Scottish shearer Una Cameron, the only woman to reach the Top 30 Open-class quarterfinal shootout at the Golden Shears
in Masterton, is challenging one of the newest World records, at the age of 51.
The attempt on the solo women’s nine-hour strongwool ewes record of 458 set by New Zealand shearer Sacha Bond in
Southland last month will take place on August 7 at Trefranck in Cornwall, England, managed by award-winning farmer and
New Zealander Matt Smith, who holds the men’s record of 731 set on the property in 2016.
Cameron, who made the cut at the Golden Shears in 2010, and would have tried again earlier this month had it not been
for an injury that might have threatened the record attempt if aggravated, says age does not bother her, but nor does
the task, and, talked into doing the record, she’s not going to do it by halves.
With her record attempt confirmed by the World Sheep Shearing Records Society, Cameron is back in the UK, her bid is one
of four scheduled for the next few months in Australia and the UK, in the wake of eight attempts during the New Zealand
summer.
With English shearer Nick Greaves attempt on New Zealander Jack Fagan’s eight-hours strong wool lambs record previously
confirmed for England on August 3, records society secretary Hugh McCarroll, of Tauranga, confirmed two other
applications had been received for record bids in Australia in April and May.
The first will be on April 12 when 27-year-old Australia-based Luke Vernon – possibly already the most famous person
from Ettrick, Central Otago, just for trying - will tackle the men’s eight-hours merino ewes record at Pingelly, where
he is based about 170km southeast of Perth.
The current record of 497 was shorn on April 27, 2019, also in West Australia, by Australia-based Lou Brown, originally
from Hawke’s Bay.
Shearing successive two-hour runs of 120, 126, 126 and 125, Brown broke a record of 466 which had been shorn in 2003 by
Cartwright Terry, another Australia-based shearer from New Zealand.
The other attempt will be an historic first World women’s merino shearing record bid, with Jeanine Kimm, from Hill End,
north of Bathurst, out to establish a women’s eight-hours merino ewes record on May 4 at Dalkeith, Cassilis, NSW (about
360km northwest of Sydney).
All but one of the attempts in the New Zealand summer were successful, including new marks for all four women’s solo
strongwool ewes records at eight hours and nine hours.