Henderson Shears to Semi-Final Victory

In the gripping Open Shearing Semi-Finals of the Golden Shears 2026 competition, competitors went head-to-head in a thrilling display of skill and speed, shearing 12 sheep each. Toa Henderson emerged as the standout performer, clinching the top spot with a remarkable total of 36.43 points. Henderson's blend of swift shearing, finishing in 10:20.219, and precision across the board and pen points (1.25 and 4.17 respectively) set him apart from the competition. Close on his heels was Hemi Braddick, who secured second place with a total of 37.52 points, just 1.09 points behind Henderson. Braddick's performance, clocking in at 10:31.908, demonstrated a consistent effort across all scoring categories. Leon Samuels rounded out the top three with a total score of 38.11 points. Samuels, completing his shearing in 10:37.182, showed commendable skill, albeit with slightly higher pen points at 4.92 compared to his leading competitors. Notably, Gavin Mutch, despite having the fastest shearing time of 10:11.731 among the top contenders, found himself in fourth place due to higher board and pen points (1.92 and 5.83 respectively), totaling 38.34 points. This highlights the importance of precision and quality in addition to speed in the competition. Rowland Smith, another notable competitor, finished in fifth place with a total of 38.41 points, showcasing the tight competition among the top shearing talents. His time was 10:50.083, reflecting the challenging balance between speed and minimizing faults to achieve a lower score. The semi-final results underscore the intense competition and high level of skill demonstrated by all participants, setting the stage for an exhilarating final round. Henderson, with his leading performance, positions himself as a strong contender for the championship, but as the results show, the victory could be claimed by any of the top competitors given the narrow margins that separate them.

Top 6 competitors have qualified for the next round.