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“I’ve been down to this show for the thick end of the past ten years and this is actually my first win in the South Island so to do it on these Corriedales, which I’ve never shorn at work, I’ve only shorn them at shows, is very special,” he said. Fagan finished just ahead of Southland shearer Nathan Stratford with Mutch third.

“It was great final, a good race against Gavin and against a previous champion here Nathan Stratford. It’s the biggest final I’ve ever won in New Zealand and to come away with a win, I’m still shivering with goosebumps, it was amazing.”

Fagan attributed his win, in part to a new fitness regime: “I’ve given up drinking coffee and all that carry-on,” he said.

He also has some big goals including an attempt on the world lamb shearing record. “I’m doing eight hours of lambs on December 22 trying to beat Ivan Scott’s tally of 744, which is no mean feat, and it will be a very hard day but will be very rewarding too if I can pull it off.”

Mutch, who won the recent Waimate Spring Shears, was the top qualifier coming into the final and said he was happy with his form but said he had made too many mistakes. “I didn’t get it right on my second sheep, which costs me points,” he said. Defending champion Angus Moore failed to make it past the semi-finals: “I couldn’t get my gear quite right,” he said. “I had a couple of difficult sheep but that’s no excuse, you’ve got to deal with it,” he said.

The Corriedale Championships, at the New Zealand Agricultural Show, is the first-ever event on The Southern Series and is also part of the PGG Wrightson Vetmed National Shearing Circuit.