A world record attempt turned into world domination for 29-year-old Sacha Bond at Fairlight Station on Saturday, Bond claiming the women’s title for most strong wool lambs shorn in eight hours.
Smashing the 2019 record held by Canada’s Pauline Bolay, Bond shore 601 lambs, soaring past Bolay’s 510 with more than an hour to go.
Watched by a solid support crew, plenty of eager sponsors and world record referees, the New Zealand shearer managed to keep her average time under 50 seconds per sheep throughout each of the four runs.
More than 50 relatives, friends and spectators packed into the northern Southland woolshed in 31degC heat to witness the spectacle, and they were treated to focused, precise and consistent technique.
Hundreds more tuned in through a Facebook livestream.
Some onlookers jokingly said Bond looked so calm and strong the spectators seemed sweatier than the athlete.
Each of the first three runs saw Bond shear 150 lambs, before she ploughed through another 151 in the final two hours.
When she hit 511 to set a new record at around 3.45pm, cheers erupted from the shed and likely spooked cattle in the surrounding paddocks.
The shouts and applause did not stop until well after 5pm, when the clippers were turned off and Bond embraced her team, including her baby daughter, and world record-holding partner Coel L’Huillier.
Bond thanked everyone for their support after the massive effort, saying it had been a day of ups and downs.
She said the day and its lead-up came with sacrifice and at a cost, crediting her sponsors, support team and whanau for pulling it all together and pushing through.
Celebrations were wrapped up with a barbecue and beers, and the new record-holder looked to remain so for as long as possible.
