A feral crossbred ewe with extremely long wool could soon become the stuff of legends when she is shorn for the first time on Sunday.
The animal was captured on a remote bluff in the Mapiu district south of Te Kuiti, by Amie Ritchie and Carla Clark.
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Named Suzy by her captors, the ewe is believed to have never been shorn.
Suzy's first shearing will take place in Masterton at The Wool Shed, the national museum of sheep and shearing.
She will be hand-shorn with blade shears by world record holder Peter Casserly, who also did the honours for Shrek, the famous merino sheep discovered at Bendigo Station in 2004.
"We'll be putting Suzy forward to the Guinness Book of Records," said Gavin Tankersley, chairman of the trust that administers The Wool Shed.
"We aim to establish a record for the longest staple of wool ever shorn from a sheep," he said.
However the world record could be a big ask for Suzy.
While she has an enormous fleece, Suzy is a crossbred sheep, so her total fleece weight is unlikely to beat the world record, which favours the merino breed.
The weight record was initially claimed by Shrek and is now held by 'Chris the Sheep', from Canberra, Australia.
The event will take place at 1pm on Sunday, October 14, at The Wool Shed on 12 Dixon Street, Masterton.
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