Trans-Tasman shearing test, with Nathan Stewart, Tony Coster and Dean Ball outranking Shannon Warnest, Jason Wingfield and Bill Hutchison.
