Shearing record’s tough day in Hawke’s Bay woolshed

Shearing record’s tough day in Hawke’s Bay woolshed

Three Hawke’s Bay shearers are learning the rigours of records shearing the hard way as they battle towards a new World three-stand milestone in a remote woolshed west of Hastings.

Starting at 7am in the generator-powered back shed on Big Hill Station, at altitude of about 600 metres near Kereru,with temperatures outside well over 30deg, shearers Shelford Wilcox, Kalin Chrystal and his uncle, Errol Chrystal, posted a combined tally of 708 in the the first two- runs to lunch at 11.30am, half-way through their attempt to set a three-stand stongwool ewes record for eight hours.

Between them they had had four sheep rejected by the five World Sheep Shearing Records Society judges, headed by Australian judge Ralph Blue.

Kalin Chrystal had posted 253, Wilcox 251 and Errol Chrystal 204.

Wilcox brought off the biggest cheer of the opening run, making his last catch one second from the bell, highlighting the importance of every single sheep to the day’s work.

It’s the first record attempt by any of the shearers, and the first attempt at the three-stand strongwool ewes record for eight hours.

The trio will set the record if they meet the standards monitored by the judges, but it’s well off the pace for any of the shearers to challenge the solo record of 603.

The judges say the romneys are among the best they’ve seen for a record attempt, but the days shearing will be a learning experience for the shearers, Wilcox and Kalin Chrystal being both in the mid-20s and each having a personal best shed tally of over 600.

Today’s record is the first of at least five being challenged over the next month-and-half, including Australia-based New Zealand shearer Stacey Te Huia’s January 5 bid for the ultimate solo nine-hour ewes record of 721.

ENDS

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