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ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL REVEALED IN THE NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2013 BOOK

- TALLEST DOG EVER (STANDS AT 7 FT 4 IN)

- SHORTEST BULL (JUST 30 INCHES HIGH)

- TALLEST DONKEY (5 FT 1 IN FROM HOOF TO WITHERS)

Images to accompany story are captioned:

“A 3 year-old Great Dane called Zeus from Michigan, USA, is featured in the new Guinness World Records 2013 book, as the tallest dog ever, measuring 111.8 cm (44 in) from foot to withers.

“A 29 month-old bull called Archie from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is named the world’s shortest bull the new Guinness World Records 2013 book out today. He measures just 76.2 cm (30 in) from hoof to withers.”

“4-year-old Oklahoma Sam from Watsonville, California, USA, is crowned the tallest living donkey in the new Guinness World Records 2013 book out today. She measures 155.45 cm (61 in) from hoof to withers.”

13 September 2012 (London, UK) – Guinness World Records, the official authority on record-breaking achievement, today launches its 57th edition of the world’s best-selling copyright book, Guinness World Records 2013. The new book reveals the latest and greatest records in the universe, as well as featuring stunning new animal record holders, including Archie, the world’s Shortest Bull (30 inches (76.2 cm) from hoof to withers); Zeus, the Tallest Dog ever measured (44 inches (111.8 cm) from hoof to withers); and Oklahoma Sam, recognised as the Tallest Donkey (61 inches (155.45 cm) from hoof to withers).

Tallest Dog: Zeus (USA) – 111.8 cm (44 in)Zeus was the father of the gods in Ancient Greece, and his namesake, a 3-year-old Great Dane from Otsego, Michigan, USA, can today be referred to as the “father of the dogs” as he is announced as the Tallest Dog Ever, measuring an incredible 111.8 cm (44 in) from foot to withers: the same size as a donkey. Standing on hind legs, Zeus stretches to 7 ft 4 in and towers over his owner Denise Doorlag.

The humongous hound weighs 70.3 kg (155 pounds or 11 stone) and eats around 12 cups of food a day (equivalent to one whole 30-lb bag of food!) “Zeus is an awesome dog,” says owner Denise. “The only downside is that everything costs more; the food, medicines, transport. We had to get a van to be able to transport him, oh, and if he steps on your foot- he leaves bruises!”

Denise loves the reaction Zeus gets when the family takes him out: “The most common thing people ask is: ‘Is that a dog or a horse?’ and ‘Where’s his saddle?’ Zeus breaks the record of previous record-breaking pooch Giant George, who is 1-inch shorter, which makes Zeus the tallest dog ever recorded in history.

Shortest Bull: Archie (Northern Ireland) – 76.2 cm (30 in)Archie, a 29-month-old Dexter from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is today recognised as the Shortest Bull in the world. He measures just 76.2 cm (30 in) from the hoof to the withers, 15 inches shorter than other bulls of his breed (typically 45 in). His height means that he’s dwarfed by the other animals at his farm, including even the dogs and goats!

15-year-old student and farmer Ryan Lavery brought Archie at 5 months old and says that if it wasn’t for his small size, the bull’s fate would have been very different: “When we bought Archie, he was destined for beef. However, by Christmas time, he still hadn’t grown and because we had become so fond of him we decided to keep him. His size saved his life and now he’s going to live out the rest of his life as a pet.”

Archie may be small, but that hasn’t diminished his “bullish” temperament! Ryan explains: “Archie doesn’t realise that he’s so short. He thinks he’s the biggest in the herd and he’ll grunt and roar at the rest of them. He’s generally ok around the other farm animals like horses and goats, but if something agitates him, he’ll go for them – and even though he’s little, at 155 kg it can hurt”.

“It’s brilliant and amazing to have Archie in the new Guinness Worlds book”, says Ryan, who hopes that it raises the profile of the rare Dexter breed of cattle, which originates from southwest Ireland.

Tallest Donkey: Oklahoma Sam (USA) - 155.45 cm (5ft 1 in)A mule named ‘Oklahoma Sam’ is today celebrating being crowned the ‘Tallest Living Donkey’ on the planet. Measuring 15.3 hands (155.45 cm; 5ft 1in) tall, she dwarfs the common donkey (8 hands high) and her own larger ‘Mammoth Jackstock’ breed (12 hands high).

The 4-year-old record-breaker lives in Watsonville, California, USA, where she shares her one acre of land with a Macaw, duck, goose and four cats. The other animals, unfazed by Sam’s size, enjoy playing with the giant donkey, and when Sam isn’t chasing them around the farmland she can usually be found sleeping in an area of shade or nibbling on her bale.

Sam’s overall care is handled by 54-year-old Linda Davis, a keen gardener and animal lover. Linda, who calls Sam her “soul mate”, says: “It actually doesn’t cost anymore to have a donkey of this size. He doesn’t eat more. In fact, if I give him more bale he’ll just use it to make his bedding more comfortable. He loves his sleep” On the new record she says: “It’s fantastic to get the record. People are always shocked by his size and say it must be a record. Now I can show them the book!”

Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday says: “Guinness World Records 2013 reports on everything from space travel and epic engineering to sports and show-business but I just know that everyone’s going to fall in love with our new record-breaking animals.”

The latest edition of the world’s best-selling copyright book was first published in 1955 and has sold more than 120 million copies to date in over 100 countries. For more amazing animal world records, plus the latest records in science, nature, sport, entertainment and everything else, check out the new Guinness World Records 2013 Edition published today.

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Notes to editors: Other new extraordinary records to have made the book this year include:

Engineering

Heaviest Bicycle The heaviest rideable bicycle weighs 750 kg (1650 lb) and was built by Wouter van den Bosch (Netherlands) and ridden in Arnhem, Netherlands

Entertainment

Most Expensive Game ShowRed or Black (UK), a gameshow devised by Simon Cowell, had a budget of £15 million.

Environment

Largest CaveHang Son Doong (the name means "Mountain River Cave") is the world's largest cave. It is around 200 m (655 ft) high, 150 m (490 ft) wide and has a length of at least 6.5 km (4 miles). Son Doong is located in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam.

Human Achievement

Oldest GymnastJohanna Quaas (b. 20 November 1925, Germany) at the age of 86 years is a regular competitor in the amateur competition Landes-Seniorenspiele, staged in Saxony, Germany.

Society

Newest Independent CountryOn 9 July 2011, South Sudan peacefully seceded from Sudan following a January 2011 referendum. Sudan became the first state to recognize South Sudan one day earlier on 8 July 2011

Sport

Most Balls JuggledThe most balls juggled is 11 and was achieved by Alex Barron (UK), who managed 23 consecutive catches in what is known as a "qualifying” juggling run. This feat was achieved at Roehampton Squash Club, London, UK, on 3 April 2012.

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For more information please contact: Guinness World Records Press Office - Damian Field: 0207 891 4518 press@guinnessworldrecords.comAbout Guinness World Records:Guinness World Records (GWR) is the global authority on record-breaking achievements. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records™ book has become one of the biggest-selling copyright titles of all time, selling 120 million copies to date in 22 languages and in more than 100 countries. The internationally renowned brand is now also available across a number of platforms – GWR’s global television shows are watched by 250 million viewers annually; digital media and online record-processing services attract more than 50 million visitors a year; and the live events team annually entertains and inspires 1.5 million people around the world. GWR receives more than 1,000 applications each week and has a specialized team of multi-language record managers and adjudicators who travel the globe to verify official record attempts. GWR also has a commercial division (Guinness World Records Corporate) that offers accessible record-breaking business solutions to other organizations and brands.