Scottish shearer Una Cameron at the Golden Shears in Masterton in 2010. Photo – Pete Nickolaison.

SCOTTISH shearer Una Cameron — the only woman to reach the top 30 in the open class at the recent Golden Shears in New Zealand – will this year attempt one of the newest world records at the age of 51.

The attempt on the solo women’s nine-hour strong wool ewe 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. She will be 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 nor does the task. She was talked into doing the record and is not going to do it by halves.

UK bid to precede record attempts in Australia

Australia-based NZ-born shearer Luke Vernon pictured preparing for his attempt on a world Merino shearing record in Western Australia. Photo – supplied.

With her record attempt confirmed by the World Sheep Shearing Records Society, Cameron is now back in the United Kingdom. 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-hour strong wool lamb 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 hour Merino ewe record at Pingelly, where he is based about 170km south-east of Western Australian capital 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 hour Merino ewe record on May 4 at Dalkeith, Cassilis, New South Wales, about 360km north-west of state capital Sydney.

All but one of the attempts in the New Zealand summer were successful, including new marks for all four women’s solo strong wool ewe records at eight hours and nine hours.