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HomeFarming NewsFagan sets new 8-hour shearing record
Catherina Cunnane
Catherina Cunnanehttps://www.thatsfarming.com/
Catherina Cunnane hails from a sixth-generation drystock and specialised pedigree suckler enterprise in Co. Mayo. She currently holds the positions of editor and general manager at That's Farming, having joined the firm during its start-up phase in 2015.
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Fagan sets new 8-hour shearing record

Jack Fagan has rounded off 2022 on a historic high by setting what is believed to be a new 8-hour strong wool lamb world record attempt at Puketit Station earlier today (Thursday, December 22nd, 2022).

According to the official tally board, the King Country shearer’s count stood at 754 head.

His performance resulted in him breaking a solo world eight-hour strong wool lamb shearing record, set by Reuben Alabaster earlier this week.

Fagan’s average was just under 38.32 seconds a lamb caught, shorn and dispatched at Ingleby Farms’ Puketiti Station, west of State Highway 3 township Piopio.

Fagan’s scoreboard:

  • 1 – 7:00am-9:00am – 191;
  • 2 – 9:30am-11:30am – 182;
  • 3 – 12:30pm-2:30pm – €190;
  • 4 – 3:00pm-5:00pm – 190.

The pace was a step up from the 176 he shore in the two-hour 5 am-7 am run at the start of a five-stand record a year ago.

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He finished with 811 in nine hours, an average of 90.111 per hour.

He claimed the world record title from Reuben Alabaster, who set it just two days previously with 746 sheep, smashing Ivan Scott’s previous record of 744.

According to a spokesperson for Shearing Sports New Zealand, today’s record comes three decades to the day after Fagan’s father, the now Sir David Fagan, shore 810 in establishing a new nine-hour record.

The non-profit organisation added that this is the “ultimate goal in world records shearing”.

It stated that the nine-hour record now stands at 872, and Jack Fagan shore 811 during a five-stand record 12 months ago.

Fagan’s words

Fagan – who has spent twelve seasons shearing sheep worldwide – began preparing for the record in the spring of this year with British-based health and fitness coach, Matt Luxton.

Ahead of the attempt, he told Today FM in New Zealand,

“I have been training since March 12th and gave up drinking coffee in August. I am running into the season pretty hot.”

“Having done this for so long, I think you become good in all areas. The competition is very quality-based and very hard.”

“The record is more of a job where the farmer looks at the sheep and gives the thumbs up to say that it is definitely acceptable. So the standard is a little different, but the intensity is a lot more.”

“The record is essentially the equivalent output running two marathons back to back,” concluded Fagan, who has shorn over 500,000 sheep.

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