Wairua keeps tradition

Masterton shearer Wairua Edmonds, 10, is the youngest competitor in this year’s Golden Shears, which started yesterday. Keeping up a long family tradition – he’s the fourth generation of his family to compete at the event – Edmonds started shearing when he was five. The competition, in which he went up against 50 other novice shearers, was Edmonds’ first. It was a promising start, and while he missed out on a place in the top 12 for semifinals later in the day and placed 43rd overall, he was one of 20 who managed to shear their single sheep in under three minutes. “It was good,” he said. PHOTO/ PETE NIKOLAISON