New Zealander sheers 644 Cornish sheep for new world record

The brother of a Cornish farmer has broken the record for the number sheep sheared in a 8 hour period.

Rowland Smith sheared 644 sheep from four farms in Devon and Cornwall in two-hour stints between 7am and 5pm.

The whole event was streamed live online.

To be successful Rowland had to beat the current record of 605 ewes at Trefranck Farm, St Clether in Cornwall.

Leon Samuels from New Zealand originally held the ‘Eight Hour Ewe World Shearing Record’. Rowland successfully sheared each sheep in less than 47 seconds.

Rowland, 30, decided not to go head to head with his older brother Matt who lives in St. Clether and holds the 9 hour world sheep shearing record.

Rowland's attempt was being supported by British Wool, and had a team of 57 volunteers from New Zealand, England, Wales and Ireland to behind him to help, guiding the sheep into the pens and removing and wrapping the wool.

Overseeing the record attempt was a team of four world record judges from South Africa, New Zealand and Wales.

According to those close to the action, shearing 250 sheep is the equivalent of running a marathon - so Rowland did three.