Leicester Longwool

The Leicester Longwool was important to the development of other long wool breeds and has made a large contribution to the sheep industries in Australia and New Zealand. The breed originated in the Leicester region of England and although it is a very old breed, Robert Bakewell, a pioneer in the field of animal genetics, is given credit for improving it during the 18th century.

Leicesters are a big sheep with a heavy fleece of curly, lustrous wool that is even in length and fiber diameter. The breed was first imported into the United States during the time of the American Revolution, and it is believed that George Washington used Leicester sheep to improve his flock at Mt. Vernon. The Leicester Longwool is classified as a "rare" breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

Breed categories: long wool, rare / Distribution: Worldwide