Stoney calls off bid

Napier shearer Steve Stoney was down but not out after calling off his world shearing record attempt on Friday less than a quarter into the nine-hour day during which he had hoped to shear more than 866 lambs.
The 41-year-old Stoney found the going tough right from the 5am start at Kahuranaki Station, east of Hastings, and with just 163 lambs completed after the two-hour run to breakfast, abandoned the attempt. At that stage he was already more than 30 behind the pace set by fellow Hawke's Bay shearer Dion King when he set the current record in 2007.
Judging convenor Mark Baldwin, of Australia, announced the end of the attempt, saying it had been a brave bid by Stoney but many things had gone against him, including cooler than expected conditions. He had actually shorn 166 lambs but the judges had rejected three.
Stoney, who shore 850 lambs in an uncontrolled day in the same shed a year ago, reckoned wife Kat would be more disappointed than he was.
"I'll have a couple of days off and reset the mind," he said in not ruling out making an attempt at another time, or even returning to competition shearing. He was third in the Golden Shears intermediate final in Masterton in 1989.
Amongst those watching at various times were King, new world and Golden Shears open champion Cam Ferguson, and contractor Jeff Dorset, who is organising a possible attempt on the nine-hour record by South Island-based Irishman Ivan Scott.