Heat on shearing world record bid

Luke Mullins (left), Eru Weeds (rear), and James Mack who make a world shearing record attempt next Tuesday at Waitara Station, north of Te Pohue. Photo / Warren Buckland

Three shearers attempting to break a world record in a Hawke's Bay woolshed next Tuesday will get an early start in an attempt to avoid some of the possible heat expected in the woolshed.

The record bid at Waitara Station, off Brooks Rd, will start at 6am, with Taihape shearer Luke Mullins, Eru Weeds, from Ohai, in Southland, and James Mack, from Waikato, aiming to break the three-stand eight hours strongwool ewes record of 1347 established at Big Hill Station west of Hastings in December 2015 by Gisborne shearer Shelford Wilcox, and Kalin and uncle Errol Chrystal, of Napier.

In the third world eight-hour shearing record in a week, the bid will be managed by contractor Colin Watson Paul, of Flaxmere, with four runs from 6am-8am, 8.30am-10.30am, 11.30am-1.30pm and 2pm-4pm.

Hawke's Bay shearers, from left, Errol Chrystal, Kalin Chrystal, Shelford Wilcox in a break on their way to establishing a world three-stand record just over a year ago.

The record is one of the more targetable tallies in the World Sheeep Shearing Records Society book of solo and multi-stand records and will be a chance for farmer Lloyd Holloway's Waitara Station to return to the black type after Tuesday's breaking of a record shorn in his woolshed six years ago.

That was the two-stand eight-hours strongwool ewes record of 1066 shorn by brothers Rowland and Doug Smith on January 11, 2011.

On Tuesday at Te Hape, east of Benneydale on State Highway 30, Coel L'Huillier, of Te Akau, and Kelvyn Waler, of Taumarunui, broke the record by just two sheep.

L'Huillier, who in 2013 helped set a five-stand lambshearing record, shore successive two-hour runs of 134, 133, 135 and 135 for a total of 537, while record-attempt newcomer Walker shore 134, 130, 133 and 134 for a total of 531.

In the 2011 record, Rowland Smith shore runs of 141, 142, 140 and 139 for a total of 562, and Doug Smith's runs were 127, 129, 126 and 122, totalling 504.