April 8, 2026 • 6 mins
Our country’s greatest shearer previews the NZ Shears getting underway in Te Kuiti today, where Golden Shears Open champ Toa Henderson is a hot favourite.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
But let's kick it off with David or Sir David Fagan. David,
how good is my memory? Was your first ever sharing
victory in my hometown of Riversdale?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Good afternoon, Yeah afternoon, Jammy. Yeah, Actually you've got a
good memory right. Nineteen January nineteen seventy nine, I had
a crack at the intermediate sharing at the New Zealand
or South Helm Parandale Lamb Sharing Champs that was called then,
and ended up winning a year borrowed a came off
John haff and it sort of set me alight and
gave me the bug to carry on competing. So yeah,
(00:30):
seventy nine, seventeen years old.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, I was nineteen years old and I was just
about to head to Otaga University after a gap year
to study accountancy. And, believe it or not, David, in
those days we used to sit out the back and
because I was heading to university study accountancy, the headmaster
of the Riversdale Primary School, the late Great Allen Young,
said you can come in and help us add up
(00:54):
the numbers, and believe it or not, we did them
by hand.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Oh, they were done by hand through to all about
the early nineties. Really, so yeah, nothing new, but yeah,
good start. Certainly set me off on my career anyway.
And we're here at the New Zealand Shares and Ticularity
at the moment, setting up on our fourth day, and
we've got three days of competition starting at two o'clock
this afternoon, so big three days involved in the weather
(01:19):
is beautiful here at the moment.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I'm pleased to David. I'm pleased to hear that it
might not be beautiful come the weekend, especially Sunday, but
effectively you've just got to get through the Saturday to
get all those sheep and without having to bother with
things like covers over the trucks and all that.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, that's right. And we've got from Tyror and tear
Happy Trusts out at Benidell the magnificent sheep coming and
they're all undercover last night the ones we need for
today at least, and we've got beautiful day here now
and it's supposed to be really nice for Thursday, Friday,
Saturday and then it is really packing it and I
think we're going to get fifty two milla rain here
on Sunday, which is our pack up day, which would
(01:56):
be fun.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Well, you want a good day for Saturday, because Saturday
as the Running of the Sheep.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
That's right, Yeah, we've got the New Zealand years Running
of the Sheep Saturday at two pm. There's a steam
train coming down from Auckland. I suppose that'll get back
right before the storm comes in. But normally we normally
get sort of five to six thousand people, believe it
or not, lining the main street of Tekiwity and just
watch that parade of Sheep and it's something pretty special.
(02:23):
Normally a heap of politicians there. We should get a
few there this year, in an election year. And at
the same time we've got all those big titles up
for grabs in the Lis Monroe Center, with trips to
the UK for the New Zealand team and you know
Northold Shier of the Year finals tomorrow night. Yeah, there's
plenty out for grabs and it's sort of the last
(02:44):
big event for the competitive season for everyone. Really.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
I took a screenshot on my phone of the tab
odds and I've very cleverly left my phone in my
office and I haven't got time to run and get it.
And while I still chat to you, but I do
know that's so ahend and no surprise. Golden Shares Open
champ is pretty much a hot favorite for the open
title in Tikawita as well.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, I'm sure he is, and he's been hot favorite
for probably two to three years at nearly every event
we go to. So nothing changed there. I mean, anything
can happen, though, and we're lucky enough this year with
the fortieth anniversary of this event, the ladies on our
committee have done an amazing job. You want to see
the display inside the building. It's got every magazine from
nineteen eighty five through till now on the cover. It's
(03:28):
got profiles, old pictures, it's got me with hair for
God's sake. You know. There's some real incredible memorabilitia up
on the walls at the event. And we've got our
current world champion, roll In Smith's coming to attend and
socialize with us, which is great. And we're actually going
to get all past winners of this open event up
(03:49):
on stage Saturday night just to present the winners and
pay homage to everyone while we're all still here.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Yeah. Well, I made that point at Golden Shares to
your older brother John, and everyone seemed to be in agreement,
but I think the Golden Shares should do that as well.
Paid tribute to the past Open title winners and get
them all up on stage for a photo and let
the crowd see them before that Open final. So well done.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, that's right, and it's quite neat. And one day
when we're not here, you know, we wishing we'd done it.
So we're doing it now. We're all still alive and
there's actually only eleven winners for forty years, so it
won't be a big crowd.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Would you say nineteen eighty five was your first year?
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yep? So did you have a year off for COVID
You must.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Have, we did. This is the fortieth anniversary actual competition.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, okay, so I'm going to ask a dumb not
a dumb question, but who won on eighty five?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Was it you? Your brother John Fagan?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
John Fagan won. He set up bless him, he set
up a competition because he was one of the instigators
that he could win.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It's right, yeah, he won it. I think I'll steed
that year and that's sort of soon after that eighty
six on him where my career took off. But he
was the president of the New Zealand. She's here for
the first ten years and he's patron now he's coming
along tomorrow night and Saturday night. And it's great having
him here. And to be the first winner of the
(05:14):
New Zealand Games Sports Hall of Fame and have him here.
It's just marvelous because he's got his own health challenges.
Most people know that, so awesome to have him here.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
I must say he was looking pretty damn good for
a bloke who's had a few health challenges at the
Golden Shares. I think there's a bit of bite and
the old doll get isn't.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
It absolutely year one hundred percent?
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Okay, Hey, Sir David Fagan, good luck. I know you
get underway. What at two pm this afternoon?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
That's correct. We've got a blessing in a kadochia shortly
at the building. In two o'clock. She'll be underway. Yep.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Good on you and we'll await. We might try and
catch up with Roland Smith tomorrow, who's there just in
a social capacity. He'll be absolutely loving and he can
sit back and put his feet up after winning the
world title. Good luck for the next three days.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Awesome, Jamie, Thank you,
But let's kick it off with David or Sir David Fagan. David,
how good is my memory? Was your first ever sharing
victory in my hometown of Riversdale?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Good afternoon, Yeah afternoon, Jammy. Yeah, Actually you've got a
good memory right. Nineteen January nineteen seventy nine, I had
a crack at the intermediate sharing at the New Zealand
or South Helm Parandale Lamb Sharing Champs that was called then,
and ended up winning a year borrowed a came off
John haff and it sort of set me alight and
gave me the bug to carry on competing. So yeah,
(00:30):
seventy nine, seventeen years old.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Well, I was nineteen years old and I was just
about to head to Otaga University after a gap year
to study accountancy. And, believe it or not, David, in
those days we used to sit out the back and
because I was heading to university study accountancy, the headmaster
of the Riversdale Primary School, the late Great Allen Young,
said you can come in and help us add up
(00:54):
the numbers, and believe it or not, we did them
by hand.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Oh, they were done by hand through to all about
the early nineties. Really, so yeah, nothing new, but yeah,
good start. Certainly set me off on my career anyway.
And we're here at the New Zealand Shares and Ticularity
at the moment, setting up on our fourth day, and
we've got three days of competition starting at two o'clock
this afternoon, so big three days involved in the weather
(01:19):
is beautiful here at the moment.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
I'm pleased to David. I'm pleased to hear that it
might not be beautiful come the weekend, especially Sunday, but
effectively you've just got to get through the Saturday to
get all those sheep and without having to bother with
things like covers over the trucks and all that.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Yeah, that's right. And we've got from Tyror and tear
Happy Trusts out at Benidell the magnificent sheep coming and
they're all undercover last night the ones we need for
today at least, and we've got beautiful day here now
and it's supposed to be really nice for Thursday, Friday,
Saturday and then it is really packing it and I
think we're going to get fifty two milla rain here
on Sunday, which is our pack up day, which would
(01:56):
be fun.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Well, you want a good day for Saturday, because Saturday
as the Running of the Sheep.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
That's right, Yeah, we've got the New Zealand years Running
of the Sheep Saturday at two pm. There's a steam
train coming down from Auckland. I suppose that'll get back
right before the storm comes in. But normally we normally
get sort of five to six thousand people, believe it
or not, lining the main street of Tekiwity and just
watch that parade of Sheep and it's something pretty special.
(02:23):
Normally a heap of politicians there. We should get a
few there this year, in an election year. And at
the same time we've got all those big titles up
for grabs in the Lis Monroe Center, with trips to
the UK for the New Zealand team and you know
Northold Shier of the Year finals tomorrow night. Yeah, there's
plenty out for grabs and it's sort of the last
(02:44):
big event for the competitive season for everyone. Really.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
I took a screenshot on my phone of the tab
odds and I've very cleverly left my phone in my
office and I haven't got time to run and get it.
And while I still chat to you, but I do
know that's so ahend and no surprise. Golden Shares Open
champ is pretty much a hot favorite for the open
title in Tikawita as well.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, I'm sure he is, and he's been hot favorite
for probably two to three years at nearly every event
we go to. So nothing changed there. I mean, anything
can happen, though, and we're lucky enough this year with
the fortieth anniversary of this event, the ladies on our
committee have done an amazing job. You want to see
the display inside the building. It's got every magazine from
nineteen eighty five through till now on the cover. It's
(03:28):
got profiles, old pictures, it's got me with hair for
God's sake. You know. There's some real incredible memorabilitia up
on the walls at the event. And we've got our
current world champion, roll In Smith's coming to attend and
socialize with us, which is great. And we're actually going
to get all past winners of this open event up
(03:49):
on stage Saturday night just to present the winners and
pay homage to everyone while we're all still here.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Yeah. Well, I made that point at Golden Shares to
your older brother John, and everyone seemed to be in agreement,
but I think the Golden Shares should do that as well.
Paid tribute to the past Open title winners and get
them all up on stage for a photo and let
the crowd see them before that Open final. So well done.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yeah, that's right, and it's quite neat. And one day
when we're not here, you know, we wishing we'd done it.
So we're doing it now. We're all still alive and
there's actually only eleven winners for forty years, so it
won't be a big crowd.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Would you say nineteen eighty five was your first year?
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Correct?
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Yep? So did you have a year off for COVID
You must.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Have, we did. This is the fortieth anniversary actual competition.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Yeah, okay, so I'm going to ask a dumb not
a dumb question, but who won on eighty five?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Was it you? Your brother John Fagan?
Speaker 1 (04:46):
John Fagan won. He set up bless him, he set
up a competition because he was one of the instigators
that he could win.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It's right, yeah, he won it. I think I'll steed
that year and that's sort of soon after that eighty
six on him where my career took off. But he
was the president of the New Zealand. She's here for
the first ten years and he's patron now he's coming
along tomorrow night and Saturday night. And it's great having
him here. And to be the first winner of the
(05:14):
New Zealand Games Sports Hall of Fame and have him here.
It's just marvelous because he's got his own health challenges.
Most people know that, so awesome to have him here.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
I must say he was looking pretty damn good for
a bloke who's had a few health challenges at the
Golden Shares. I think there's a bit of bite and
the old doll get isn't.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
It absolutely year one hundred percent?
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Okay, Hey, Sir David Fagan, good luck. I know you
get underway. What at two pm this afternoon?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
That's correct. We've got a blessing in a kadochia shortly
at the building. In two o'clock. She'll be underway. Yep.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Good on you and we'll await. We might try and
catch up with Roland Smith tomorrow, who's there just in
a social capacity. He'll be absolutely loving and he can
sit back and put his feet up after winning the
world title. Good luck for the next three days.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Awesome, Jamie, Thank you,
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