The World Sheep Shearing Records Society has now received seven applications for challenges in New Zealand from December 15 to February 14, thought to be the most in New Zealand in any season in the 55 years since the first official recognition of eight-hour and nine-hour shearing records in 1968.
Society secretary Hugh McCarroll, of Tauranga, said the latest application was from Pahiatua shearer Amy Silcock, who would attempt the women’s solo eight-hour strongwool ewes record at Ross Na Clonagh Farm, near Pahiatua, on January 7 -one of five big days out for women’s record attempts.
She first attempted the record last February, when she sheared 348 ewes, which averaged over 4kg of wool a sheep -more than 1kg over the minimum requirement. It fell 22 ewes short of the mark set by Marie Prebble in England the previous August.
Three of the record bids will take place in the 10 days before Christmas, starting on December 15 with Megan Whitehead and Hannah McColl attempting the solo and two-stand strongwool lambs records in Southland.
Four days later, near Mossburn, Sacha Bond will attempt to add the women’s solo nine-hours strongwool lambs record to the eight-hours record she set last summer.
In a Wairarapa woolshed on December 23, Paerata Abraham and Chris Dickson will attempt the men’s solo and two-stand lambs records for eight hours.
Ms Silcock’s attempt will be followed on January 10 by Catherine Mullooly’s attempt on the women’s solo eight-hours strongwool ewes record attempt in the King Country.
The remaining two record attempts are both in Southland: on January 14, when a Forde Winders Shearing crew will bid for the men’s five-stand eight-hours strongwool lambs record; and on February 14, when Ms Bond will attempt the women’s nine-hours strongwool ewes record.
The society’s 2023-24 year got under way on Friday with Herefordshire farmer Steve Rowberry falling short of King Country shearer Jack Fagan’s world eight-hour solo strongwool lambs record of 754, but shearing a new British record of 706.
Mr Rowberry had shorn in Hawke’s Bay as a 21-year-old and won the 2010 New Zealand lamb shearing championships junior final, which included Mr Fagan, at Raglan.
British records rules take into account the lesser wool of the United Kingdom breeds, with a minimum wool-weight average of 0.8kg per lamb, compared with 0.9kg for world records.
At a pre-record wool-weigh the day before the attempt, the wool from 20 lambs averaged 0.982kg per lamb.
