Taihape teen aims to break long-standing world shearing record

Reuben Alabaster is taking on a world shearing record set in 2012. Photo / Supplied

Taihape teenager Reuben Alabaster will tackle a world shearing record later this year.

Alabaster and Te Kuiti's Jack Fagan, who partnered in a five-stand world lamb shearing record five months ago, are now planning to go almost head-to-head in attempts to bring a solo record back to New Zealand.

Alabaster will tackle the strongwool lambs record on December 20 at Te Pa Station between Ohakune and Raetihi, and, whatever the outcome, Fagan will target the record again two days later at Puketiti Station, near Pio Pio.

At stake is the eight hours' record of 744 held for more than 10 years by Irish shearer Ivan Scott and set at Opepe Station, near Taupō, on January 9, 2012.

Under the watchful eye of an international panel of judges, including one watching online from Wales, Alabaster and Fagan were among a gang of shearers who set a five-stands record of 3740 in nine hours on December 22 last year, also at Te Pa Station.

Fagan topped the individual tallies on the day, shearing 811, one better than the personal best of father and global shearing legend Sir David Fagan, shorn 29 years earlier to the day. Alabaster, aged 18 at the time, shore 774.

The new record attempts were announced on the website of the World Sheep Shearing Records Society, which will again appoint international panels charged with monitoring the quality of the shearing and ensuring that all other rules are met.