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Sunday 8 June 2003 |
Australia Closes the Gap on World Wool Record
A team from Merriwa, NSW, took only 5 hours 33 minutes 30
seconds to handspin and knit a jumper from sheep's back to theirs
in a day to win this year's International Back to Back Wool Challenge;
just twenty four and a half minutes off the world record time
of 5 hours and 9 minutes set by the Shetland Isles in 1997.
They also smashed their own Australian Record time set last year
.
Twenty three teams of blade shearers, handspinners and knitters competed at seventeen different venues around the world in the ninth Challenge on Sunday 8 June 2003.
Each team consists of a blade shearer, a country of origin
sheep, seven handspinners (with spinning wheels), and knitters
who follow the identical Challenge rules and an
adult
size jumper pattern .
The teams not only promoted wool world wide, but also raised substantial funds for Cancer Research. The New South Wales teams of Merriwa & Maitland have raised well over five thousand dollars.
Countries competing with Australia this year included Canada, Japan and New Zealand.
| Results:- | Contact:- |
| First:- | NSW:- |
| Merriwa, NSW | Edith Shipway Ph (02) 6548 7201 |
| 5 hours 33 minutes 30 seconds | |
| Second:- | South Australia:- |
| Murray Bridge, South Australia | Maxine Lane Ph (08) 8532 3289 |
| 5 hours 53 minutes 22 seconds | Yvonne Daniel Ph (08) 8532 2788 |
| Third:- | Helen Richardson (08) 8388 9078 |
| Tanaka, Hokkaido, Japan | |
| 5 hours 58 minutes 25 seconds | |
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World record time:- |
5 hours 9 minutes, |
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Shetland Isles, 1997 |
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Australian record time:- |
5 hours 33 minutes 30 seconds, |
| Merriwa, NSW, 2003 |
| For further information contact:- | |
| Victoria:- | |
| Jean Jenkins Ph (03) 5159 1557 | Heather Stuart Ph (03) 5157 9210 |
| NSW:- | |
| Edith Shipway Ph (02) 6548 7201 | |
| South Australia:- | |
| Maxine Lane Ph (08) 8532 3289 | Yvonne Daniel Ph (08) 8532 2788 |
| Helen Richardson (08) 8388 9078 | |
| Tasmania:- | |
| Pam Stutton Ph (03) 6344 7579 | Helen Watts Ph (03) 6247 9372 |
| Overseas:- | |
| Wendy Dennis Ph (+61-3) 5233 6241 | Fax (+61-3) 5233 6338 |
| Australian Wool Showcase Inc. | Email: backtoback@primus.com.au |
| P.O. Box 34 ~ Birregurra 3242 | Victoria Australia |