| 23 Shearers smash five-stand record Shearing began at 7am and continued through to 5pm. Sue Russell Having big visions and the power of collective energy worked a trick earlier this year when five shearers from Southland-based Forde Winders Shearing, set out to become record-holders of the five-stand eight-hour strongwool lamb shearing record. Between them, Trevor Holland, Max Winders, Trent Hewes, Ben Boyle and Josef Winders removed the wool from 3236 lambs at a shearing shed at the Grant brothers’ Campbell’s Block in the Hokonui Hills, west of Gore, under the intense scrutiny of seven World Sheep Shearing Record Society referees. To put this effort into context is hard to grasp. Working two hour runs on January 14th the team needed a combined average of at least 727.75 lambs shorn per run to break the existing record set back in 2015, by the Barrowcliffe shearing crew. Before the official record could be challenged a sample of lambs selected by the referees were shorn, to ensure they each produced a certain minimum level of wool weight when shorn. “Not just any farm could pull this off. Planning and preparation by the Grant brothers was a 12 months exercise. A five stand world record attempt is huge. Ensuring a pool of 4000 lambs at the right size, age and perfect weight of wool were ready takes world record smarts. “But this was not the Grant Brothers first rodeo. They hosted a two stand world record attempt just two months earlier and a single world record attempt two years before this,” says Forde Winders Shearing administrator Lana Winders. Preparation took over two years to pull together, with one year of training to build up strength and conditioning. “You have to train to a place where everything is all nice and strong in your body and to build up your cardio workout rate – that was a huge undertaking on its own,” says Max Winders. There are so many people to thank Lana says. The unqualified enthusiasm of Cameron Grant, who with his brother Robert, are extensive sheep and beef farmers in the district, was absolutely pivotal to the event’s success. Preparation of the shed took four major working bees beginning five months earlier as pens were modified to meet strict record regulations. The expertise of volunteer Shane Harvey was crucial. “He offered the shearing shed, provided the lambs and just helped in every way possible for the team to come together and be so well supported on the day,” says Lana. Choosing from a flock of 5000 lambs, reducing this number down to about 3,500, MEAT & WOOL » Cameron Grant - Shearing Record Smashed keeping the stock inside to ensure the wool wasn’t wet, took a massive amount of organising and effort. “We really wanted to ensure the sheep were of similar size and quality and were at the peak of their health,” Max explains. And building up to a day where so much energy would be expended needed careful monitoring and planning around nutrition. A six-month nutrition plan for each shearer where the very best proteins were consumed, brought each shearer up to peak performance for the day. Lana says a massive crowd of supporters and workers gathered for the event, bringing feverpitch energy into the shearing shed. “The crowd got boisterous and the boys needed it. They had to call on all their mental resilience to pull them out of the dark places they go to.” Max says following the first run the boys knew at that break that they were shearing to very good times and had every chance of beating the record During the shearing, each lamb shorn was checked over to ensure the cut was of the right standard. “They were checking to see we hadn’t left too much wool on each lamb.” Shearing began at 7am and continued through to 5pm. Individual run tallies were, first run 816, 811 on the second run 809 on the third run, ending with 800 in the final run. More than 20 bales were shorn in the day, estimated to be over 3.8 tonnes of wool. Asked what it felt like when the bell rang, Max says it was like riding the biggest wave. “Just to be able to see everyone’s faces was incredible as we knew we had it.” Preparation took over two years to pull together, with one year of training to build up strength and conditioning. Peter Chisholm 027 433 8943 • cmcadmin@xtra.co.nz Leigh McHaffie 027 454 5139 • Ag Manager 027 770 4182 CMC Recycling 027 371 7482 PETER CHISHOLM Mobile: 027 433 8943 Email: peterchisholm@xtra.co.nz LEIGH MCH Mobile: 027 454 5139 CULTIVATION Ploughing Discing Power Harrowing Cultivator Mole Ploughing Ripping BALING Mowing Mower Conditioner Tedding Raking Small Square baling Round baling – with variable chamber balers Baleage Combination baler Individual wrapper Tube Wrapper CARTAGE ON FARM USING TRACTOR TRAILERS CONTACT: CMC C NTRACTING CAN OFFER: SEEDING Fodder Beat precision sowing Direct Drill with rubber tyred roller Grass roller drill Heva 6m roller seeder Power harrow ridger combination DIGGER PETER CHISHOLM Mobile: 027 433 8943 Email: peterchisholm@xtra.co.nz LEIGH MCH M bile: 027 454 5139 CULTIVATION Ploughing Discing Power Harrowing Cultiv tor Mole Ploughing Ripping BALING Mowing Mower Conditio er Tedding Raking Small Square baling Round baling – with variable chamber balers Baleag Combination baler I dividual wrapper Tube Wrapper CARTAGE ON FARM USING TRACTOR TRAILERS CONTACT: CMC CONTRACTING CAN OFFER: SEEDING Fodder Beat precision sowing Direct Drill with rubber tyred roller Grass roller drill Heva 6m roller seeder Power harrow ridger combination DIGGER 42 BrownRoad, Invercargill, NewZealand 027 231 4299 admin@fwshearing.co.nz Forde Winders Shearing
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