World Shearing Record Bid Ahead Of Target

A new World shearing record is already beckoning with Southland shearer Megan Whitehead well ahead of her target in the first run of two hours from 5am to 7am in a woolshed near Gore.

Watched by five World Sheep Shearing Records Society judges, Whitehead went into the breakfast break with 153 in her bid for the women’s solo nine-hours strongwool lamb shearing record of 648 set by Waikato shearer Emily Welch in November 207.

It was nine more than Welch’s first-run total of 144, and if the current pace is maintained a tally of close to 690 would be expected.

The judges - one watching from Australia via AVL – yesterday afternoon gave the green light for the attempt to go ahead when a sample shear of 20 lambs produced 21kg of wool, comfortably over the required minimum of 0.9kg per lamb.

Shearing in a woolshed packed with supporters and the large crew helping with the attempt, Whitehead was also shearing comfortably within the quality standards required by the rules.

From 8am there will be four successive runs of 1hr 45mins each heading to the end at 5pm.

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