Shear brilliance - Una shears 517 to achieve new world record

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Scottish sheep shearer, Una Cameron, who is the only woman to qualify in the top 30 at the coveted Golden Shears in Masterton, New Zealand has smashed a World record set by Kiwi Sacha Bond in Southland, New Zealand on February 9th this year.

Fifty-one year old Una has certainly not let her age define her, she has been in training for the past year, lost three stones in weight and honed her shearing skills gained over the past three decades. She triumphantly surpassed Sacha Bond's tally of 458 by four in the afternoon, giving her an hour on the clock to raise the Solo Women's Nine Hour Strong Wool Ewe Record by 59 to a staggering tally of 517.

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

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

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Una shearing

Una, also achieved the British Record.

Gareth Jones, Head of Member Engagement, British Wool said: “On behalf of British Wool we offer huge congratulations to Una on her successful record attempt. This was a display of high quality shearing and Una should be very proud of her achievements.

“We appreciate the hard work that goes on behind the scenes in holding a record and therefore offer congratulations to everyone that has helped and supported Una in successfully setting a new World Shearing Record.”

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

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