Herbert Dominates Golden Shears with Swift Victory

In a tightly contested North Island Woolhandling Circuit - Golden Shears 2025 competition, Keryn Herbert emerged victorious in the heats with a remarkable performance. Herbert completed the handling of 6 fleeces in just 21.43 seconds, accumulating a total of 87.29 points. This impressive result was achieved through a combination of swift handling (earning her 4.29 time points) and exceptional skill in managing board, oddment, and fleece points, with scores of 36.00, 18.00, and 24.00 respectively, along with a blend score of 5.00. Ngaio Hanson followed in second place with a total of 126.68 points, finishing her fleeces in 23.39 seconds and earning 4.68 time points. Hanson matched Herbert in oddment points at 18.00 but faced challenges in the fleece and blend categories, scoring 64.00 and 10.00 respectively, which widened the gap between her and the lead. Marika Braddick and Jasmine Tipoki rounded off the top four, with Braddick securing a total of 138.34 points and Tipoki close behind at 146.79 points. Braddick's time of 34.34 seconds and Tipoki's 28.96 seconds highlight the intense competition and the critical role that time management plays in the overall scoring. The competition showcased the high level of skill and precision required in woolhandling, with Herbert setting a standout performance that will be remembered as competitors move forward in the competition.