'Clean as a whisker': Plenty of power in Border Leicester supreme exhibit

Two lucky saves led up to the exhibiting of a Border Leicester ram dubbed by its breeder as "probably the best ram we've bred yet".

The ram, shown by Talbragar stud, Dunedoo, was first sashed junior champion ram, then overall champion ram, before going on to be sashed supreme Border Leicester exhibit by judge Will Schilling, Glenlee Park, Gerang Gerung, Vic.

Mr Schilling said the entry, Talbragar 305 out of the shorn ram under one-year class, was a "tremendous ram" with plenty of power.

"He has a lot of presence and is a clean as a whisker - I can't really really fault this ram," he said.

"I'd love to have him at home... I really do love this ram."

Mr Schilling said the reserve champion ram from Wattle Farm - also the reserve junior champion ram - was "not far behind" the champion.

"He is square as a brick," he said of the under 1.5-years wooly entry, Wattle Farm 240231.

"He carries a lot of wool, he's clean in the head - he's an absolute ripper."

Talbragar stud principal Ben Simmons said the twin-born champion ram had been the pick of the drop from an early age.

The ram was sired by Geraldine 210008, bought by the stud for $16,000, and was out of a homebred quad ewe - Talbragar 210357 - that had been bottle-fed and handraised by the family.

"She was worth feeding," he said.

That was the first lucky save in the breeding. The second occurred when 305 got sick and nearly died as a young ram.

Mr Simmons said they had kept him in a shed for six weeks to nurse him to health.

"Without that, he would be unstoppable," he said.

The ram will be retained in the stud.

Wattle Farm's Jeff Sutton, Temora, said the reserve champion ram, which had been shown at Sydney, was an example of what they were trying to breed.

"Well-balanced and good fleeced sheep," he said.

The ram was sired by Coolawang 592, out of Wattle Farm 180261.

Talbragar also claimed the champion ewe with an "eye catching" maiden ewe from the shorn pair class, which was also sashed junior champion ewe.

"Wowee, she's something special," Mr Schilling said.

"There's plenty of length, she stands up well and she does have a good wool."

The ewe so impressed Mr Schilling that he repeated his placings again, with the Talbragar ewe as champion and a Nundoone ewe sashed both reserve junior champion ewe and champion ewe.

"These are two sensational sheep," he said.

"I'm a big believer in letting young sheep shine at shows like this and we've certainly found two outstanding ewes that have."

He said the champion ewe was very alert.

He said the reserve champion ewe had a beautiful fleece.

"She's as correct as you get," he said.

The Talbragar ewe, tag 359, was also a twin.

Mr Simmons said her dam, Talbragar 210156, goes back to a ram that sired two prior Dubbo champions, two years in a row, while the ewe's own sire was the first progeny on the ground from outcross sire Coolawang 220358.

He said it was the first time they had bought from the stud at Lucindale, South Australia.

"I had her picked out for a long time, with her overall balance, feminine head and structure," he said.

The ewe will go on to compete at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show at Bendigo, Vic.

Nundoone's Rowena Munro, said the reserve champion ewe, Nundoone 240059, was on her first major showing, but would likely also compete at Bendigo.

She was sired by Bindaree 220197, out of Nundoone 220129.