Shearing Records - Background

The three-stand lambshearing record which will be attempted on Monday (December 23) is one of numerous records overseen by the World Sheep Shearing Records Society.

It is one of six record attempts so far registered with the Society for this summer, one of which has already been.

Generally shorn over the standard eight or nine hour days common to daily life in the woolshed, particularly in New Zealand, the records cover different breeds and sheep types such as finewool and strongwool, and ewes, wethers and lambs.

The bid on Monday will be for the World three-stand strongwool lambs record of 1825, with Coel L’Huillier, Kaleb Foote and Daniel Langlands shearing alongside each other needing to average more tha 608 sheep each for the day.

It will take place at Ingleby Farms’ Puketiti Station, on Haku Rd, Mangaotaki, about 20km by road west of State Highway 3 town Piopio. The lambs are romney coopworth and according to the rules must average at least 0.9kg of wool as tested in a pre-record shear of 20 lambs from the target flock..

The attempt starts at 7am and ends at 5pm, with four two-hour runs separated by breaks of 30 minutes for morning and afternoon tea and an hour for lunch.

In the current record of 1825 shorn near Bennydale, east of Te Kuiti, on almost three years ago the individual talles were (with run-by-run tallies in brackets): Matthew Evans 614 (156, 154, 151, 153), Ryan Miller 609 (157, 152, 149, 151), Delwyn Jones 602 (150, 151, 150, 151).

They added 41 to the previous record of 1784 which had been shorn in 1999, also in King Country.

The World Sheep Shearing Records Society (www.shearingrecords.co.nz) has appointed five judges to keep watch on the quality

The judges are convenor Peter Artridge (Australia), Bart Hadfield and Ian Buchanan (North Island), Robert McLaren and Paul Harris (South Island).

CURRENT RECORDS

The current strongwool lambs records for eight hours are (all shorn in New Zealand, shearers from New Zealand unless otherwise stated):

Solo: 744 - Ivan Scott (Ireland), at Opepe Station, Taupo, January 9, 2012.

Solo women: 510 – Pauline Bolay (Canada), at Whitford Farms, Waikaretu, on December 7, 2019.

Two-stands: 1406 - Justin Bell 731, Sean Edmonds 675, at Opepe Station, Taupo, on December 16, 2002.

Two-stands women: 903 – Ingrid Baynes 470, Margaret Baynes 433, at Mangapehi, Bennydale, on January 13, 2009.

Three-stands: 1825 – Matthew Evans 614, Ryan Miller 609, Delwyn Jones 602, at Moketenui (previously Mangapehi), Bennydale, on January 11, 2017.

Four-stands: 2556 – John Kirkpatrick 650, Leon Samuels 648, James Mack 643, Eru Weeds 615, at Centre Hill Station, Mossburn, on February 5, 2013.

Five-stands: 2910 – Ringakaha Paewai 618, Willie Hewitson 603, Aidan Copp 586, Jock MacDonald 564, George Parker (Australia) 539, at Puketiti Station, Piopio, on January 6, 2015.

UPCOMING RECORD ATTEMPTS:

Monday December 23, 2019: Mark Barrowcliffe’s Gang of Kaleb Foote, Coel L’Huillier and Daniel Langlands are to attempt the three stand8 hour strong wool lamb record of 1825 set on January 11, 2017, by Matthew Evans, Delwyn Jones and Ryan Miller. The venue is Puketiti Station, Haku Road, Piopio, NZ.

Saturday January 4, 2020: Stacey Te Huia will attempt to eclipse Grant Smith’s solo 9 hour merino wether record of 418, set on November 4, 1999. The venue is The Bend, 1967 Paerau rd, Ranfurly, Central Otago, NZ.

Saturday January 18, 2020: Josh Clayton is to attempt the solo 8 hour merino ewe record of 497 set by by Louis Brown on April 27, 2019. The venue isl be ‘Cowrabundie’, 200 South Road, Darkan, Western Australia.

Thursday January 23, 2020: Sarah Higgins, Natalya Rangiawha, Megan Whitehead and Amy Silcock will attempt to establish a women’s 9 hour strongwool lambs record. The venue is Waihi-Pukawa Station, SH 41, Omori, Turangi NZ.

Saturday February 15, 2020: Ethan Harder will attempt the solo 8 hour merino ewe record at A D South and Co, 4639 Gibbs Road, Cordering, Western Australia. (The record is currently 497 but is also being challenged by Josh Clayton on January 18).

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