| PRESS
RELEASE - 6/4/05
.Dwayne Black raised a merino shearing record set by Dion Morrell near Tarras, New Zealand in 1997 - the first time ever a record set in New Zealand has been broken in another country. It was Black's second attempt at the record in just over a week. He abandoned his effort at lunchtime on Easter Monday when unseasonably cold weather adversely affected the condition of the sheep. Black's tussle with the weather continued all week, with parts of Western Australia receiving days of torrential rain and cold temperatures. Eight and a half inches fell on the farm where the record was held and thousands of freshly shorn sheep - including 800 on the farm of the record attempt - died in the storm. When the sheep were eventually dry and able to be shedded up on Monday night, April 4th, Black knew he was going into the attempt with the condition of the sheep "something like a lottery" but chose to tough it out in pursuit of a place in shearing history. A mentor and his record "second" for the day, New Zealander Edsel Forde, said from Kojonup last night, Tuesday night it was Black's long and thorough physical preparation, combined with an exceptionally strong will, that got him through. "He finished very strongly, it was a pretty gutsy effort," said Forde, who travelled from the Waikato to support Black. "When you are shearing merino sheep - more so than when you are shearing crossbreds - your mind is under constant attack. There's no set pattern to how they come through," he said. The record was shorn according to rules set down by the NZ-based world shearing records committee. It was a truly international event though, with judges from three countries - Stu Weir (Southland NZ), Bernie Walker (Victoria, Australia) and Hendrik Botha (South Africa). Stats: Run totals - 112, 103, 98, 99, 101 for 513.- Average quality rating: 16.61 - Average Wool weight 4.37kgs - Sheep shorn and not counted: 1. Hours worked: Standard nine hour shearing day beginning at 5am, finishing at 5pm. Kerry McGawley a Sports Clinician of University of West Australia took statistics on Dwayne which included, Blood tests, weight, internal temperature, body temperature, heart rate before during and after each run. Urine samples and food and drink consumed were also taken to be analysed which may find trends that could help in the future for any super performing athletes. Dwayne lost over 16 litres of sweat during the long hard day He now has lighter training until July when the hard training starts again to get ready for another 8 or 9 record attempts over the spring, summer and the autumn period into 2006 Major sponsors:
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| PRESS
RELEASE - 31/3/05
Dwayne Black, a 31-year-old Esperance-based shearer, will repeat his record attempt hoping for a better mix of luck and weather conditions than that which thwarted his last effort |
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| PRESS
RELEASE - 27/3/05
Dwayne Black, a 31-year-old Esperance-based shearer, will repeat his record attempt next Saturday April 2nd, hoping for a better mix of luck and weather conditions than that which thwarted his effort today. Unpredicted rain fell on near Kojonup overnight before the record and the weather turned unseasonably cold, making defleecing the required number of merino ewes within the remaining allowed time an unrealistic task. “We have no doubt we’ve got the right shearer and the right sheep,” said Black’s father and record organiser Peter Black, “so we have no hesitation in trying again.” “This is certainly a setback, but it’s also a timely reminder just how hard it is to break a shearing record. Dwayne shore 104 the first run, 95 and 92 the next 2 runs with some sheep taking close to 2 minutes and others under 50 seconds” Dwayne Black was attempting to break the world merino ewe nine-hour record of 507 set by Dion Morrell near Tarras in New Zealand’s South Island in 1997. Black is already the holder of three official world shearing records – nine-hour merino lamb, eight-hour merino lamb and, with Troy Stansbury (Opotiki, NZ), the two-stand eight-hour merino lamb. CONTACT: email: pb@shearingworld.com Information: www.shearingworld.com - www.blackpowered.com |
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PRESS
RELEASE - 15/3/05 Esperance shearer Dwayne Black will take a brave step into the unknown during Easter week when he tries to break two world shearing records with just six days between attempts.
If
successful, he will become the first person in the world to hold more
than three official shearing records at one time.
Dwayne
(31) could also heat up an already healthy trans-Tasman rivalry as he
stands to become the first shearer to move a record set in New Zealand
to another country. But
just as significantly Black’s audacious attack on two records in a
week will turn traditional shearing record wisdom on its ear, regardless
of his outcome. In
the shearing world there exists a universal acknowledgement of anyone
who “has a go” at a record. Even
by hardened shearer’s standards, the physical and mental toll is
accepted as very high; therefore attempting more than one record in a
year is rare. The
effort will provide researchers with a unique insight into a human body
under extreme physical and mental pressure.
His vital statistics will be monitored and recorded by a faculty
member of the University of Western Australia’s School of Human
Movement and Exercise Science. A
former business studies student at the university, Dwayne’s
measurements in areas like internal core temperature, heart rate, body
weight and nutrient intake will be regularly recorded and a series of
blood and urine samples will be taken. Dwayne
Black’s assault on the nine-hour merino ewe record on Easter Saturday
near Kojonup (WA) will be his second record shear this season – in
October he set a new nine-hour merino lamb record – and the following
Saturday, April 2, he will make an attempt on the eight-hour merino ewe
mark. Both attempts will be
shearing the Merinotech ewes on the property of Nick and Jane Trethowan. The
existing nine-hour ewe record of 507 has been held in New Zealand since
1997 by highly respected Kiwi shearer Dion Morrell.
If Black betters Morrell’s mark there will be special meaning
for both men. Black, a son
of internationally recognised shearer training guru Peter Black, shore
alongside Morrell on his first trip to New Zealand as a learner shearer
in 1994. A friendship was
born and, along with his father, Dwayne Black went on to join the big
team that summer which assembled to set up Morrell’s successful
crossbred ewe shearing record. Dwayne still rates Dion Morrell as one of
his greatest inspirations, both technically and in his approach and
attitude to top-level shearing. Another
who holds the same level of respect of Dwayne Black is the man he and
Morrell worked for in that New Zealand season together, Edsel Forde. Forde,
a former world record holder and top competition shearer for New
Zealand, continues to support Dwayne and will do so again at Easter. Each
time Dwayne attempts a record Forde flies in from New Zealand to act as
Black’s vital “second”, timing him and talking him through
whatever the unpredictability of a record day can throw at even the best
prepared shearer. Dwayne
Black’s preparation for his unprecedented record challenge, aside from
years of hard shearing to hone his body and mind, has been thorough and
is ongoing. As well as a
special diet and programme of exercises, weights and cardio work,
Dwayne, a father of three, surfs for both fitness and enjoyment. A
shearing record could not take place without officials and sponsors and
in this the international flavour of Dwayne Black’s endeavours will
continue. Amongst
the judges assembled by the World Shearing Records committee for
Black’s two Easter attempts will be South African Hendrik
Botha and New Zealander Stu Weir, Bernie Walker of Victoria, John
Auld and Gary Gilmore of WA The
Guinness book of World records camera crew will be in attendance and
Dwayne will also be a guest on the Andrew Denton show “Enough Rope”
on ABC television on March 28th 2005 A
free coaching clinic will be held on Easter Monday 28th
March, 2 days after the record at the same shed.
Any shearers, would be shearers, woolhandlers, or interested
people can get advice from Shearing Industry Consultants shearing and
woolhandling coaches available on the day. Dwayne
Black, Edsel Forde, Peter Black, Mike Henderson, Rita and Steve
Potaka-Osborne, Deb Chandler, Derald King and Steve Thompson are some of
the coaches available. Sponsors
of Dwayne’s attempts include www.shearingworld.com,
and two Australian-based companies that sell their products worldwide - Supershear, a shearing equipment company and
TopGun, which sells
clothing and other shearing supplies. Other
sponsors include Potaka-Osborne Shearing, Henderson
Shearing, Tasman
Shearing, Local
Esperance business sponsors include, SoilsPlus, Xanadu Farm, Matthews
Enterprises, Topsigns, Shed
directions will be sign posted on the day. Photos
and more information available on www.blackpowered.com Any
further enquiries email: pb@shearingworld.com
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