Woman breaks sheep shearing world record in Cornwall

A Scottish woman has broken a sheep shearing world record in Cornwall.

Una Cameron, aged 51, sheared 517 sheep at Trefranck Farm, in Launceston, on Wednesday beating the previous women’s solo strongwool ewe record by 59 sheep.

The feat took place over a nine-hour period with Ms Cameron taking only four breaks.

Ms Cameron told BBC Radio Cornwall it was “still a bit like a dream” to hold a world record.

“A very painful dream but a dream – I don’t think it’s really sunk in yet,” she said.

Ms Cameron, who was raising money for Blood Cancer UK in Cornwall and St Luke’s Hospice, said it was a unique experience.

She said: “Every shearer when they start shearing there’s always a dream that there might be a world record somewhere and very few get the opportunity to do it and I was given the opportunity.

“It was quite painful but if you’re going to wait until you’re 51 to do stupid crazy things you can expect a bit of pain afterwards.”

One of the organisers of the event Huw Condron, said Ms Cameron’s attempt was the equivalent of “running two marathons back to back”.He said: “The fatigue obviously is a big thing when you’re expending a lot of energy.

“Shearing 250 sheep is the equivalent of running a marathon, so what Una is looking to do today attempting to shear close to 500 or over, if possible, is like running two marathons back to back in nine hours.”

The previous world record was set in February by Sacha Bond who sheared 458 ewes in nine hours.

When asked how she was feeling partway through the competition, Ms Cameron told the BBC she felt “tired”.

Her mother Rose Cameron said her daughter had “lost three stone” in the run up to the event.

“She’s not allowed to drink any tea or coffee, no caffeine at all,” she said.

“She’s been having ice baths and God knows what and training really hard, but she’s looking really trim and good at the moment.”

To add to the world record, Mr Condron said he had promised Ms Cameron a Curly Wurly “which she loves” as a reward at the end of the day.

Four adjudicators representing the World Sheep Shearing Records Society were in attendance at Trefranck Farm to verify the record.