Golden Fleco District Finals

The district finals for the 1963 Golden Fleeco shearing and wool handling competition were held before good crowds in the Y.M.C.A. stadium last month.

Shearers and fleecos from Wairoa to Opotikl competed, with the major title, the open team event, going to a Wairoa foursome comprising Alf and John Edwards, shearers, with Nancy Ormond and Christine Paul as fleecos.

The final of the quality speed contest proved to he extremely exciting, when Danny Smiler edged out the captain of last year's successful Gisborne team, Stewart Symon, by a fraction of a second, with Puku Smiler close behind.

The handpiece for the cleanest shearer was won by B. Pewhairangi, of Tokomaru Bay.

Puku Smiler and Stewart Symon setting a fast pace in their heat of the speed contest, while a fleeco tidies up the board.

Part of the audience watching shearers and fleecos at work, under the careful scrutiny of the judges.

The champion fleeco, Mrs Jean Harrison, Tokomaru Bay, throwing a fleece

Sheep waiting to be shorn

Y.F.C. fleeco Brian Wagner throws a high fleece

Defeated speed shearer, Stewart Symon, looks disconsolately at the sheep he had shorn while they were being judged

The two Smiler brothers, Danny and Puku, who finished first and third respectively in I their final of tho speed event, are watched closely by wool board judge Jim Tawhia

Jim Waikato sharpening his cutters on a grindstone before taking third place in the quality speed event.

Members of the audience inspecting the shorn sheep after a contest

The open teams' contest winners in action during an afternoon heat. In the foreground, fleeco Christine Paul handles belly wool, while the Edwards brothers, Alf and John, shear in the background.

Mrs New Zealand, Mrs Joan Coates, drawing a raffle. Holding the bowl is David Steele.

Department of Agriculture wool judge Ron Scaife follows two fleecos' movements closely

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 104 : February 21, 1963

Golden Fleco District Finals