If you think shearing a sheep in 20 seconds is fast - David Fagan can do it in 18.
The Te Kuiti shearing icon took out the top place at last night's 14th annual Farmlands Te Puna Speed Shear, successfully shearing a crutched and bellied lamb in the night's best time of 18.7 seconds.
David Fagan shearing a sheep in 18.7 seconds.
It's the 52-year-old's second victory this weekend, following a win in the Tauranga A&P Show's Open Final yesterday afternoon.
The A&P victory is David's 624th open-class win in 32 years in the shearing game. He blazed through 15 lambs in 11minutes and 31.2seconds.
It was almost a minute quicker than defending champion and contemporary Digger Balme, who was second to finish.
Digger was also second in last night's speed shear, while Welsh champion Gareth Daniel came in third.
Co-organiser John Dalziel says David beat out a record number of competitors from New Zealand, and a few from the Welsh Shearing Team.
As far as speed shearing goes, John says David's time was 'really good”.
He says organisers are all rapt with how last night's event went and estimates hundreds of spectators came along.
'They were coming and going all the time, but I reckon we peeked at about 300.”
The action began from 5pm, with shearers competing on an improvised stage – the deck of a curtain-side truck, outside the Top Shot Bar at Te Puna, where a marquee was set up for the audience.
About 70 to 80 sheep were on hand to be shorn in speed races against the clock and other competitors.
David, who received $2000 for his win, is flying to the United States today. He will be taking part in promotion work for Elder's Primary Wool's Just Shorn brand in Phoenix, Arizona, but plans to be back to compete at the Rotorua A and P Show at Ngongotaha next Sunday.
Check out more photos from the event here
Open results:
1st David Fagan 18.84
2nd Digger Balme 19.78
3rd Gareth Daniel 22.32
4th Adam Brausch 22.82
5th Matene Mason 23.78
6th Richard Jones 24.26
7th Russell Brown 28.36
8th Paerata Abraham 20.54DQ
9th Harvey Marshall 22.42DQ
Senior results:
1st Mel Tuhakaraine 25.74
2nd Keanu Sutton 26.66
3rd Casey Bailey 26.86
4th Haua Tuhakaraine 27.80
5th David Gordon 31.98
6th Tui Pene 27.24DQ
7th Craig Morton 27.38DQ
8th Gary Sobye 33.66DQ
Veterans results:
1st Andrew MacDonald 35.42
2nd Edwin Perry 39.96
3rd Jim McDonald 42.44
Best local:
1st Scott Gerke
2nd Simon Rose
3rd Craig Morton


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