'Overwhelming result' as school claims top honours for the first time in Border Leicester ring

Major award winners of the Border Leicester judging

Photos by Helen De Costa.

Emotions were high in the Border Leicester ring at the 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show on April 17 as a school claimed the top female ribbon for the first time in the breed judging.

Overall 60 exhibits went under the eye of Tasmanian judge Brenton Heazlewood, Melton Park Border Leicesters, Launceston.

Mr Heazlewood was no stranger to the breed with his family owning Border Leicesters for the past 97 years, as well as running a flock of English Leicesters for 150 years.

The grand champion ewe ribbon was awarded to Wattle Farm 23-275, exhibited by Menai High School, Illawong.

Originally rising from the first senior ewe class, ewe over one year but not over two, Mr Heazlewood said although the ewe wasn't the biggest in the ring, she was a lovely feminine ewe.

"The grand champion ewe, I've liked her all along, as I've kept saying she's not the biggest, but she's a lovely ewe," he said.

"Well put together and well woolled."

Menai High School Agricultural teacher, Rebecca Gray, said she was over the moon with the result.

The school purchased the ewe from the Sutton family at Wattle Farm in September as part of their rebuild phase after losing some breeding ewes.

"It's a very special win," she said.

Maddison Blackburn, Menai High School farm assistant, said the ewe had been exhibited throughout the school's local show circuit before coming to the royal.

"It depends on the judges point of view, she'll either place pretty high up or she'll be in the middle but she's never actually won a champion ribbon before," she said.

"I was just told that we're the first school that's taken out the champion in a Border Leicester class here."

Ms Blackburn said the school had 14 sheep within the agriculture program, with most of the bloodlines purchased from Wattle Farm as well as a couple of other studs.

They had some of their own-bred lambs coming through were exhibiting six of these at the show.

The grand champion ewe won the top honours over the junior champion ewe Wattle Farm 24-0319, exhibited by Wattle Farm Border Leicesters, Temora.

The stud also won reserve senior grand champion ewe with Wattle Farm 23-334, who also went onto be the reserve grand champion ewe later in the day.

They also exhibited the reserve champion junior ewe Wattle Farm 24-0306, earlier in the day.

The Sutton family was also successful in the ram portion, winning grand champion with Wattle Farm 23-320 'Mario'.

Mr Heazlewood said the ram was beautifully balanced.

"He stands well, beautiful backline, nice head, good pigmentation and beautiful dense wool," he said.

"He has a nice type of style in his wool with an even crimp."

He rose from the ram over one year but not over two year class previously.

Wattle Farm stud principal Jeff Sutton said the stud had an unbelievable day for the family and the stud.

"I knew he was a good sheep, he's been in the show team now for a couple of years," he said.

"He has performed very well, he's a big carcase sheep, very good boned, true sire head, good pigmentation and he had a really even dense fleece.

"So we came here with high expectations with him and he proved so."

The reserve grand champion ram was awarded to the Corkhill family, Normanhurst Border Leicester stud, Boorowa, with Normanhurst 23-161.

Both rams won the senior champion ram and reserve senior champion ram, respectively, earlier in the judging.

The Wattle Farm stud also dominated in the junior portion of the ram section, taking home the junior champion ram sash with Wattle Farm 24-159 and the reserve junior champion ram ribbon with Wattle Farm 24-165.