Luke Vernon gets a hug from his second Michael-James Terry after setting the new ewe record. Image – Rocky Wegner.

NEW Zealand-born shearer Luke Vernon is officially a world record holder on his first attempt after shearing 500 Merino ewes in eight hours on Friday.

The 28 year-old has had his tally verified by the World Sheep Shearing Records Society Inc after a mammoth effort in the ‘Thornton Park’ shed near Pingelly in Western Australia.

Luke started his Friday aiming at the former record of 497 ewes shorn on April 27, 2019, also in West Australia, by Australia-based Lou Brown, originally from Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand. Shearing successive two-hour runs of 120, 126, 126 and 125, Brown broke the record of 466 shorn in 2003 by Cartwright Terry, another Australian-based shearer from New Zealand.

Luke managed to shear 120 in his first two-hour run and 125 in the second run to be slightly behind Brown’s half-day tally, and followed t5hat with 125 in the third run, but it was in the last run that he pulled out all stop to manage 130 ewes, five more than Brown in his last run.

Click here to see video and photographs of the record attempt on the official Facebook site. The invitation-only record attempt is closed to the public and an alcohol-free event.

Luke Vernon is urged on blow-by-blow by his second Michael-James Terry. Image – Rocky Wegner.