New Zealand--Emily Welch, 27, has broken the official women's world record for shearing the most lambs in nine hours: 541 sheepExpert judges made sure there were no short cuts in the shearing, and in a country where 40 million sheep outnumber the humans by 10-to-1, it was a major item on the TV evening news bulletins.
Emily Welch has been training for the high-endurance record attempt for six months. She has been shearing professionally for six years and is the only female shearer in her gang, but has a rising profile on the competition shearing circuit.
The record was previously held by another New Zealander, Jills Angus Burney, who set the mark in 1989 in Bennydale. She says participating in an attempt like this is as exhausting as running a marathon.
Twenty-seven year-old Emily was taught by her father Philip Woodward, a local shearing legend. Emily has been shearing professionally for six years.
She is the only female shearer in her gang. Emily competes alongside men around the show circuit throughout the North Island and more recently Australia.
Emily Welch gained second place in the senior grade at this year's Golden Shears at Masterton, and sixth at the New Zealand championships in Te Kuiti.
Her most recent show was Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia where she controversially placed second in the seniors.
Welch, who began her bid at Waikaretu, south of Auckland, at 5 am, celebrated by having a sleep, TV3 said. Presumably, she did not need to count them.
Emily Welch has been training for the high-endurance record attempt for six months. She has been shearing professionally for six years and is the only female shearer in her gang, but has a rising profile on the competition shearing circuit.
The record was previously held by another New Zealander, Jills Angus Burney, who set the mark in 1989 in Bennydale. She says participating in an attempt like this is as exhausting as running a marathon.
Twenty-seven year-old Emily was taught by her father Philip Woodward, a local shearing legend. Emily has been shearing professionally for six years.
She is the only female shearer in her gang. Emily competes alongside men around the show circuit throughout the North Island and more recently Australia.
Emily Welch gained second place in the senior grade at this year's Golden Shears at Masterton, and sixth at the New Zealand championships in Te Kuiti.
Her most recent show was Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia where she controversially placed second in the seniors.
Welch, who began her bid at Waikaretu, south of Auckland, at 5 am, celebrated by having a sleep, TV3 said. Presumably, she did not need to count them.
Free video online of fastest female shearer Emily Welch world record
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/1464870?bandwidth=128k
Thanks from http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/1464870?bandwidth=128k
Thanks from http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/
