Shearers Hope For Revenge In NZ

PRESS RELEASE – December 9, 2008

Shearers Hope For Revenge In NZ

Two Northern Hemisphere hopes who were unable to stop a Kiwi wave of success at the World shearing championships in Norway two months ago will make separate bids to get a bit of their own back in New Zealand when they attempt tghe World solo eight-hour strongwool lambshearing record next week.

First out of the blocks will be Scotsman Gavin Mutch, from Huntly, near Aberdeen, who makes his bid on Monday at Pohokura in remote hill country near Stratford , near where he and Kiwi wife Pip have made their home at Whangamomona (pronounced. Whaanga-mom-on-a)..

Ivan Scott, a Christchurch-based Irishman from County Donegal, will make his bid four days later on Onuku Maori Trust Farm at Rerewhakaaitu (pronounced Rere-far-kaa-eetu), south of Rotorua..

The target is Southern Hawke’s Bay shearer and farmer Justin Bell’s record of 731, set at Opepe, near Taupo, set six years ago as he and Wanganui shearer Sean Edmonds als set a two-stand record.

Bell, who believes the record could one day go as high as 800, will be at both record bids, and is closely involved with Scott’s day, in the same shed where in 2004 Bell also broke the glamour nine-hour record, which he held for two years.

Mutch also has good mates in his corner, with the bid managed by Digger Balme, who held the record nine years ago.. Balme will be helped by veteran fellow Te Kuiti shearer and multiple record breaker and titles winner David Fagan.

Also in the cast of supporting locals will be Paul Avery, who won the World championships final as 28-year-old Mutch capitulated after winning a pre-shears event a week earlier and two of the three preliminary rounds, as well as being top qualifier from the semi-finals.

Each record will comprise four two-hour runs, broken by a lunch-hour and two half-hour smokos. Registered with the World Shearing Records Society this summer, each will be overseen by three judges, including one from Australia .

Meanwhile, Wairoa mother-and-daughter Marg and Ingrid Baynes are continuing with plans for their bid for the vacant two-stand women’s record on January 13, at Mangapehi, King Country.

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