Piopio woolhandler, Tia Manson, at the NZ Merino Shears. Photo NZ Shearing Sports
Fagan shears fastest
The opening rounds of the 2025–26 national shearing circuit saw competitors master merinos and wrestle romneys in the South Island.
At the New Zealand Spring Shearing Championship in Waimate, Canterbury, Te Kūiti’s Jack Fagan won the Senior Speed Shear and placed second behind France’s Simon Rouanet in the Intermediate Blades (two sheep) event. Fagan also finished fourth in the Open (10 sheep).
Other King Country competitors making the cut in Canterbury were brothers Taelor (Taumarunui) and Aiden Tarrant (Mapiu). Taelor was first and third respectively in the senior eight and five sheep events while Aiden placed fourth in the Open Novice (10 sheep) standings.
Piopio woolhandler, Tia Manson, at the NZ Merino Shears. Photo NZ Shearing Sports
In the NZ Merino Shears run before Waimate Piopio woolhandler, Tia Manson won the Senior (three fleeces) laurels, while shearer James Fagan was fourth in the Open (12 sheep) and Taelor Tarrant third in the senior final (four sheep) event.
Techniques will need to be adjusted again as competitors come to grips with Corriedales during the third circuit event, the Corriedale Champs in Christchurch in mid-November.
Aussie takes Targa title
Aussie duo Paul Dowie and co-driver John Allen have claimed overall victory in the Targa 2025 rally series driving a Porsche GT3 RS.
Paul Dowie and John Allen. Photo: Geoff Ridder Photography
Taking the lead on day three, Dowie and Allen left Auckland’s Dave Rogers and his co-driver, Shane Reynolds to settle for second in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo XRS.
Hamilton’s Charlie Evans and co-driver Carol Liston finished third in the same Mazda RX7 – Evans raced when he last entered the rally 20 years ago.
“This event was epic,” Dowie said. “We’re so glad that we got the real award which is just keeping the car in one piece.”
All three pairs on this year’s overall podium were also top of their class – Evans/Liston (2WD Allcomers class), Rogers/Reynolds (Allcomers Competition) and Dowie/Allen (Modern 2WD Class).
Despite some King Country road closures, the event was a success, organiser Peter Martin said.
“We had an act of God that threw challenges at us from the start. We don’t normally lose stages, but most of that was out of our control,” he said. “It’s a real testament to the people and the systems we have in place to deal with these sorts of unexpected things.”
Targa 2025 – winners, Paul Dowie and John Allen. Photo Geoff Ridder Photography
Targa 2025 – third place, Charlie Evans and Carol Liston. Photo Geoff Ridder Photography
