Pāmu To Host Sacha Bond’s Double World Record Shearing Attempt In Southland

19th December 2023: Women’s 9-Hour Solo Strong Wool Lamb Shearing Record

• 14th February 2024: Women’s 9-Hour Solo Strong Wool Ewe Shearing Record

Pāmu farm Centre Hill Station near Te Anau is going to be buzzing in December with the first of New Zealand champion shearer Sacha Bond’s double world record shearing attempt.

No shearer in modern history has held both 9-hour strong wool lamb and ewe records at the same time. Both are classed as the pinnacle of all shearing records and Sacha is aiming to be the first person to do it. This attempt follows her February smashing of the strong wool record by a staggering 91 lambs, setting a new total of 601.

Currently at home in Piopio and heading south on the 10th December, Sacha says she’s super-excited to be putting herself up for another big day.

“Training has been going well and shearing has been pleasant. It’s amazing to see all the shearing world record attempts happening this season, and I am wishing everyone success with their journeys.”

Pāmu CE Mark Leslie says that Sacha’s attempt is a celebration of farming excellence.

“Pāmu is proud to back the pursuit of farming excellence, and hosting Sacha is one way we can support our rural communities,” he says. “Her track record and ambition are phenomenal and it's great to see more and more inspiring women at the top levels in farming."

About the event

The two events run from 5am to 5pm, with breaks in between. Several days of preparation onsite include preparing the large woolshed on Centre Hill.

On the day before, the team at Centre Hill will wean all the ewe lambs and draft 1,000 of them, crutch them, and shear a sample of 20 in front of the judges to get the average wool weight. This must be 0.9kg for the lambs and 3kg per fleece for the ewes. The lambs are Romney, born in September. Sacha will shear some of the male lambs to get her eye in then prepare for her 5am start.

For the ewe event in February, the ewes are four tooths, with the current record 452.

Pāmu is a proud sponsor of the two events, with main sponsors Perkinz, and others including Goldpine and Heiniger, with more poised to come on board. Funds are also being raised through a Givealittle page and a recent working bee for Sacha in Australia.

“Perkinz is really excited to be supporting Sacha in both her upcoming record attempts. She is an exceptional young woman who is not just breaking glass ceilings but smashing them to bits and we feel proud and lucky to be part of her story,” says Product Development Manager Wayne Perkins.

As the woolshed will have limited space for visitors, the events will also be live-streamed. Follow Sacha Bond World Record Shearing https://www.facebook.com/womensshearingworldrecord for more.

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For more information

Pāmu: Kara Tait 021 240 7827, taitk@landcorp.co.nz

Event and sponsorship: Willy McSkimming Event Manager 0272528383 sacha.bond.shearingrecord@gmail.com.

About Sacha

Originally from Palmerston North and Woodville, Sacha moved to Dubbo, NSW, as a teenager to embark on her career in the shearing industry. Beginning as a wool handler, at the age of 20, Sacha picked up a handpiece and her shearing career began. Learning how to shear on merinos, Sacha sheared her way around Australia for four years and then the UK. In 2019 she came home and settled in the King Country town of Piopio, mentored by some of the country’s best shearers including partner Coel L’Hullier & Kelvin Walker, both former record holders.

Over the past few years some plans changed with both the birth of her daughter Ember, and the pandemic. Now Sacha is more motivated than ever to show rural women that they can excel in a traditionally male-dominated world, in one of the most physical and demanding jobs and sports there is.

Past accomplishments

• Women’s 8 Hour Solo Strong Wool Lamb record, February 2023 when she shore 601 lambs, breaking the previous record by 91 sheep.

• 1st place - 2023 Ford Ranger Rural Games Speed shear where she went head-to-head against current 9-hour lamb record holder Megan Whitehead, earning her the title of fastest woman in NZ.

• 1st place - NZ Spring Shears, women’s open class shearing title.

• 1st place – Mt Gambier Speed Shear 2019, women’s event.

About Centre Hill

Centre Hill is a Pāmu farm (the trading name for Landcorp Farming) of 4,200 effective ha, with 17,000 ewes plus replacements, 1,000 breeding cows plus replacements, and 700 trading cattle.

Pāmu is the brand name for Landcorp Farming Limited, a State-Owned Enterprise and the largest pastoral farmer in Aotearoa New Zealand. Pāmu manages nearly 360,000ha over 110 farms, 15 of which are in the Te Anau area. Pāmu exists today to enhance the future of agriculture for generations of New Zealanders to come, return land under Treaty of Waitangi settlements, and produce a financial return. Pāmu seeks to ensure our farming activities contribute positively to ecosystems and communities while producing high-quality food and fibre.

About Perkinz

Perkinz sheep handling solutions include ShearMaster woolshed systems, CrutchMaster crutching trailers and DrenchMaster sheephandlers, all designed to make handling sheep faster and easier.

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