Sheep breed
Border Leicester
Border Leicester
An upright-eared British longwool, used worldwide as a crossing sire.
Description1
A British polled, longwool, dual-purpose breed known for its upright ears. It was developed in 1767 in Northumberland near the Scottish border from Robert Bakewell's Dishley Leicester rams; the hardier Cheviot-crossed 'Redlegs' type has been called Border Leicester since about 1850.
A white, long-bodied sheep with a well-developed chest and broad back, black nose, dark feet and Roman nose. Rams weigh about 116 kg and ewes 85 kg. Its long, lustrous 32–38 µm wool is shorn twice a year and prized by spinners.
A docile breed with strong maternal traits and good milk, lambing about 150%; lambs grow fast. It has been exported widely, including to Hungary; in Australia it is mated to Merino ewes to breed first-cross dams for prime lamb production.
History1
1767
Developed in Northumberland from Dishley Leicester rams.
1830s – 1850
The Cheviot-crossed 'Redlegs' type becomes known as Border Leicester around 1850.
1859 / 1871
Imported to New Zealand (1859) and Australia (1871).
Breed standard and breed society
The official breed description, breeding goal and herdbook rules are published by the breed's recognised breed society.
- English Wikipedia – Border Leicesterhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Border_Leicester
Photo gallery
All photos are freely licensed (Wikimedia Commons, Flickr); author, source and licence are shown under each image.
Sources
Accessed: 2026-10-18.