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Coolawang Border Leicesters

Mundulla, South Australia

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Over four decades of success at Coolawang

June 24, 2020

Article by Ian Turner

This year’s annual Coolawang Border Leicester ram sale at Mundulla on Thursday October 8th will have a different lead up, with no Adelaide Royal Show inspections or results, but the same elite quality genetics will be on offer.

While Trevor, Judy, Lachie and Olivia James are tremendously proud of the numerous showing successes Coolawang has achieved over the last four decades, including having the supreme champion ram of all breeds last year and being most successful Border Leicester exhibitor for the 8th time in the last 9 years, these are not where their main focus lies.

The family has always had a strong commercial focus in their breeding objectives. Besides their own significant commercial achievements, they believe the successes of their valuable long-term clients are a great endorsement of their genetics.

“Our many dedicated and long-term clients have provided wonderful support of our program and we value them deeply,” Lachie James said.

“Naturally, we also welcome and value any new clients as they come on board; but it is the success of all our commercial clients that is the centre of focus in our breeding program and the true measure of our success as stud breeders,” he said.

“Our objective has always been to breed commercially relevant sheep that can consistently produce top quality progeny for our clients,” Trevor James added.

“Also, with them in mind, we have striven to maintain affordability, while keeping quality at the highest level we can produce.”

“We’ve added rams in line with demand, hoping all clients on all budgets can get quality rams at good value,” Trevor said.

Also, the performance within their own commercial flock is another measuring stick that simply can’t be ignored. This strongly influences the stud breeding decisions they make; which is then a benefit to all the other clients who have come to appreciate the quality of Coolawang genetics over the years.

The James family’s many recent commercial successes start at the annual Naracoorte first cross young ewe sale. In clear evidence they are right on the mark, they achieved yet another fantastic sale result last November, with their 680 first cross ewes topping at $398 and averaging an outstanding $396, plus again winning the best presented pen award for the 11th time. That is exceptionally consistent high-quality production.

Many of their clients in the Naracoorte ewe and ewe lamb sales also had great success and this further backs up the Coolawang brand as one that can be thoroughly trusted.

Not only that, they also recorded the then highest lamb prices in the state at the Naracoorte Regional Livestock Exchange (NRLE) in June last year, selling their first-cross wether lambs at $337/head.

This shows that Coolawang’s concentration on producing true dual-purpose Border Leicesters that offer both wool and carcase attributes, can result in top economic returns for commercial clients from progeny of both sexes.

“All our rams are eye-muscle and fat scanned in early August and we are very pleased with the results and progress.

“This has carried through to our 1st cross flock and is resulting in fantastic growth rates and muscling.

“We had some more of our first cross wether lambs processed by Richards Butchers, with their average dressed weight being 45kg, plus they yielded extremely well at 49%,” Lachie James said.

Coolawang’s Border Leicesters are produced with a balance of structural excellence, especially with strong bone and constitution, high fertility background and top Lambplan measured performance. While they seek elite performance levels, they do not focus on figures-based selection alone, but these are considered in conjunction with phenotype. Extended lifetime performance of rams is a point often overlooked when selecting on figures alone.

Two important extra bonuses for clients are Coolawang’s move to side sampling and micron testing all their rams 2 years ago, plus testing and selection for worm resistance. There is a real premium for sheep producers who can offer their first cross wool in the preferred under 30micron range. Coolawang is one of the very few studs offering this information on all sale rams. The worm resistance selection will ensure that the Coolawang rams and their progeny will be able to withstand annual worm burdens better than most other options.

Trevor, Judy, Lachie & Olivia James welcome your enquiry, but all prospective purchasers can get updates on their website (www.coolawang.com.au), or through regular posts on Facebook.

Coolawang_Editorial-photo_DSC_1858_4

Coolawang 180177, the 2019 Adelaide supreme all-breeds champion ram pictured when awarded the Border Leicester grand champion ram title with judge, Ian Gilmore, Oberon, NSW and Trevor and Lachie James. This was Coolawang’s 8th Border Leicester champion ram award in a row.

Celebration of four decades of success at Coolawang

September 26, 2019

Article by Ian Turner

This year's annual Coolawang Border Leicester ram sale at Mundulla will hold special significance for the James family as they celebrate 40 years of successfully breeding Border Leicesters.

While Trevor, Judy, Lachie and Olivia James are tremendously proud of the numerous successes Coolawang has achieved, including more major awards at this year's Adelaide Royal Show, these are not where their main breeding focus lies.

"Our clients have provided wonderful support of our program over our forty-year journey, and we value them deeply," Lachie James said.

"It is their success that is the centre of focus in our breeding program and really is the true measure of our success as stud breeders," Lachie added.

Senior principal, Trevor James added, "Our objective has always been to breed commercially relevant sheep that can consistently produce top quality progeny for our clients."

"Also, with them in mind, we have striven to maintain affordability, while keeping quality at the highest level we can produce," he said.

In line with growing demand, Coolawang has offered a few more rams each year. However, with the exceptional demand last year, they are offering an extra 35 rams in this year's sale, hoping all clients can get quality rams at good value. There will be 10 specially selected stud rams and 210 flock rams offered this year.

>> Read Full Article

2019 Royal Adelaide Show

September 25, 2019

A really successful year at the Royal Adelaide Show for Coolawang;

  • Junior Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Grand Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Champion Longwool Ram
  • Interbreed Supreme Champion Ram
  • 1st Objective Measurement Class
  • Best Border Leicester Head
  • 2nd Interbreed Pen of 3 Rams
Photo-2_Group-of-3-Rams-(2)_-(004)_RGB

Interbreed 2nd Place Pen of Three Rams

IMG_8686

Trevor and Lachie with judge, Ian Gilmore NSW with Coolawang 177/18 who was Interbreed Supreme Champion Ram

2018 Royal Adelaide Show

October 4, 2018

Another stella year at the Royal Adelaide Show for Coolawang;

  • Junior Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Grand Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Interbreed Champion Longwool Ram
  • Junior Champion Border Leicester Ewe
  • Reserve Junior Champion Border Leicester Ewe
  • Elders Supreme Interbreed Breeders Group
Junior & Reserve Champion Border Leicester Ewe, Royal Adelaide Show 2018

Lachie and Trevor James pictured with the Junior and Reserve Junior Champion Border Leicester Ewes

Grand Champion Border Leicester Ram, 2018 Royal Adelaide Show

Lachie James pictured with the Grand Champion Border Leicester Ram

Elders Supreme Interbreed Breeder's Group, Royal Adelaide Show 2018

Elders Supreme Interbreed Breeder's Group

2017 Adelaide Show Success

October 4, 2017

We had another very successful year at the Royal Adelaide Show, winning Junior and Grand Champion Ram,
the Sires Progeny Group and the Breeders Group.

Coolawang Junior and Grand Champion Border Leicester Ram 103/16, 2017 Royal Adelaide Show

Coolawang Junior and Grand Champion
Border Leicester Ram

103/16

Coolawang winning Sires Progeny Group, 2017 Royal Adelaide Show

Coolawang winning Sires Progeny Group

Coolawang winning Beeders Group, 2017 Royal Adelaide Show

Coolawang winning Breeders Group

2016 Adelaide Show Success

September 15, 2016

We had another very successful Adelaide Show campaign, including:

  • Junior Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Reserve Junior Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Interbreed Longwool Champion Ram
  • Reserve Junior Champion Border Leicester Ewe
  • 2nd Breeders Group
  • 1st Sires Progeny Group
  • 1st and 2nd Objective Measurement Class
  • Winner Best Ram Head
  • 1st Pair of Shorn Sheep
  • 1st Pen of 3 Rams
  • 2nd Interbreed Pen of Three Rams
  • Most Successful Exhibitor
Champion & Reserve Grand Champion Border Leicester Rams, 2016 Royal Adelaide Show

Lachie and Trevor James, Coolawang Border Leicester stud, Mundulla, with the Reserve Grand Champion Border Leicester Ram and Grand Champion Border Leicester ram. The same rams also claimed the Junior Champion and Reserve Champion accolades.

Photo courtesy of The Stock Journal

Article courtesy of The Stock Journal
By Elizabeth Anderson


Amid 'fierce' competition, Coolawang Border Leicesters, Mundulla, emerged with the champion ram ribbon for its aptly-named young sire, Victory 2.

The 13-month-old ram was named Junior Champion, then Champion, in its first showing. It weighed 102 kilograms, with a fat depth of 12 millimetres and eye muscle depth of 40mm.

Victory 2 had Australian Sheep Breeding Values of 2.23 post-weaning weight, 0.47 post-weaning fat, and -0.54 PWEMD.

Coolawang principal, Trevor James, Mundulla said the ram was a favourite of his. "It parades so well, is good on its legs and stands square," he said. "It's a very alert sheep - always interested in what's going on."

Judge Jeff Sutton, Temora, NSW, commended the champion ram on its bone quality.

"The Champion ram is balanced, upstanding, with good neck extension and width in the back legs," he said. "It's a mighty powerful ram, with lovely stretch, style and balance. It has a lovely nature and is a real credit to the breeder."

Mr Sutton also praised the reserve champion ram, another from Coolawang.

It weighed 102kg and measured 8.5mm fat, 39EMD, 1.19PWWT, 0.57PFAT and 0.08PWEMD.

"It's a lovely fine-fleeced animal with good style and balance," he said.

The reserve junior champion ewe was selected in an unconventional manner.

Mr Sutton exercised his option to include a Coolawang ewe that caught his eye in the under 1.5 years shorn pairs.

"It's a magnificent ewe - upstanding, lovely and even right throughout," he said.

Mr Sutton was full of praise for the top quality of sheep, describing it as a 'fierce' competition.

"Based on the style and quality of sheep paraded, SA continues to produce some of the best sheep in the country," he said.

2015 Adelaide Show Success

October 1, 2015

We had a very successful year the Royal Adelaide Show, including;

Tag 007/14

  • Supreme Champion Ram
  • Longwool Champion Ram
  • Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Junior Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • 1st Objective Measurement Class

Tag 017/14

  • Reserve Champion Border Leicester Ewe
  • Junior Champion Border Leicester Ewe

Tag 004/14, Tag 017/14, Tag 025/14

  • Supreme All Breeds Group
  • British Breeds Group
  • 1st Border Leicester Breeders Group
  • 1st Sire's Progeny Group
Supreme Champion Ram, 2015 Royal Adelaide Show

Trevor holding Junior Champion Border Leicester Ewe
Tag 017/14

Coolawang’s Commercial Focus

November 25, 2014

The Mundulla based Coolawang Border Leicesters made the post show and sale headlines last year for all the right reasons, and repeated that Adelaide success this year, but the James family has their focus clearly on their commercial clients.

Last year’s domination at the Adelaide Royal, where they won the champion ram and ewe and reserve champion ram awards and were again most successful exhibitor for the fourth year in a row, was followed up this year by again taking out the ram championship, reserve junior champion ewe and being most successful for a fifth year in a row.

Last year this led to a magnificent stud component result at their 2013 annual ram sale when the 15 stud rams offered sold to a new Australian record of $18,200 for Coolawang 120088, the 2013 Adelaide reserve champion to the Glencorrie stud, and averaged $6250. That level of sale success was always going to be hard to match, but the stud achieved a very solid stud component with its 11
stud rams selling to $6500 (for the Adelaide champion) and averaging $3745.

As exciting as those sales were, it was the strength of the commercial flock ram support that pleased stud principals Trevor, Judy and Lachie James most, with a total clearance in both years when demand was not as high nationally.

The flock ram offering at this year’s Coolawang sale was increased with the objective of ensuring those breeders who have shown faith in Coolawang genetics can fulfil their needs at good value. While top end stud sales always fluctuate, the James family is very conscious of the need to provide high quality flock rams at good value on a consistent basis to the commercial first cross ewe breeders. This was certainly appreciated by those clients and despite the increase in demand taking care of the increased sale numbers, the average price only increased marginally to $988 meaning they remained viable for buyers.

Coolawang is very much in tune with that market, also breeding and offering an annual draft of first cross ewes for the Naracoorte specialty sale. Besides the successes at that sale by many of their clients, they were very pleased to again win the ‘Best presented pen’ award sponsored by the Australian Border Leicester Association, this being their third win in 6 years.

The James family’s strong commercial and performance focus, with rigid Lambplan analysis backing strict structural and breed type standards, goes a long way to explaining the independently assessed quality of their first cross ewe offerings.

Last year Coolawang achieved the Australian Border Leicester Association award at the Naracoorte 1st cross
ewe sale for the best presented pen for the third time in six years. This was a highlight in a very successful
year, but indicative of the James family’s strong commercial focus. This year they are again offering another
high quality draft of young 1st cross ewes at Naracoorte, while drafts from many of their clients will also be
well worthy of buyer inspection.

2014 Adelaide Show Success

September 14, 2014

Results from the 2014 Royal Adelaide Show;

Tag 234/13

  • Junior Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Grand Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Reserve Champion Interbreed Ram
  • 1st Best Head
  • 1st Objective Measurement class

Tag 316/13

  • Reserve Junior Champion Border Leicester Ewe
Champion Border Leicester Ram, Royal Adelaide Show 2014

Trevor holding Champion Border Leicester Ram
- Tag 234/13

Reserve Champion Border Leicester Ewe, Royal Adelaide Show 2014

Trevor holding Reserve Champion Border Leicester Ewe
- Tag 316/13

2013 Royal Adelaide Show Success

October 4, 2013

We had a fantastic year at the 2013 Royal Adelaide Show;

  • Tag 37/12 - Champion & Junior Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Tag 88/12 - Reserve Champion & Reserve Junior Champion Border Leicester Ram
  • Tag 124/12 - Champion Border Leicester Ewe
  • Most Successful Exhibitor
  • 1st and 2nd in the Objective Measurement Class - Tag 88/12
  • Winning Breeders Group
  • Winning Sire's Progeny Group
Champion Ram and Champion Ewe, Royal Adelaide Show 2013

Pictured left - Trevor holding Border Leicester Champion Ram and Junior Champion Ram - Tag 37/12.
Pictured right- Judy holding Border Leicester Champion Ewe - Tag 124/12

Champion & Reserve Champion Border Leicester Rams, Royal Adelaide Show 2013

Pictured left - Lachie holding Border Leicester Champion Ram and Junior Champion Ram - Tag 37/12.
Pictured right: Trevor holding Border Leicester Reserve Champion and Junior Reserve Champion Ram - Tag 88/12

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Contact

PO Box 282, MUNDULLA SA 5270
(08) 8758 6275 Trevor: 0438 586 275
(08) 8758 6249
trevor@coolawang.com.au

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