Shearing Record Attempt Gets The Green Light

Bay of Plenty shearer and former professional squash hopeful Jamie Skiffington's bid for the World solo nine-hours strongwool lambshearing record has the green light after the pre-shear wool-weigh in front of the judging panel in the woolshed in Southern Hawke's Bay today,

Under World Sheep Shearing Society rules the lambs must have an average wool weight of 0.9kg each, as determined by a sample shear of 20 from the target flock on the day beforehand.

The shear this afternoon produced 20.06kg, an average of more than 1kg per lamb, in circumstances where if the minimum weight was unable to be achieved the attempt would have been off.

The target for the attempt on Monday at Waewaepa Station, near Dannevirke, starting at 5am and ending at 5pm (with breaks for breakfast, lunch and morning and afternoon tea), is the 872 shorn in England on July 28, 2021 by English shearer Stu Connor, who now lives and shears in Hawke’s Bay, and plans to be at the record attempt throughout.

Skiffington will need an hourly average of at least 97, or about 37 seconds a lamb caught, shorn and despatched, including about five seconds between sheep and the time taken to change cutters on his handpiece at regular intervals during the day.

FACTS: Jamie Skiffington will attempt to set a new solo nine-hours World strongwool lamb shearing record on Monday, January 20, at Waewaepa, 1593 Waitahora Road, Dannnevirke. The record is 872, and the attempt takes place in five “runs”, separated by breaks for breakfast, morning and afternoon tea and lunch. The runs are 5am-7am, 8am-9.45am, 10.15am-noon, 1pm-2.45pm, 3.15pm-5pm. The event will be live-streamed at https://bidr.co.nz/shearing-record-attempt?fbclid=IwY2xjawH2bbBleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHUF2qCxxyW7VNRVXiUHz_HButIB-kYAjdX6QnjIefDuV3itKxsbVYr9zRg_aem_aRziQbfcHn1WatgpPSYKOA

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