Nick nabbed in time for show

The sheep, estimated to be 13 years old, has been nabbed after more than 11 years on the lam near Guyra in the State's New England and will get a clipping this weekend at the annual Guyra Show.

Wayne Mills and son James caught Nick on Tuesday, and the pair reckon he's at least 13 years old.

Nick’s mammoth woolly fleece may rival New Zealand’s Shrek, or even Samson the mighty Monaro wanderer who rammed Shrek’s title aside.

"Being Suffolk he won't have as much as the Merino sheep, but we measured the wool and it was 22 inches (55cm) long," Mr Mills said.

"I think when they shear him along the ribs they'll get even more wool off there."

Nick was last shorn on November 23, 2003.

"He's never escaped, just avoided shearing," Mr Mills said.

"It's pretty steep, hilly country so he can run and hide. He used to hide behind the blackberry."

He's in good nick considering his age. Nick still has six teeth and his wool is in fair condition considering so many years on the run.

"There's an old shed that we think he hides in and keeps dry, so he doesn't get wool rot or fly strike," Mr Mills said.

Catching Nick wasn't a huge job, but it still took the two blokes to lift him.

"We followed him down the hill with a couple of dogs and a motorbike. He's that fat and his wool's so heavy that he runs along like a mop.

"In the end he just gave up and we jumped on him, then it took two of us to lift him in a low trailer."

Nick was part of a small self-replacing flock which ran on the place when Mr Mills first leased it.

"We had a lot of wethers down there. The owner had them and we used to shear them and get the lambs at the same time."

He now has a mate, a first-cross Merino/Border Leicester ewe.

"She's been down there with him for three or four years now. We never worried about them. Every time we see them they run and hide," Mr Mills said.

"We just thought it'd be a good idea to get him in the show."

Nick will be shorn during the regular shearing competition on Saturday.