NSW shearer Josh Clayton, who on Saturday makes his second attempt on the world eight-hour Merino ewe shearing record. Image – Rocky Wegner.

WORLD shearing record attempts will resume in 2020 this weekend with an attempt on the single-stand eight-hour Merino ewe record in Western Australia.

The World Sheep Shearing Records Society Inc. said New South Wales shearer Josh Clayton will attempt the solo eight-hour Merino ewe record of 497 — currently held by Louis Brown — at ‘Cowrabundie’, 200 South Road, Darkan, Western Australia. On Saturday Jan 18

Referees will be convener Eddie Archer from South Africa, with Mark Baldwin from NSW, Mike Henderson from Western Australia and David Brooker from South Australia.

NZ shearers set new three-stand lamb record

NSW shearer Josh Clayton, who on Saturday makes his second attempt on the world eight-hour Merino ewe shearing record. Image – Rocky Wegner.

Clayton’s record attempt follows the breaking of the world three-stand strong wool lamb shearing record by three New Zealand shearers on December 23.  Shearers Coel L’Huillier, Kaleb Foote and Daniel Langlands averaged more than 20 lambs every quarter-hour each to set a new mark of 1976, comfortably passing the previous mark of 1825 with about 40 minutes to go.

Shearing at Ingleby Farms’ Puketiti Station, the 33 year-old L’Huillier topped the individual tallies with 677, getting his name into the World Sheep Shearing Records Society’s books for a third time. Foote, a 25 year-old former New Zealand intermediate shearing champion, shore 667, and Langlands, 28, cruised past his goal of the first 600 of his career and finished with 632.

It was the second world shearing record broken in New Zealand in just over a fortnight, with Canadian shearer Pauline Bolay setting a new women’s eight-hour record of 510 lambs on December 7.

Into the last run, shearers in action from left, Kaleb Foote, Coel L’Huillier and Daniel Langlands. Image – SSNZ.

Clayton’s first attempt spoiled by weather

Shearing Sports New Zealand media officer Doug Laing said it will be the second record attempt by Josh ‘Wah’ Clayton, who has shorn regularly in New Zealand.

Clayton’s first attempt was on March 30 last year when poor weather contributed significantly to him falling 14 short of the then-previous record of 466 set by New Zealand-born Western Australian shearer Cartwright Terry in 2003.

Josh comes from Young, NSW, and shore separate two-hour runs of 114, 115, 115 and 108, to fall 14 short of mentor Terry’s mark, only to see another 31 added to the challenge with a new mark of 497 set by Australia-based, Hawke’s Bay-born Lou Brown on April 27 last year near Kojonup, also in Western Australia, with run tallies of  120, 126, 126 and 125. Brown averaged under 58 seconds a sheep and was the first to average under a minute a sheep in a Merino ewes or wether shearing record attempt, Mr Laing said.

The WA event will be followed by an attempt on the world four stand women’s nine-hour strong wool lamb shearing record on Thursday, 23 January by New Zealand shearers Sarah Higgins, Natalya Rangiawha and Megan Whitehead from Gore, and Amy Silcock from Tiraumea. The attempt will take place at Waihi-Pukawa Station, SHW 41, Omori, Turangi, NZ. Referees will be convener Arwyn Jones from the United Kingdom, with Ian Buchanan, Bart Hadfield, Paul Harris, Robert McLaren, Neil Fagan and Ronnie King.

Harder to also attempt eight-hour Merino ewe record

WA shearer Ethan Harder. Image – Facebook.

Western Australian shearer Ethan Harder will also attempt the solo eight-hour Merino ewe record on Saturday 15 February at AD South & Co, 4639 Gibbs Road, Cordering, Western Australia. Referees will be convener Ian Buchanan from New Zealand, with Mike Henderson, Peter Artridge and Ralph Blue.