A New Zealander is on course to break a world record by shearing over 605 ewes in eight hours in the UK today, July 24.

Rowland Smith is challenging the ‘Eight Hour Ewe World Shearing Record’ at Trefranck Farm, St Clether in Cornwall.

The current record of 605 ewes was set by Leon Samuels, from New Zealand’s south island, in February of this year.

In order to claim the title, Smith will have to shear each sheep in less than 47 seconds; he will be shearing in four 2-hour runs. The event is being streamed live online.

The world record attempt got underway at 7:00am this morning and will finish up at 5:00pm this evening. Smith was afforded a half-hour break after his first and third run; he was granted an hour-long break after his second run.

Currently, Smith is halfway through his fourth and final run. In each of the first three runs, the New Zealander sheared 161 sheep.

After six hours, Smith had sheared a total of 483 ewes; which equated to one ewe being sheared every 45 seconds.

This meant that, going into the final stint of the challenge, he would have to shear 123 ewes to surpass the current record of 605.

shearing

Smith has sheared 161 ewes in each of his first three runs

Throughout the day, Smith has been supported by British Wool and has had a team of close to 60 volunteers from New Zealand, England, Wales and Ireland to help and encourage him throughout the event, driving sheep forward into the pens, as well as removing and wrapping wool.

It is expected that the record attempt will be overseen by a team of four world record judges from South Africa, New Zealand and Wales.

If Smith can continue on current form and break the current record, it will be that this would be the fifth time that the record has been broken in the last 11 years. The record stood at 560 ewes in eight hours in 2008.