World shearing champion Paul Avery retained his national lambshearing title in Raglan today despite six stitches in a cut arm which almost stopped him from defending the title in possibly his last season of competitive shearing.

Avery cut the arm while teaching a teenager to shear at home in Taranaki and said that until "three days ago" he wasn't going to be defending the title.

One of 33 shearers to enter the open class at the championships, the first post-Christmas event on the shearing Sports New Zealand circuit, he was surprised to get past the quarterfinals and said: "I was already in my good clothes to go home when I heard my name called out for the semi-finals."

But, he managed to qualify, ninth of 10 in  a list headed by World lambshearing record holder Dion King, of  Napier, and then with a change to a thinner comb put in his best performance in a season troubled by a late start to shearing, and bolted into the five-man final as top qualifier.

King, back in the country after spending the first half of the season in Australia, failed to reach the final in which the pace was set by veteran Te Kuiti speedster Digger Balme, who led almost throughout, shearing the 20 sizeable lambs in 15min 32.08 sec and beating second-man-off Avery by more than 18 seconds.

When judging was completed it was a repeat of last year's quinella, with Avery beating Napier shearer and 2008 World Championships teammate John Kirkpatrick, and 48-year-old King Country veteran David Fagan third, followed by Taranaki-based Scotsman and former lambs champion Gavin Mutch, with Balme, sacrificing quality for speed, in fifth place.

Far North shearer Tipene Te Whata repeated his intermediate final form of last hyear to win the senior title today, 41-year-old Wanganui shearer Haven Matthews won the intermediate title, ending a five-show winning streak by Gisborne shearer Wi Ngarangione, and the junior final was a triumph for overseas competitors with Hastings-based workmates Steve Rowberry, 21, from Hereford in England, and Jack Robinson, 18, from Londonderry in Northern Ireland, finishing first and second.

Results from the Western Shears' National Lambshearing Championships at Raglan today:

Open final (20 sheep): Paul Avery (Stratford) 15min 50,21sec, 58.31pts, 1; John Kirkpatrick (Napier) 16min 26.4sec, 60.17pts, 2; David Fagan (Te Kuiti) 16min 25.63sec, 62.132pts, 3; Gavin Mutch (Whangamomona) 16min 45.13sec, 62.756pts, 4; Digger Balme (Te Kuiti)n 15min 32.08sec, 5.

Senior final (10 sheep): Tipene Te Whata (Tautoro) 12min 22.7sec, 50.218pts, 1; Tama Niania (Gisborne) 13min 6.2sec, 51.143pts, 2; Aaron Haynes (Feilding) 13min 38.99sec, 52.117pts, 3; David Garland (Feilding) 13min 41.35sec, 53.568pts, 4; Kane Kapene (Martinborough) 12min 22.04sec, 56.602pts, 5.

Intermediate final (4 sheep): Haven Matthews (Wanganui) 6min 35.79sec, 28.79pts, 1; Wi Ngarangione (Gisborne) 6min 17.06sec, 28.853pts, 2; Nathan Gleeson (Stratford) 6min 41.67sec, 35.584pts, 3; Sharnie Rimene (Masterton) 7min 18.63sec, 36.932pts, 4, Robert Davidson (Northern Ireland) 7min 17.64sec, 37.382pts, 5.

Junior final (3 sheep): Steve Rowberry (England) 5min 5.66sec, 29.95pts, 1; Jack Robinson (Norther Ireland) 4min 59.78sec, 31.989pts, 2; Jake Moore (Marton) 5min 20.21sec, 32.343pts, 3; Jack Fagan (Te Kuiti) 6min 32.66sec, 35.633pts, 4; Cushla Gordon (Masterton) 7min 27.91sec, 37.396pts, 5.