Jack Fagan breaks eight-hour strong wool lamb shearing world record

Jack Fagan on his way to breaking the eight-hour strong wool lamb shearing record. Photo / Supplied

King Country shearer Jack Fagan has set a new solo eight-hour strong wool lamb shearing world record, beating Reuben Alabaster’s tally set just two days ago.

Fagan, who trains to shear sheep in under 20 seconds in mainly-charity speed shear events, shore 754, with an average of just under 38.32 seconds a lamb caught, shorn and dispatched.

Fagan shore successive two-hour runs of 191, 183, 190 and 190 at Ingleby Farms’ Puketiti Station, west of State Highway 3 township Piopio.

On Tuesday, Taihape teenager Reuben Alabaster shore 746 at Te Pa Station, about 20 km southwest of Ohakune.

Alabaster broke Irish gun Ivan Scott’s record of 744, which was shorn near Taupō in January 2022.

In turn, Scott beat the previous record by Hawke’s Bay shearer Cam Ferguson, who shore 742, a few months after he won the 2010 World Championships final in Wales.

The record has progressed by 58 over the last 29 years since former Golden Shears Open champion Dion King shore 695 west of Napier in 2002.

Yesterday’s record came 30 years to the day after Fagan’s father, the now Sir David Fagan, shore 810 and established a new nine-hour record – the ultimate goal in world record shearing.

The nine-hour record now stands at 872, and Jack Fagan shore 811 during a five-stand record 12 months ago.