744 Lambs in 8 Hours
Ivan Scott ~World Record Sheep Shearer
Ivan secured a world record title in Jan 2012 shearing 744 lambs in 8 hours. Ivan, from Kilmacrennan, just outside Letterkenny in Donegal is the only man ever in the northern hemisphere to achieve such a claim. During the past 11 years since starting to shear Ivan has also picked up many national and international awards and achievements including 7 successful All Ireland wins as well as numerous speed shear events in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
We caught up with him to hear his story.
From 16 years of age I worked on the family farm. Then I started shearing around the country. When I was 20 I went to New Zealand to do a farm placement as part of my agriculture course for 3 months. I liked it over there and enjoyed shearing sheep so I ended up staying there for 6 months the first time. Then I came back home for the shearing season here in Donegal and neighboring counties. I began getting better and better and have been going over and back to New Zealand now for more than 11 years.
I never thought I would get this good at it. I have been very dedicated and I have worked hard at it but at the start I had no idea what was possible for me. I guess I am a pretty competitive person so somewhere in the back of my mind I probably would have thought it would be nice to win the all Ireland some day. Little did I know that a world record was in sight just a few years later.
Usually I used to come home to Ireland for the summer months, and concentrate on building the shearing run in Donegal and surrounding counties, so that one day I can settle down here. In recent years I have spent a lot more time in Ireland. This year I went to New Zealand in November and just returned in late March. Since then I have spent time with my fiancée Hazel in Mayo and helped out during the busy lambing season on the family farm. One day I hope to return to Ireland permanently and settle but for the moment I really enjoy the different experiences from shearing throughout the world and following the shearing seasons.
I achieved an outstanding world achievement record in Jan 2012, having first broken it in December 2008 when I shore 736 lambs in 8 hours. In 2010 this record was beaten by 6 but I managed to get the record back in 2011.
The long term plan is to still stay shearing and complete in the up- coming shows in Ireland this year. It makes me proud that the world championship of shearing is coming to Gorey in Wexford this year. This is the ultimate competition for shearing so for Ireland to be recognised in this regard is a great honour. I am thrilled to be representing my country and captaining the Irish World sheep Shearing Team.