Shearer sets unofficial world record

A South Australian shearer has set an unofficial world record by shearing 1,054 merino lambs in 40 hours.

Gary Hebberman from Jamestown, in the state's mid-north, used the marathon to raise money for his local sporting complex and a childhood cancer charity.

While previous record attempts have featured cross bred lambs, he chose merinos, because that is what he is used to shearing.

"I was brought up on merinos, so it makes it a bit easier for me," he said.

"It is harder, never ever been done in merino lambs before, it's been done in cross breds, so we just went with it, run with it and see how we went. I didn't look back."

The record is unofficial because the money raised will be donated to charity, instead of being used to pay for officials from the Guinness Book of Records to witness the attempt.