Trade for females at the Society’s annual Exeter sale, held at Kivells Livestock Market, was strong through most sections. Prices for shearling ewes soared to heights of £285 per head, with no fewer than 45 pens selling in excess of £250.

Leading the way amongst the shearling ewes was a pen of 5 from E & D Jones, Lluest Wen, Commins Coch. They headed home with C Gay, North Widcombe Farm, West Harptree – who, seconds later, purchased a pen form the same home at £265.

The same buyer also forked out £270 per head for the pre-sale show female champions, a pen of 5 from WJ & DJ Williams, Bodtacho Ddu.

Matching that price of £270 per head was a pen of 4 from Mr A & Mrs D Parker, Highwood Farm, Hemyock, who sold their best to RO & CA Davis, Chagford. The same buyer later bought a pen from the same home at £260 per head.

E & D Jones were back in the money when their pen of 6 shearling ewes soared to £265, having been bought by local breeder, F Brewer, Westwood, Exeter.

Miss G Dimond enjoyed a buoyant trade for her females, with three pens of 5 reaching £260 separately. Purchasing these girls were J Gay, Tetbury and TW Colwill, Holsworthy, respectively.

A pen of 5 from Mr A G Selway, Thornhill Farm, Dorset also made £260 per head on two occasions for pens of 5 shearling ewes. These were snapped up by TW Colwill and K Holder, respectively.

A further pen of 5 shearling ewes attained £260 per head, coming from Mr P & Mrs S Eckett, Minster House, Dorset – with their best selling to I Graham, Manor Farm, Somerset.

Mr A W Hughes dominated the individual shearling ewe trade with his pre-sale show reserve female champion, and first place individual ewe. This girl is no stranger to the show ring, having stood first in her class at this year’s Royal Welsh Show. She was knocked down at £750 to A J Carter, Millcroft Farm, Devon.

E & D Jones sold their pre-sale show individual female for £310. She found a new home with Harpers Holdings Ltd, Trepoyle Farm, Holsworthy.

Harpers Holdings Ltd also took to the ring with their second prize individual shearling ewe. She caught the eye of J Hoskin, Maiden Castle Farm, Dorchester.

Amongst the ewe lambs, trade remained steady, and prices peaked at £200 per head for the third prize pen of 5 from Dr & Mrs JM & GC Adams, Gondolin, Truro. These girls headed home with M & D Hoskins, Hunters Moon.

SP Gubbin & Son, Brendon Barton also bought a pen of 4 from the Adams’ at £175 per head.

Matching that price was the second prize pen of ewe lambs from WJ & DJ Williams. This sweet pen of 5 sold to R & K Harries, Llwynmendy.

Manor Farm East Marden, West Sussex attained a top of £175 for their best pen of ewe lambs, which headed home with A Glessing, Meadow View.

Mr P & Mrs S Eckett sold a pen of 4 ewe lambs to £170. Forking out the money for these girls was W Burke, Tiverton.

Just behind on £165 per head was a pen of 9 ewe lambs from Twose Farms Ltd, Carmarthenshire, with these girls being knocked down to S P Gubbin & Son.

Trade appeared selective amongst the tups, with the section averaging 686gns.

Leading the way and on their first outing to Exeter sale was H & M Dugdale & Son, Borrins Farm, Settle, who sold Borrins Nimble (01228/2425904) for 1300gns. Bred on an upland Yorkshire Dales farm at 1200ft, he is sired by (00621/19178610 and was sold to DB & HM Carr, Crablake Farm, Exeter.

Just behind on 1200gns was Harpers Holdings Ltd, with their best ram Trepoyle Nancledra (02580/2404081) being knocked down to GK Griffin & Son, Cornwall. He is out of a home-bred ewe and sired by (01097/2202592).

WJ & DJ Williams attained 1100gns for the Tacho ram (00350/2409076). Out of a home-bred ewe, he is sired by (01228/2120314) and was purchased by Manor Farm East Marden.

Matching that price was E & D Jones for their Lluest tup (00599/2415670). Sired by Whitlaw Landmark (00983/2218748), he was bought by F Brewer, Exeter.

The same home produced another four-figure ram at 1000gns, this time for Lleust (00599/2415792). Sired by Borrins Jester (01228/2017620), he headed home with L Wyatt, West Hagginton.

Twose Farms Ltd secured the third 1100gns bid for their pre-sale show champion ram, Maenhir (00552/2405809). Out of a home-bred ewe and by (00809/2202081), he was knocked down to A Glessing, Meadow View.

Averages

Aged ewes to £180 av. £151 (-£34)

Shearling ewes to £285 (£750) av. £239.83 (+£14.38)

Ewe lambs to £200 av. £155.82 (+£15.91)

Rams to 1300gns av. 686gns (+£46)

Top Prices

Aged ewes

Mr D Shellard, £180

RHS Turner, £155

Individual Shearling Ewe

Mr AW Hughes, £750

E & D Jones, £310

Harpers Holdings Ltd, £235

Shearling ewes

E & D Jones, £285

WJ & DJ Williams, £270

Mr A & Mrs D Parker, £270

E & D Jones, £265 (x2)

Mr A & Mrs D Parker, £260

Mr P & Mrs S Eckett, £260

Miss G Dimond, £260 (x2)

Mr A G Selway, £260 (x2)

Miss G Dimond, £255

Harpers Holdings Ltd, £255 (x3)

Mr A G Selway, £255

Mr P & Mrs S Eckett, £255

Mr S Carter, £255

Ewe lambs

Dr & Mrs JM & GC Adams, £200

WJ & DJ Williams, £175

Dr & Mrs JM & GC Adams, £175

Manor Farm East Marden, £175

Mr P & Mrs S Eckett, £170

Twose Farms Ltd, £165

Harpers Holdings Ltd, £160

Manor Farm East Marden, £160

Mrs P S Hale, £160

RHS Turner, £160

Mr A & Mrs D Parker, £160

Rams

H & M Dugdale, 1300gns

Harpers Holdings Ltd, 1200gns

WJ & DJ Williams, 1100gns

Twose Farms Ltd, 1100gns

E & D Jones, 1100gns

E & D Jones, 1000gns

E & D Jones, 900gns

Mr R Saunders, 800gns (x2)

J H Dugdale, 800gns

W Davies, 750gns

Show Results

Male judge: Mr Ifor Jones

Female judge: Mrs P Hale

Single shearling ewe

1^st – Mr A W Hughes

2^nd – Harpers Holdings Ltd

3^rd – Mr & Mrs D J Searle

Pen of 5 shearling ewes

1^st – WJ & DJ Williams

2^nd - Mr P & Mrs S Eckett

3^rd – Mr Wynne Davies

Pen of 5 ewe lambs

1^st – Harpers Holdings Ltd

2^nd – WJ & DJ Williams

3^rd – Dr & Mrs J M & GC Adams

Aged ram

1^st – Manor Farm East Marden

2^nd – Mr C & Mrs A Crudge

3^rd – Mr A G Selway

Recorded ram

1^st – Mr P & Mrs S Eckett

West Country ram

1^st – Mr P & Mrs J Shipton

2^nd – Mr & Mrs P & S Eckett

3^rd – Harpers Holdings Ltd

Open ram

1^st – Twose Farms Ltd

2^nd – Mr A W Hughes

3^rd – Mr Wynne Davies

Champion ram – Twose Farms Ltd

Champion females – WJ & DJ Williams