Sport
9 October, 2024
Mudford to attempt solo shearing world record
Steven Mudford will attempt to break the solo nine-hour merino wether shearing world record this weekend.
Parts of this article were reproduced with permission from 2DU Dubbo (radio station).
Steven 'Muddy' Mudford, a local shearer, hopes to break the record for the number of merino weathers shorn in nine hours, in his third world sheep shearing record to date.
The current record of 418 was set by a New Zealand shearer in 1999.
“The record's been standing 25 years and it's one that won't be easy to beat,” said spokesperson and host of the event, Don Mudford.
Muddy has previously set two world shearing records.
“The first is a three-stand shearing record, so that's three shearers shearing and that was set in 2014. I think the tally was around 1289 for the three shearers. Then about three-years-ago, he set an eight-hour merino weather record.
“He holds those two records and if he's successful with this third record he’ll be to our knowledge the only one to have ever held three shearing records at the one time.”
Don says Steven is quietly confident of gaining his third world record but will need to shear one sheep every 76 seconds.
“He seems to be confident. We're a bit concerned that the sheep have got a bit too big so he'll tip over and drag out about 30 tonne of sheep for the day. It's a massive effort. He is confident and he needs to shear one sheep about every 76 and a half seconds for the nine hours to beat the record.”
Steven will attempt the record in multiple runs over a 12-hour period.
“It'll start at either 5 or 5:30am. He'll do a two-hour run the first run before breakfast and then he'll do four runs of one- and three-quarter hours each and he'll have a break in between each of those runs to rehydrate and have a bit of a rest. It'll be nine hours shearing in total for the day.”
The event will be overseen by referees from the World Sheep Shearing Records Society.
“There'll be five referees. The head referee will be from New Zealand with the World Records Society. They have to have referees from different countries at these records, and the referees - they'll be inspecting the sheep the day before - so the sheep need to cut four kilograms of wool. We’re trying to gauge that right so they've just got the four kilograms of wool. We don't want to give him any extra work than he has to do.
“There's a lot of rules with penning the sheep up and he has to handle his own hand piece and change his canes and cutters. This year's referees [will be] watching them in the pen and in out in front of where he's shearing and again after the sheep are shorn the sheep are inspected and they have to pass a certain quality.
“If there's any there's any cuts or any wool left on the sheep then they deduct that sheep from his tick count.”
“It's open to the public to come along and cheer him along and to help him get over the line. Especially towards the end of run, if he does look like getting the record, then he might need just to some cheering to get him over the line.
“Please don't bring any dogs out to the property, we don't want any startling the sheep or anything like that. All are welcome, come out and cheer Muddy along.”
The record attempt will be made at Parkdale, Collie Road, on the weekend.
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