Three Hawke's Bay shearers (pictured) are out to join a long list of the region's record-breakers next week, but they must keep it clean.
The three are Errol Chrystal, 44, nephew Kalin Chrystal, 25, and 26-year-old workmate Shelford Wilcox, who is from the Gisborne area but has been with Flaxmere-based contractor Farrell Chrystal for about five years.
On Tuesday they aim to set a three-stand, eight-hour strong wool ewes record, in the remote, generator-powered back-shed at Big Hill Station, up to an hour's drive west from Hastings through Maraekakaho and Kereru.
It's a currently unclaimed record but, at best, the trio could set an imposing target of more than 1600 for the day, with Wilcox's personal best of 630, at Kahuranaki Station, making him a potential challenger to the solo eight-hour record of 603 held by multiple record-holder and King Country gun Stacey Te Huia.
But it's the first record attempt for all three. World Sheep Shearing Records Society secretary Hugh McCarroll says judges Ralph Blue, from Australia, Colin Gibson, of Oamaru, and North Island trio Bart Hadfield, Mike Barnett and Ian Buchanan have the authority to call the bid off if the shearing quality is below set standards.
The shearers accept that everything will have go right on the day, and they don't want to blow the near $5000 paid to the society to mount the attempt by seeing it called-off early.
At least 13 shearers from Hawke's Bay have put their names into the records since a trailblazing eight-hour lambs record by Hastings shearer Dion King in 2002, which was the first record attempt in the region in more than 20 years.
Trials set to start
The start of the Hawke's Bay sheep dog trial season is just six weeks away.
This season's programme is:
Jan 29-30, Waikoau; Feb 5-6, Okawa; Feb 11-12, Omakere; Feb 19-20, Te Pohue; Feb 25-26, Waimarama-Maraetotara; Feb 27-28, Takapau; Mar 3-5, Patoka (Centre Championships); Mar 11-12, Wairoa; Mar 18-19, Petane; Apr 2-3, Mohaka; Apr 15-16, Te Aute; Apr 22-23, Taradale. The North Island Championships start in Taranaki on May 2, and the South Island and New Zealand Championships are in North Otago, starting on May 30.