Record all down to shear hard work

Emily Welch deals with a wriggling lamb on her way to the women's nine-hour lamb-shearing world record. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Emily Welch has broken the women's world record for shearing the most lambs in nine hours - a challenge that has not been attempted for 18 years.

The 27-year-old beat the record of New Zealander Jillian Burney, who sheared 541 lambs at Benneydale in the King Country in 1989.

Ms Burney was at Whitford's Woolshed in Waikaretu, west of Huntly, yesterday cheering Mrs Welch on.

By 3.35pm Mrs Welch had shorn 541 lambs and by the end of the event at 5pm, she had shorn 648.

Mrs Welch, who has been shearing professionally for six years, spent six months training for the record attempt.

She competes alongside men in competitions throughout the North Island and more recently Australia.

Her most recent show was in Warrnambool, Australia, where she came second in the senior division.

In the Masterton Golden Shears competition in March, she was second in the senior grade, and later that month she came sixth at the NZ Shearing Championships in Te Kuiti.

After yesterday's feat, Mrs Welch will move into the open class and compete alongside New Zealand shearing greats such as David Fagan, Paul Avery and Digger Balme.

Mrs Welch lives on a 12ha goat and cow farm with her husband, Sam, also a professional shearer, at Waikaretu.