Judges give green light for three-stand record attempt
Three Hawke’s Bay shearers today passed their first test with flying colours as they prepared for a World record
starting at 7am Tuesday.
World Shearing Records Society judge Ian Buchanan said 10 sheep shorn in front of the judges at shearing’s version of
boxing’s weigh-in produced 31.2kg of wool, safely exceeding the average of 3kg per ewe needed for the record to go
ahead.
But he also said the sheep at Big Hill Station, west of Hastings, had been well-crutched and are among the best he’s
ever seen for a record attempt.
“The boys have done a good job,” he said.
It bodes well for first-time record contenders Errol Chrystal, nephew Kalin Chrystal and workmate Shelford Wilcox who
are out to claim a three-stand strongwool ewes record for eight hours. In this case the sheep are romneys.
While it’s almost 50 years since shearing tally records first took place under formal rules, there’s been no claim to
the three-stand, eight-hour ewes record.
The shearers will be targeting a combined total of over 1500 for the day. Wilcox and Kalin Chrystal have each shorn over
600 ewes in a day, and if off to a good start could challenge the solo record of 603, held by prolific records shearer
Stacey Te Huia.
To break that record, though, a shearer would have to average almost 38 of the 55kg-plus sheep a half-hour, or 151 for
each of the four two-hour runs.
The f irst run ends at 9am, followed by a half-hour for morning smoko, two hours for the second run, an hour-long
lunch-break starting at 11.30am, the third run from 12.30 to 2.30pm, a half-hour for afternoon smoko, and the last two
hours to knock-off at 5pm.
The shearers will be under the watchful of five accredited judges, who monitor the quality and have authority to issue
warnings and ultimately call the record off if required quality standards are not met.
The shearers will have some big support among the shed staff of woolhandlers and pressers, including reigning Golden
Shears Open champion and 2012 World champion Joel Henare, from Gisborne.
The woolshed is the back shed at Big Hill, reached by following Maraekakaho and Kereru roads, turning right into Big
Hill Rd, travelling about 10km to the station entrance and a further 7km after turning to the left inside the station
entrance.
ENDS