Three Hawke's Bay shearers (pictured) are out to join a long list of the region's record-breakers next week, but they must keep it clean.
The three are Errol Chrystal, 44, nephew Kalin Chrystal, 25, and 26-year-old workmate Shelford Wilcox, who is from the Gisborne area but has been with Flaxmere-based contractor Farrell Chrystal for about five years.
On Tuesday they aim to set a three-stand, eight-hour strong wool ewes record, in the remote, generator-powered back-shed at Big Hill Station, up to an hour's drive west from Hastings through Maraekakaho and Kereru.
It's a currently unclaimed record but, at best, the trio could set an imposing target of more than 1600 for the day, with Wilcox's personal best of 630, at Kahuranaki Station, making him a potential challenger to the solo eight-hour record of 603 held by multiple record-holder and King Country gun Stacey Te Huia.
But it's the first record attempt for all three. World Sheep Shearing Records Society secretary Hugh McCarroll says judges Ralph Blue, from Australia, Colin Gibson, of Oamaru, and North Island trio Bart Hadfield, Mike Barnett and Ian Buchanan have the authority to call the bid off if the shearing quality is below set standards.
