Southland guns shear Tapanui gold

Former New Zealand representative Nathan Stratford claimed his first win of the 2010-2011 shearing season as Southlanders dominated the open championship at the West Otago Shears in Tapanui on Saturday.

The reigning champion, winner of four titles in the South Island last summer and also a finalist at the Golden Shears in Masterton and the New Zealand championships in Te Kuiti, won by more than three points from runner-up Alton Devery, of Tuatapere, while former National series winner and World record holder Darin Forde, of Winton, was third.

Andy Mainland, of Invercargill, was first off the board, in 8min 57sec for nine sheep, heading next-man-off Devery by 11 seconds, but was relegated to fourth placing after time and quality points were added.

Another Southlander, Willie Hewitson, won the senior final, beating runner-up Mason Adams, of Lumsden, by almost five points. It was just the third career win for Hewitson, from Woodlands. He won an intermediate final at Winton two sesaons ago, and in July won the Royal Welsh Show senior final.

The intermediate final was a keen battle between two Golden Shears junior champions, both from Mataura. Jake Rangiwai, who won his title in 2009, beat reigning Golden Shears junior champion Brett Roberts by seven seconds in a four-sheep final, and claimed victory on the score-sheet by just one-tenth of a point.