How a Scottish woman has set a world record for shearing sheep

A woman from the Scottish Borders has set a world record for shearing sheep.

Una Cameron, from St Bowells, managed to de-fleece 517 sheep in nine hours.

Her record-beating efforts were recorded in a live-streamed attempt of the solo women’s nine-hour strong wool ewe record held at Trefranck Farm in Launceston, Cornwall.

Una Cameron, 51, is from St Bosewells in the Scottish Borders | Borders College

Event organiser Huw Condron said Ms Cameron’s attempt was the equivalent of "running two marathons back to back".

The previous record was 458, which was held by New Zealand shearer Sacha Bond.

Ms Cameron smashed it by shearing an extra 59 sheep at the world record competition.

Shearing Romney sheep at Trefranck Farm in Cornwall, to get the required 3kg wool weight Ms Cameron tallied 113 in the opening run of two hours and followed with successive 1hr 45min runs of 105, 101, 104 and 94. | Borders College

To get the required 3kg wool weight for the competition, the new world record holder tallied 113 in the opening run of two hours and followed with successive one hour and 45 minute runs of 105, 101, 104 and 94.

Ms Cameron attended Borders College Newtown St Boswells to study agriculture, during which she first lifted a shearing handpiece. 

Now 51, she has been working as a professional sheepshearer on the world circuit for 29 years, shearing in sheds across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Norway.

With a support crew of around forty from the shearing fraternity from as far as New Zealand, the Falklands and Norway, Ms Cameron said she was delighted to accomplish her dream.

She said: "I had a wonderful team behind me and they believed that I could do it. 

“I was focused on passing the 458 mark, but always wanted to shear 500.

“I can't thank everyone enough, especially Matt and Pip Smith, who hosted the event on Trefranck Farm.”

The world record setter, who is the only woman to have made the coveted Top 30 at the Golden Shears in New Zealand, the world's most prestigious sheep shearing event, added: “I never thought I was good enough but my friends and peers from the industry have pushed me to attempt it, and with their support I knew I could do it.”

The record was overseen by a World Sheep Shearing Records Society referees panel including New Zealand official Ronny King, of Pahiatua, Mark Fox, England, Martyn Davies, Wales and Andy Rankin, from Loch Lomond in Scotland.