Shear feat of endurance for charity in 24 hour effort
A super-fast shearer from Mid Wales is set to swap speed for endurance as he attempts a mammoth 24-hour Shear-A-Thon to raise cash for a charity close to his heart.
Owen Davies, a 26-year-old from Presteigne, is taking on the challenge on Friday, June 14 with a target of raising £6,000 for the Welsh Air Ambulance, a charity which he says helped to save a member of his family involved in an accident last year.
He will attempt to shear as many sheep as possible in 24 hours – thought to be as physically demanding as running three full marathons back-to-back.
“I wanted to raise money but I wanted to do something different and push myself to the limit at the same time,” said Owen, who’s been training for the attempt since February.
“My training plan is really hard work. It includes a lot of endurance training, like biking between 80 to 100 miles a week and I have cleaned up my diet too, cutting out alcohol completely.”
Owen is well known on the shearing circuit, having sheared a lamb in just 28 seconds at a speed shear festival last August.
His charity shearing marathon is being held at Heartsease Farm, Knighton, Powys on Friday, June 14.
Owen will shear for 24 hours with breaks in between each run, with the whole event lasting 31 hours.
Refreshments will be available throughout the event with a licensed bar being there Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and evening.
Members of the public are invited to go along in support.
For more information go to the event’s Facebook page and to donate, visit Owen’s JustGiving page.
Report by Karen Compton
