Melbourne Royal Show: Ellingerrin Border Leicester ewe takes home sash

A stylish Border Leicester ewe has become the first Supreme Interbreed Sheep Champion for the Ellingerrin stud.

Long-time exhibitors Ellingerrin Border Leicesters have taken home their first Interbreed Supreme Champion Sheep sash at the Melbourne Royal Show today.

A stylish Border Leicester ewe from the Ellingerrin stud at Modewarre beat out the interbreed champion ram – a Poll Dorset from Finley High School – to claim the claim the highest honour at the sheep show.

“We’ve had champions before but this is our first Supreme win so we’re ecstatic,” Ellingerrin stud principal Heather Stoney said.

“She’s a beautiful ewe; lovely and feminine and shows herself off well,” Heather said.

In a nailbiting tie-breaker, which saw the champion ewe and ram neck and neck after their assessment from the first two judges, New Zealand judge James Hoban swayed the points in favour of the ewe.

A Border Leicester ewe took out the All Breeds Sheep Interbreed Supreme Champion. Winners Heather Stoney and son Andrew, of Ellingerrin stud at Modewarre with their champion Border Leciester ewe.

“The other two judges were tied and he gave us the points,” Heather said.

“He had admired her from previous classes and we were hopeful because we knew he liked her.”

Ellingerrin stud were the only Border Leicester exhibitors representing the breed this year, which Heather said made their interbreed win extra special.

“It was disappointing that there wasn’t another Border Leicester breeder here – we’re the only ones at Melbourne this year,” she said.

“So you obviously win in your breed classes which is great but to come out and win the interbreed justifies the fact that she really is a good not just in her breed alone.”

The ewe champion came third in the Border Leicesters at the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show earlier this year and had “matured a lot” since then to take out the title.

“She’s 15 months old now and she has developed a lot in three months from Bendigo,” Heather said.