Border Leicester champions exhibited by Talkook
The Land, March 2020 – link to article
Judge Graeme Golder, Tegra Border Leicesters, Temora worked his way steadily through the Border Leicester classes at the 2020 Royal Canberra Show where the standard was as good as any seen previously in the national capital.
The junior champion ram, graduating from the woolly milk tooth class, was shown by Bob, Scott and Kylie Anderson, Talkook stud, Crookwell.
Reserve to the junior champion was exhibited by brothers Tom and Ashley Corkhill, Normanhurst stud, Boorowa.
The champion ram, coming out of the one to two year woolly class, was paraded by Alexandra Branson, granddaughter of breeder Bob Anderson, Talkook stud Crookwell.
When announcing the championship, Mr Golder said each of the rams were good examples of the breed and the reserve was the hardest to judge.
“The champion was way easier,” he said.
“He is a very good sheep, well muscled, good long loin, excellent wool coverage and overall a nice ram.”
He is a very good sheep, well muscled, good long loin, excellent wool coverage and overall a nice ram – Graeme Golder, Tegra, Temora when commenting on the champion Border Leicester ram
Mr Golder said that was not to take away from the reserve champion, exhibited by the Talkook stud and who had been junior champion ram.
“But he is giving the champion six or seventh months and that is hard when up against a very good older ram,” he said.
The champion ram was a son of Talkook Mountain, one of the leading sires at Talkook despite a lack lustre show career.
In the ewe classes Mr Golder gave the nod for junior championship to the ewe exhibited by Ashley Corkhill, Normanhurst stud, Boorowa.
“She has everything right,” he said.
“Great outlook, good scale for her age and with a heavy fleece.”
Mr Corkhill said his junior champion, who had been successful in the woolly milk tooth class, was a daughter of a Glencorrie Border Leicester sire who was doing a lot of good for their stud.
The ewe championship sash was awarded to the one to two years woolly class winner paraded by Kylie Anderson, Talkook, Crookwell.
“She has great wool coverage with scale and good carcase,” judge Graeme Golders said.
“A very nice ewe and I think she has a big future as a stud matron.”
Mrs Anderson said her family had been breeding this type of productive Border Leicester for a long time and it was pleasing to see their efforts rewarded in the show ring.
“It is a big thrill against the very strong competition,” she said.
The reserve champion ewe, also coming from the one to two years woolly class, was exhibited by Ashley Corkhill, Normanhurst, Boorowa.
“The young ewe has very good scale with a good outlook but lacked the wool quality and coverage of the champion,” Mr Golder said when explaining his judging decisions.
“She is a productive type and is a good example of the Border Leicester breed.”
In the group classes, one ram and two ewes to represent the breed in the interbreed competition, the team from Normanhurst were given the nod over Talkook.
Mr Golder said the winning team were very good wooled sheep and even.
“Evenness as a group is what I looked for,” he said.