Toa Henderson in his moment of glory after winning the Golden Shears open shearing title in Masterton in early March. Photo: Supplied
A Northland father-of-two has become only the fifth person ever to win the Golden Shears and Open Shear Championship in the same year.
Toa Henderson took out the open shear title in Te Kūiti on Saturday and earlier this month became the first debut finalist to win the Golden Shears Open in 15 years in Masterton.
The 34-year-old also became the first person in more than three decades to shear 25 sheep in less than 20 minutes, ticking it off in 19 minutes and 57 seconds.
"They used to shear 25 sheep back in the day. Last time they did it was 1989. Sir David Fagan wanted to bring it back this year to try it out and see what it's like.
"It was quite good. It was hard work but it was a good final."
Henderson said he'd been travelling every weekend for shearing competitions so he was looking forward to some time off.
Later this year he would travel to Europe to compete.
Henderson said he has been shearing since he was a teenager.
"I grew up at school at the shearing sheds and when I was 15 I left school. The princpal let me go because he knew it was what I wanted to do and I was wasting time at school.
"I did that until 17, left to go to Aussie, did 10 years over there and came back to New Zealand in 2017 and got back into the show shearing circuit."
Henderson said his two boys aged 5 and 4 loved seeing the media coverage their dad had been getting this year.
He said they also loved travelling around to the competitions to watch him.
