Early end for shearing record bid

A rare merino wethers World shearing record attempt in Central Otago has been abandoned with the target well out of range less than halfway through the nine-hour challenge today.

Shearing a month later than originally scheduled, prolific records hunter Stacey Te Huia started at 5am needing an average of about 47 an hour to break the record of 418 held by Canterbury shearer Grant Smith for more than 20 years.

With just 77 up by the end of the first two hours to the breakfast break, it was decided to continue with the second run of 1hr 45mins to morning tea in the hope the goal could be brought back into range.

The temperature in the woolshed at The Bend, near Ranfurly, was about 7deg as the run started, and the sheep were reported to be sticky, and the decision to call it off was made soon after the run ended at 9.45am.

It was the third of four record attempts so for scheduled for the New Zealand summers, the last being a four-stand women’s lambshearing record scheduled for nine hours at Waihi Pukawa, near Turangi, on January 23.

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