World champion shearer John Kirkpatrick has moved another two steps closer to a magical career tally of 100 open competition titles, with a unique inter-island double less than 24 hours apart in Christchurch and Central Hawke’s Bay.
Kirkpatrick, who on October 5 won a World teams title in Norway, flew to Christchurch to win his second New Zealand Corriedale Championship at the Royal Show on Friday.
He then flew back to hometown Napier on Saturday before driving to Waipukurau to win his 6th Central Hawke’s Bay Shears title in seven years.
Cranking-up his form after only just qualifying for the semi-final and final in Christchurch, the 38-year-old father-of-three completed each success in commanding fashion.
The six-man Christchurch final of 10 sheep and watched by Princess Anne, was billed as a North-South showdown with form South Island hope Nathan Stratford.
But with Kirkpatrick first off the board in 10min 55.05sec and almost 40 seconds ahead, the Invercargill gun had to settle for second place, beaten by almost 4.4pts.
Among the vanquished were King Country icon David Fagan who, at 48 and having recently won the Australian crossbred title in Warrnamboo, Vic., was still good enough to finish 6th.
In a 12-sheep final in Waipukurau, Kirkpatrick had to work in the shadow of up-and-coming Waipawa shearer Cam Ferguson, who was first off in 10mins 17 seconds, 19 seconds ahead.
But Kirkpatrick’s trademark quality on the romneys when judged in the pens enabled him to reverse the result, with a margin of almost 2.4pts.
He also to beat World championships teammate and individual World title winner Paul Avery, from Toko, near Stratford.
Before the weekend, Kirkpatrick and Avery had each won two titles in the pre-Christmas phase of the 66-event Shearing Sports New Zealand season, Kirkpatrick now having a career tally of 94, and Avery more than 170.
Another to make the inter-island expedition at the weekend was Te Awamutu woolhandler Keryn Herbert, who won the New Zealand Spring Shears open woollhandling title in Waimate last month, but had to settle for second in both Christchurch and Waipukurau.
Former top-ranked competitor Lisa Fagan, wife of David Fagans’ nephew (top shearer James Fagan), travelled to Christchurch to compete in a 50th anniversary champions event but also entered the open event to claim her first open title in more than two years, while in Waipukurau the honours went to current Golden Shears champion Ronnie Goss, of Kimbolton.
World Championships team member Bill Michelle, of Timaru, won the Corriedale blade-shearing title in Christchurch.
