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Cornwall sheep farmer Matt Smith smashes shearing world record

Mark Astley 27 July 2016
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© Jim Wileman© Jim Wileman

Matt Smith has smashed the nine-hour sheep shearing world record, beating the previous tally by 10.

New Zealander Matt, a Farmers Weekly Farmer Focus writer, sheared a total of 731 sheep today over five runs between 5am and 5pm – beating the record of 721 set by fellow Kiwi Rodney Sutton in 2007.

Matt, who runs 1,085 breeding Romneys and Romney cross Lleyn ewes on 121ha in Bodmin, Cornwall, with his wife Pip, was the first person ever to attempt the feat in the northern hemisphere.

See also: Record attempt sees fields white with sheep

He got off to a roaring start, shearing a total of 164 in his first two hours, and another 142 between 8am and 9.45am.

He matched this tally in his third run, getting though another 142 sheep between 10:15am and noon.

In his fourth run, which ran from 1pm to 2.45pm, Matt sheared 141, leaving him nine ahead of the existing record with one round of shearing to go.

Matt again got through 142 sheep in the final round, taking his total up to 731.

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