Blood clipper Megan Whitehead sets new world record

Blood clipper Megan Whitehead broke the world record for the nine-hour strong wool lamb shearing record for solo women.

Whitehead started at 5 a.m. and just before 5 p.m. had equaled Waikato clipper Emily Welch’s record of 648 that shipped in 2007.

She kept shearing until 5 in the afternoon and that’s when she was about to set a new record.

His final count was 662.

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As he approached 5 PM, the crowd at the shearing shed chanted “Megan, Megan, Megan” and gave him a standing ovation as the last shorn lamb came down the ramp.

He gave his father, Quinton, a big hug after putting down the handpiece. He has been with her all day supporting her.

Jills Angus Burney, who set the original record of 541 lambs in January 1989, then set a new shearing record of 614 has been in Gore watching Whitehead’s attempt.

She hosted Whitehead when she set the four-seat women’s world record of 2,066 lambs in 2020.

“He’ll break it,” Angus Burney said at the afternoon tea break.

It’ll do 668 or 670 with the way it goes. ”

Whitehead had been plagued with cramps at the first stop in the morning, probably from drinking water that hadn’t had time to settle, Angus Burney said.

He’d had trouble with the gear before lunch and slowed down a bit, but he was in his early 20s by the afternoon tea break.

“The pressure is no longer on her because she won’t have to push for it.”

In the morning sessions, he had been averaging about 47 seconds per sheep, but had dropped a bit to about 48.5 seconds before lunch.

His cut quality was exceptional, said Angus Burney.

“He had a disqualified sheep this morning, but that’s it. It’s fantastic to watch, he just has a demeanor that is really calm, resilient and focused, and he’s so clinical and efficient.”

Whitehead’s father, Quentin, was her second, leaning over the railing in the wool shed to talk to her during each session.

“He has been an amazing trainer for her at all times. He is allowed to talk to her and cheer her on, but he is not allowed to touch the sheep.”

The sheep was well prepared and “in good shape,” he said.

Whitehead had a great future in the industry and another cutting record was not out of his grasp, Angusburne thought.

“He’s only been shearing for five years and he stands out in the caliber of the best young male clippers in the industry.

The wool shed has been packed with fans, cheering her on towards the end of each break.

Emily Welch is also in Gore watching Whitehead.

She wasn’t really sure how she was supposed to feel, but she said she had held the title for 13 years, which was more than she thought.

“It’s a huge challenge to break it, he’s having a great day … the records are made to beat and challenge the next person and I think he definitely has.”

She wasn’t sure if she would take up the challenge again if the record was broken.

“You never know. It would have to be a serious conversation if it worked or not, what you have to sacrifice is quite big.”

Whitehead, only 60 kg and handling 34-36 kg lambs each at a speed of less than 50 seconds each, aims for 153 in the first two hours for breakfast and successive 1 hour 45 minute runs of 132, 126 and 125 races.

A great team was helping out in the shed, including Quentin Whitehead, monitoring the watch near his daughter’s side throughout the day, and Southland shearing legend and New Zealand multi-rep Nathan Stratford looking after his equipment.

At his home near Te Kuiti and watching via live broadcast, Sir David Fagan, who was the first man to set the record for a solo shearing of 748 sheep in 1985, had been watching Whitehead’s attempt ever since it began. at 5 am.

“She is going to break it. And if anyone is going to break it again, it will be her. “

It was brilliant that people like Whitehead were taking on these challenges, he said.

“It’s been going on since the beginning of time, setting records, and it’s no different in the world of shearing.

“It is a challenge that is truly incredible, there is nothing like challenging yourself like Megan is today.”

It would be difficult for people to understand what it took to attempt a world record and it would probably never be understood unless they were doing it themselves, he said.

“It’s incredibly difficult what he’s doing, shearing at full speed all day like this, it’s very demanding on the body both mentally and physically. But that’s what makes it so much fun.”

He believed that what had changed in shearing over the years was fitness, diet, and fluid intake that would affect her.

“At the moment, I think there is only one woman who would break her record, and that is her if she decides to do it again.”

Before the attempt, Whitehead told Stuff that while she was nervous, she was also quite excited.

• 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. – First run (2007 count: 144) (2021 attempt: 153)
• 7 am to 8 am – breakfast
• 8:00 am to 9:45 am – second race (2007 count: 125) (2021 attempt: 132)
• 9.45 am to 10.15 am – morning tea
• 10.15am to 12pm – 3rd race (2007 count: 123) (2021 attempt: 126)
• 12:00 to 13:00 – lunch
• 13: 00-14: 45: 4th race (2007 count: 127) (2021 attempt: 125)
• 2.45 to 3.15 p.m. afternoon tea
• 15:15 to 17:00 – final race (2007 count: 129) (2021 attempt: 126)

To see the record attempt, watch the live stream here.

Gore’s Whitehead comes from a shearing family with her mother Tina, a former shearer, and her father Quinton, along with a great team, supporting her for the attempt.

There will be three umpires in the Gore shed and a lead coordinator in New South Wales, as world record attempts must have an international official.

Whitehead already holds a world record as a joint holder of the four-seat women’s record of 2,066 lambs set in the central North Island on January 23, 2020.

There he made a personal best shearing of 608, the best of the day and an average of 67.56 an hour.

Whitehead averaged 53.3 seconds per sheep.

A regular work day involves shearing about 400.