62 heavy horses pulled a 10,200 kg wool waggon in Barellan, Australia, setting a world record and reviving historic draft transport traditions.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, March 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Atlas World Records officially verified a new world record set at the Good Old Days Festival in Barellan, New South Wales, Australia, where a team of 62 heavy horses successfully pulled a fully laden wool waggon.
The record, titled Largest Team of Heavy Horses Hitched to Pull a Laden Wool Waggon, (“waggon” reflects the historic spelling used by the organizers), was achieved on October 4–5, 2025, and stands as one of the most logistically complex and visually striking demonstrations of traditional draft power ever recorded.
Organized by Barellan Working Clydesdales Incorporated, the attempt brought together fifteen spans of four horses abreast, with two horses in the shafts, forming a continuous team stretching approximately 76 meters in length. The horses were connected by nearly 500 meters of chain and worked in coordinated unison to move the load.
The waggon itself—a historic Bennett tabletop wool waggon originally built in New South Wales—was loaded with 32 bales of Merino wool, each weighing 200 kilograms. The combined weight of the waggon and cargo totaled approximately 10,200 kilograms (over 22,000 pounds).
Participating horses represented several traditional draft breeds, including Clydesdales, Percherons, Shires, Suffolk Punch, and Australian Draught horses. The team was contributed by multiple handlers and owners from across the region, reflecting a large-scale cooperative effort rooted in agricultural heritage.
Drivers Aleks Berzins, Bruce Bandy, and Steve Johnson directed the team using voice commands, while Shane Carroll operated the braking system to control the movement of the load. The team completed two full laps of the 800-meter track at the Barellan Showgrounds under continuous observation.
“This record is not just about scale—it’s about coordination, discipline, and trust between humans and animals,” said an Atlas World Records adjudicator. “Attempts like this demonstrate a level of planning and execution that leaves very little margin for error.”
Atlas World Records conducted a full verification review of the attempt, including analysis of continuous video documentation, photographic evidence, and measurement confirmation. The record has been officially certified and published.
Beyond its technical achievement, the record represents a revival of a historic mode of transport once central to Australia’s wool industry. Before the widespread adoption of mechanized vehicles, teams of draft horses were responsible for moving goods across vast rural distances.
Today, such large-scale coordinated teams are rarely assembled, making this achievement both a record-setting event and a preservation of cultural heritage.
The full story behind the record is available here.
Official record certification and verification details can be viewed here.
Atlas Press Team
Atlas World Records
press@atlasworldrecords.com
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