Six time New Zealand champion Damien Boyle, right, with fellow Western Australian Mark Buscumbe.

Aussie ace Damien Boyle has defended his sixth title against New Zealand shearers in the annual merino contest in Alexandra.

Boyle, 37, of Western Australia, won the 53rd New Zealand Merino Championships open final at the contest in Molyneux stadium on Saturday.

The shearing contest followed the woolhandling round on Friday night.

Jo Mckenzie-McLean/Stuff.co.nz Taiwha Nelson, of Clyde, competing in the open woolhandling championships qualifying heat in Alexandra on Friday.

When Boyle won his fifth title last year, it was shortly after an operation and a cancer scare, which left him wondering whether he had a future in shearing.

But he grabbed a double win at the Royal Perth Show last month - Boyle's 19th win at the show - and then again on Saturday night.

He won by more than two points against tough and seasoned shearers including Invercargill champion Nathan Stratford, the last New Zealand shearer to win the event on home soil in 2009.

Western Australian Damien Boyle on his way to taking the New Zealand title in Alexandra last year.

Rakaia master shearers Grant Smith and Tony Coster were third and fourth respectively.

The other big winner on the night was Masterton woolhandler Pagan Rimene, who followed in the footsteps of mother Tina Rimene and father Dion Morrell in becoming an open champion in Alexandra.

Rimene, who won major titles on corriedale wool, and crossbred full wool and lambs, beat New Zealand representative and defending Alexandra champion Joel Henare in Saturday's open woolhandling final.

Her mother last won the title six years ago while her father had won the open shearing final three times.

Father and daughter were also in a New Zealand Merino Shears winning team against a Royal Perth show team.

RESULTS:

Shearing and woolhandling

Trans-Tasman Challenge: New Zealand Merino shearers Dion Morrell, Grant Smith, Tony Coster; woolhandlers Pagan Rimene, Erana Smith, Alpha Wade, 711.631pts, beat Royal Perth Show shearers Damien Boyle, Todd Wegner, Nathan Meaney; woolhandlers Sarah Rogers, Mel Morris, Janice Heberman, 802.997pts.

Shearing Open:

Damien Boyle 114.316pts, 1

Nathan Stratford 118.416pts, 2

Grant Smith 123.217pts, 3

Tony Coster 133.866pts, 4

Todd Wegner 135.417pts, 5

Dion Morrell139.266pts, 6.

Senior:

Corey Smith115.75pts, 1

David Gower 119.2pts, 2

Ethan Smith 120.25pts, 3

Jay Stringer 132.9pts, 4

Phoenix Hawkins 137.6pts, 5

Linton Palmer 135.85pts, 6

Woolhandling:

Open:

Pagan Rimene 195.52pts, 1

Joel Henare 207.556pts, 2

Ratapu Moore 246.556pts, 3

Tia Potae 271.186pts, 4.

Senior:

Alpha Wade 1

Erana Smith 2

Peketai Puna 3

Sarah Rogers 4.

Junior:

Beks Osborne 1

Chenelle Waihape 2

Miriama Power 3

Shani Newton 4.