Australia triumphs in 50th trans-Tasman shearing and woolhandling test match at Katanning

The visiting Kiwi shearing team could not match it with the best of Australia’s might in the trans-Tasman machine shearing test during the series’ 50th anniversary event in Katanning. The 50th anniversary match-up took place at the Australian National Shearing and Woolhandling Championships held on October 27 inside the Barry Kowald Shearing Shed. With no series win in Australia since 2010, the three Kiwi shearers were at odds with the first six Merino sheep out on the boards against an experienced Aussie team. But with six crossbreds to finish, the Kiwis found pace but couldn’t overcome the Aussies, falling by almost 29 points. The overseas competitors including trans-Tasman shearer newcomer Jack Fagan, who finished all 12 sheep first, was one blow ahead of Aussie top gun Nathan Meaney, of South Australia. Fagan and his shearing teammates Leon Samuels and Chris Vickers were up against the best with Meaney’s finewool teammates including Daniel McIntrye, of NSW, and Josh None, of Victoria. After falling behind slightly with the Merino hoggets, Fagan found form with the crossbreds and finished first with Meaney just a few blows (five seconds) behind. Meaney was awarded the Mark Conlan Memorial medal for overall best individual performance for quality. While the battle on the boards for the Aussies made amends for the team loss at the Masterton Golden Shears loss in February, the Australian woolhandling team also got back at the Kiwis at Katanning. Helping to set up a 2-1 match series test outcome was Alexander Schoff, of Queensland, and teammate Marlene Whittle, of Victoria, the pair taking victory against Kiwis Pagan Rimene and Ngaio Hanson to win by 4.05 points. New Zealand’s blade shearing team of Tony Dobbs and Tim Hogg claimed the country’s single victory at Katanning in a test against Australian team members John Dalla, of South Australia and Andrew Murray, of NSW. With open national title wins at Katanning for their respective events, McIntyre, Dalla and Schoff retain their places on the Australian national team and will contest in Masterton next year and at the Nationals in Jamestown, South Australia. Meaney also will also be retained on the Australian team with Jamie Boothman, of NSW, as the third machine shearer, while Tasmanian woolhandler Tiff Collins will be added to the team. Shearing Sports New Zealand media officer Doug Laing said Australia had now won 39 of the 72 trans-Tasman machine shearing tests since the first at Euroa, Victoria, in 1974. He said New Zealand had won 36 of the 48 wool handling tests since 1998, and 16 of the 17 blades shearing tests since 2010.