Willow Drive English Leicester stud wins at Melbourne Royal Show

Mr Shalders, who runs Willow Drive English Leicester stud, Grassmere, has been a long-time breeder and shower of South Suffolk sheep, but in the last 12 months has added a new breed to his repertoire.

He's been showing his English Leicester sheep at other shows, including the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo and Sheepvention in Hamilton, throughout the year, but this is the first time he's had them on the mat at Melbourne.

His three-year-old ram took out supreme of the breed, over his almost-two-year-old ewe.

Mr Shalders said the ewe had actually come out on top of this ram and his other rams at most shows this year, so it was a different result to have the ram judged supreme.

But he said that just showed that each judge had different perspectives, and he himself struggled to split the two exhibits apart.

He said the ewe had won reserve interbreed longwool at Sheepvention after being the breed's supreme at the event.

"We've been everywhere in the last 12 months and the ewe's been pretty successful," he said.

"The ram is an older ram, but he's got good wool, length and carcase."

Mr Shalders said it was a great feeling to take out the top prizes, particularly in his first showing of the breed at the event he had supported for many years.

English Leicester judge Australian Sheep Breeders Association president Peter Baker, Baringhup, said both winning exhibits were "true examples of the breed".

Mr Baker said the ram was "very masculine" and stood very well.

He said the ewe had a terrific loin but he would have liked to see a bit more in her back end.

"For the overall scale, I've gone with the ram," he said.