SHEARER’S RECORD

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28766, 11 December 1958, Page 14

SHEARER’S RECORD

470 Lambs Shorn In Day (New Zealand Press Association) GISBORNE, December 10. A Manutuke shearer, Mr Mahunga Horsfall, yesterday shore 470 lambs in a regular working day at the Parikanapa Station, eclipsing the figure recently set by Mr Jim Morris, of Okautete, on Waiere Station, near Masterton. His performance was certified by Mr H. Maynard, an experienced contractor, and Mr J. Nelson, the owner of the property, who watched throughout the day and timed, the various work periods. The new record-holder is 26, of medium height, but strongly built, hitherto better known for his performances on the Rugby field as a representative hooker for Poverty Bay and Tarawhiti Maori district teams than for his work in shearing sheds. He has regularly maintained figures considerably more than 300 a day on grown sheep and is one of several Maori shearers whom Poverty Bay farmers believe could give an unbeatable team display in open competition. In the first two hours Mr Horsfall shore 102 lambs and in subsequent periods of one hour and three-quarters each he tallied 93, 95, 90, and 90, with an aggregate of 470.

e Mr Horsfall worked on wellgrown Romney lambs carrying a good growth of wool. No selection Was permitted and he caught his own lambs in the pen opposite his stand in the six-stand shearing floor. All the lambs shorn by Mr Horsfall were turned off the blades in good style and with no bad cuts.