South Suffolk breeder Barry Shalders meets first-time success with his English Leicesters

Mr Shalders brought a team of English Leicesters to the ASWS for the first time, after purchasing five sheep from Colin Taylor's Koenarl stud, when it closed down.

"It's the first time at a major show, we've been to Heytsbury, but this is the first major one, " Mr Shalders, Willow Drive South Suffolk stud said.

"He (Mr Taylor) was in his 80's - he'd been breeding English Leicesters for probably 50 years or more and was pretty well up with them.

"It was a pity to see them get sent away - he was happy that someone had taken them on and was going to continue to show them

"Hopefully, we can do them justice in the future."

Koenarl took out last year's ASWS supreme champion ribbon.

Mr Shalder's granddaughter, Thalia Holmes, 16, Warrnambool, said she felt the judge she liked the way the ewe showed herself off.

"It was how the ewe looked, basically, she shows herself off very well," Ms Holmes said.

"I love how English Leicester's look and their wool and everything."

Mr Shalders said he had mainly been involved in meat breeds.

"Even though I have been with Colin at shows, I helped him out and learned a little bit, I still have got a lot to learn with the English Leicesters," he said.

"It is a bit more involved, you have to have them dry and preferably with pretty much full fleeces o, when you are showing them.

There was a bit more work involved in "getting fleeces opened up" and in all the right places, he said.

Mr Shalders said three of the ewes he'd bought would lamb within a month, so the stud would have some of its own animals to show in the future.

Judge, Simon Bull, Swansea, Tasmania said the winner was an outstanding ewe.

"She was an extremely well-balanced ewe, whether it's standing out in the field, or in the yards or the showgrounds," Mr Bull said.

"The carriage and balance of the ewe was absolutely spot on - the top line, shoulder placement, all of the hindquarters.

"The wool was very clean and even, all through the whole body."

He said the ewe had beautiful clean skin and had good pigmentation.

The ewe's head was a combination of the old-fashioned and modern English Leicester, he said.

'She stood very well on all her feet and walked very well."

Mr Bull said he was very impressed by the English Leicester - "we can't afford to lose these great genes we have."