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 Sheep with long, lustrous wool have been native to the region of Leicestershire, England since the earliest recorded history of the British Isles, and are responsible for the improvement and development of other longwool breeds. Robert Bakewell (1726-1795) is credited with improvement of the Leicester sheep and also played an important role in the development of the Shire horse and Shorthorn cattle.
The Border Leicester breed was founded in 1767 by George and Matthew Culley. They were friends of Bakewell and had access to his improved Leicesters. Some feel that the Culley Brothers developed the Border Leicester by crossing Bakewell’s improved Leicester rams with Teeswater ewes. Others argue that Cheviot blood was introduced. Perhaps both are correct. In any case, the breed was firmly established in England by 1850. Border Leicesters have no surpassed the old English Leicester in popularity in the British Isles and other countries.
The English Leicester is said to have been introduced into the United States by George Washington, who kept a small purebred flock of Leicesters and used the rams extensively in his flock of 800 head at Mount Vernon. It is not known when the first sheep of Border Leicester type arrived in North America, but the 1920 census listed 767 purebred Border Leicesters in the U.S.
The American Border Leicester Association was established in the U.S. in 1973. Learn more about the Border Leicester at the American Border Leicester web site.
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