Salmond Leads Golden Shears with Record Time

In the Novice Shearing Semi-Finals of the Golden Shears 2026 competition, Ngahuia Salmond emerged as the top qualifier with a remarkable performance, securing her place with a total of 11.33 points. Salmond completed her shearing in 2 minutes and 26.601 seconds, demonstrating both speed and precision with the lowest time points of 7.33 and minimal board and pen points at 2.00 each. Tsenden-Ish Jargalsaikhan closely followed Salmond, with a total score of 11.37 points. Despite taking a longer time of 3 minutes and 7.33 seconds, Jargalsaikhan managed to keep her board points at an impressive zero, showcasing her exceptional skill in handling the shears with utmost care and accuracy. The competition between the two top qualifiers was extremely tight, with a mere 0.04 points difference separating them. This highlights the intense level of competition and the high standards exhibited by the participants in the semi-finals. Samuel Lawson took the third spot with a total of 12.90 points, slightly behind due to higher board points of 3.00, despite finishing his shearing task in a competitive time of 2 minutes and 37.99 seconds. The event was marked by a range of performances, with total points spanning from 11.33 to 28.12 across the competitors. The varying times and points underscore the diverse skill sets and strategies employed by the participants in their quest to advance to the next phase of the competition. This semi-final showcased not only the promising talent within the novice category but also set the stage for a highly anticipated final, where precision, speed, and technique will once again be put to the test in the Golden Shears 2026 competition.

Top 6 competitors have qualified for the next round.