Central North Island shearer Simon Goss claims solo world record

Simon Goss on his way to a new World shearing record at Te Pa station in the Central North Island on Monday. Photo / Supplied

The Everest of world sheep shearing records is back in New Zealand after an epic day in the Central North Island.

Shearer Simon Goss broke the solo nine-hours strongwool ewes record by a single sheep on Monday.

In the first attempt on the record of 731 set by New Zealander Matthew Smith in England nine and half years ago, Goss claimed the record-breaking sheep in the last minute to finish with a new record of 732.

Shearing at Ātihau-Whanganui Incorporation’s 4800ha Te Pa Station, between Raetihi and Ohakune, he opened the day ahead of the pace with 166 in the first two hours from 5am to breakfast, but tense moments followed as he shore successive 1hr 45min runs of 141 to morning tea, 140 to lunch, 144 to mid-afternoon, and finally 141 from 3.15pm to the end at 5pm.

The big drama came in the middle of the day when the four-man World Sheep Shearing Records Society had to bring-in the fifth umpire, using video replay to confirm Goss had made the last catch of the run before time was called.

One referee, Neil Fagan, of Te Kuiti, said it confirmed Goss made the catch “by less than a second”, enabling him to shear-out the ewe in what proved a single woolly one crucial to the outcome.

The referees had already rejected two sheep in that third run, but 29-year-old Goss bounced back for 144 after the noon-1pm graze, leaving him to get at least 141 in the run home, which he achieved about 20 seconds before the clock clicked over to 5pm.

The woolshed was packed, and thousands throughout the world watched a livestream, the drama evident to everyone throughout, but Goss, brother of women’s rugby legend Sarah Hirini, kept a remarkable cool, which was highlighted further when, dressed in T-shirt, shorts and jandals, he received the certificate from referees convenor, Australia-based New Zealander Steve Potaka-Osborne, about 45 minutes after the rope was pulled for the last time.

Smith had shorn runs of 164, 142, 142, 141 and 142 when he set the record on July 26, 2016 at Trefranck, which he farms with wife Pippa in Cornwall, and where he watched the livestream.

Heading Downunder later this month to represent England at the Golden Shears World Championships in Masterton on March 4-7, Smith said: “It was an amazing effort with the support of a very experienced team. I’m absolutely rapt for him and his team.

“It couldn’t have been broken by a more worthy gentleman,” he said. “To remain focused when things start to stray from the plan isn’t easy. I look forward to shaking his hand in a few weeks’ time.”

The record had been more than a year in the planning, with Goss already the co-holder of a two-stand lambs record set in January 2023.

The crew included contractor Rod Sutton, of Dannevirke-based Sutton Shearing, and who had similar drama when he broke the record with a last-seconds catch for a tally of 721 in a King Country woolshed in 2007.

Alongside them were fellow multiple records-breaker Justin Bell, of Weber, and other world record breakers were present in numbers.

The sheep had to be at least two years old and carry an average of at least 3kg of wool each, as determined in a sample shear that took place on Sunday afternoon.

Goss grew up near Kimbolton, in Manawatu, son of former Golden Shears Intermediate shearing champion Alan Goss and 2008 Golden Shears open woolhandling champion Ronny Goss. He went to co-educational Feilding Agricultural High School, which runs its own annual shearing competition and which has produced a remarkable collection of top rugby stars in recent years, including his sister and All Blacks Sam Whitelock, Aaron Smith and Codie Taylor.

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