Junior champions shine in Border Leicester ring at Australian Sheep & Wool Show

There was a strong showing from NSW studs in the Border Leicester ring at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show on Saturday.

Under the eye of judge Ben Campbell, Gulgong, NSW, the ewe exhibited by Nundoone Border Leicester stud, Merrygoen, NSW, was sashed supreme exhibit.

Nundoone 240059, sired by Bindaree 220197 and out of Nundoone 220129, rose to the top after claiming junior champion ewe.

Rowena Munro, Nundoone, said she could not believe the win.

"She is extremely correct, has a very showy Border Leicester head and is just so well balanced with carcase and wool," she said.

"[She has] a tremendous fleece on her.

"She displays early growth rates and has an excellent carcase to progress our breed to suit current strong lamb markets."

The ewe was reserve champion at Dubbo, NSW, and would be retained.

Pictures by Alexandra Bernard

Ms Munro said she also runs Bindaree with her parents, and purchased Nundoone in 2017.

"We lamb 400 stud ewes each year between the two studs." she said.

"We are mostly a commercial Merino enterprise, and on our other properties, we join all our surplus Merinos to a Border."

Mr Campbell said the ewe was an "outstanding example of the breed".

"She's a quality animal from the tail right through to the tip of the nose," he said.

"She maintains that carcase and all the traditional characteristics that we look for in the Border Leicester breed."

Mr Campbell said the ewe caught is eye the moment she walked out.

"You'll go a long way to find a better ewe," he said.

"The balance, style, wool, carcase, bone - she's got everything."

The ewe claimed supreme ahead of the grand champion ram Bauer 261, exhibited by Bauer and Retallack Border Leicester studs, Ariah Park, NSW.

Jamie Buerckner, Bauer, said he admired the ram, who rose from the junior championship, for his "overall package".

"He is a very correct ram, but he's also packed full of wool," he said.

"It is a focus of ours that we want to maintain our wool."

READ MORE: Tattykeel dominates in the Poll Dorset ring after Bendigo sheep show hiatus

Mr Buerckner said four years ago they purchased the Retallack stud, and this ram was a mix of it and Bauer with genetics from both.

"He's got plenty of length, plenty of size and muscle," he said.

Mr Buerckner said they run about 500 ewes and turn off about 150-200 flock rams a year.

Mr Campbell said the grand champion ram was "very hard to fault" with balance and good bone.

"He is the type we need," he said.

"He's got those carcase traits without trading off on type," he said.

The reserve champion ram was Talbragar 240075, exhibited by Talbragar Border Leicester stud, Dunedoo, NSW.

The reserve champion ewe was Wattle Farm 306, exhibited by Wattle Farm Border Leicester stud, Temora, NSW.

Talbragar was awarded the most successful exhibitor.