Billy's big coup at Melbourne

The Clydebank-based stud has intermittently travelled from the property in the Gippsland Lakes region to the capital city show but decided to enter because of the Border Leicester feature this year.

Fourteen-month-old 'Billy' won supreme in the 'machine-shorn under 1.5-year-old' class before taking the supreme Border Leicester title ahead of a Retallack ewe.

The 122.5-kilogram ram scored seven points ahead of Allendale's supreme Poll Dorset ram on 10 points, exhibited by the Day family, Bordertown, South Australia.

Judges Finlay MacDonald, Fairburn White Suffolk, Porcupine Ridge; Hugh Taylor, Oxford, New Zealand; and Wilson Beer, Echuca, used a new points system this year to find the winner from as many as 16 breeds entered this year.

Each judge allocated between one and six points in ascending order for their first six places, and all exhibits thereafter received seven points.

The exhibit with the smallest cumulative score from the three judges was then announced as the winner.

Mr Taylor noted he was looking for a "big barrel back-end" and a "productive animal with a very sound frame".

He was particularly impressed with the Geraldine ram's meatiness, especially for a maternal breed.

"His muscling is quite deceiving; you put your hand over the loin and his is equal to any ram out there," Mr Taylor said.

The ram also had one of the highest eye muscle depth measurements (EMA) at 48 millimetres in the interbreed ram judging – a noted feat for a maternal sire.

It is set to be offered in Horsham's Border Leicester sale in November.

Geraldine was also part of the ram trifecta, with Retallack Border Leicesters shown by the Grinter family, Ariah Park, NSW, and Wattle Farm, Temora, NSW.

Allendale took out first prize in the breeder's group championship, while Derby Downs, Marong, won the sire's progeny broadribbon for its three Poll Dorsets sired by Derby Downs-103-12.

In the supreme ewe judging, Liz Russell, Tullamore Park, Donald, nearly fell over with surprise when her 12-month-old Texel was announced as best on the mat.

"Peter exhibited 31 years ago and this is our first time back here since," Mrs Russell said.

The ewe was placed first with nine points, ahead of 16 other contenders, led by a Retallack Border Leicester ewe which came in as reserve with 10 points.

Judges again praised the ewe for its broad, barrel-like structure and excellent muscling.

After just losing its milk teeth, the ewe weighed in at 93.5kg and had an EMA of 33.65mm.

"She's really blossomed in the past few weeks," Mrs Russell said.

While the paddocks at Donald were becoming thirstier by the day, the dry weather had given Mrs Russell and husband and Peter more time than usual in September, allowing them to assemble a team of four Texels for Melbourne.