Tough road gets a bit easier in shear record bid

MEDIA RELEASE
On behalf ofShearing Sports New Zealand
February 12, 2013 - 10am

Tough road gets a bit easier in shear record bid

Drama is starting to unfold in a King Country woolshed where Te Kuiti shearer Stacey Te Huia is out to break the World record of 721 ewes in nine hours.

Starting at 5am and ending the first two-hour run with 149, about 11 off the required pace of just over 80 an hour, he needed an average of just over 143 for each of the four remaining runs of an hour and threequarters each. He fell just short at 141 going to the morning smoko break at 9.45, for a total of 290 after three hours and 45 minutes, but supporters were confident of further improvement during the day.

The record bid is taking place at Te Hape, on State Highway 30 east of Benneydale, where Te Huia struggled with cold sheep and some gear issues in the first run, but he's taken to thinner combs and with temperatures rising in the shed looked much more comfortable in his work after breakfast..

The second run staved off a possible decision to call the bid off early, and Te Huia will be targeting 144 in the third run from 10.15 to noon.

The current solo record of 721 was set by Southern Hawke's Bay shearer Rodney Sutton six years ago, and Te Huia's best previous best is 674 in a two-stand record a year ago.
ENDS

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