Five King Country shearers have set a record with 3740 lambs shorn in nine hours.
From left, Delwyn Jones, Jack Fagan, Llion Jones, Kelly Brill and Reuben Alabaster between them set a new record. Photo: Shearing Sports NZ
The crew from Te Kuiti-based Fagan Shearing, aged between 18 and 35, began the effort at Te Pa Station at 5am on Wednesday.
Delwyn Jones, Llion Jones, Jack Fagan, Reuben Alabaster and Kelly Brill all beat their previous best, with their achievements establishing a nine-hour five-stands world strongwool lambshearing record.
The highlight of the day was Jack Fagan's total of 811 lambs.
That made him "the fastest Fagan on earth" according to his father Sir David Fagan, New Zealand's most successful competition sheep shearer, who 29 years ago to the set a solo record in Southland of 810 lambs shorn.
Fagan Shearing owner Neil Fagan said the idea for the record attempt began as a way to give the shearers an opportunity.
"They've shorn a long time for me, some of them, and it was just giving back to them.
"We thought if they all got 700 we'd be having a good day but they all went well above that so it's been an exceptional day in the end"
Jack Fagan had "an awesome day", he said. "We all knew he would go well but to do eight hundred in a multiple stand attempt is unusual and to go one better than his Dad, you can only be proud of him really."
"They all exceeded what we expected yesterday" - Fagan Shearing owner Neil Fagan
The final tallies were Jack Fagan 811, Reuben Alabaster 774, Delwyn Jones 729, Llion Jones 725, Kelly Brill 701, each hammering his previous best.