Another sound sale with a strong commercial under current in the bidding.  There was a solid trade in the shearling ewes with no extreme prices at either end of the spectrum for an even high-quality show of sheep, the average was £10.50 up on the year.  The ewe lambs saw great confidence with many smart pens which were easily selling over the £100 mark, the average up £21.50 on the year.  An increase on the year on the number of rams forward meant buyers had plenty of choice.  Quality rams were picked out with six rams selling for 1000gns and over. 

With the crowd socially gathered around the ring, the older ewes set off by topping at £108/head for a pen of two year olds from N Hodgetts, Whittington selling to RS Beaty & Sons, Meriden.  Three year olds from AW Hughes, Garndolbenmaen sold for £90/head to N Smith, Longhope.

The shearling ewes were topped by regular consigner JA Geldard & Sons, Kendal.  They sold their top pen for £198/head to H Owen, Brecon.  The same vendors sold a pen at £180/head to AL & A Wolfe, Leicester.  HM Wells from Cardigan sold a strong pen for £185/head to AP James, Bridgenorth.  AW Hughes also sold a pen for £185/head to WH Butcher, & Son, Towcester.  HM Dugdale & Son, Settle made their first outing to Ross and sold their first pen for £180/head to WH Butcher & Son.  There was a strong clearance across the section with 96% sold, nothing went for under £145/head.

Ewe lambs saw the most upbeat trade of the day with two pens realising the £135/head mark.  First AW Davies, Pwllheli had his pen catch the eye of MR Foster, Stratford.  Next C & J Price, Brecon sold a stylish pen to A & R Golledge, Hardwicke.  New breeder W Roobottom, Rugeley sold a pen of seven for £132/head to N Coles, Llandovery.  Local breeder, P Hale, Tibberton sold eight at £130/head to A & R Golledge. Late in the sale D & B Vaughan, Tufton sold for £130/head to MR Foster.  Another strong clearance of 90%.

The ram section was topped by a flock regularly in the top prices.  E & D Jones, Machynlleth sold a Lluest Ram (00599/1911118) sired by Southam Gunner for the days top price of 3700gns.  This homebred shearling ram travelled home to the North of England with J Morton, Penrith.  JA & R Geldard & Sons, Kendal made their journey worthwhile when they sold a Wray Castle Ram (00621/1917852) sired by a John Morton ram for 2400gns to N Tavernor, Somerset.  L Organ, Landysul sold two form his pen at 1500gns.  First Southam Indianna Jones (00306/1902644) by Boakley Fred, he went home with W Roobottom, Rugeley.  Next Southam Ironman (00306/1902673) by a D Steen ram sold jointly to P & S Eckett and A Selway, Dorset. There was still a decent clearance of 79%.

Averages

Senior ewes to £108 av. £95 (+6)

Shearling Ewes to £198 av. £160 (+10.50)

Ewe Lambs to £135 av. £109 (+21.50)

Rams to 3700gns av. £583 (-5)

Top Prices

Senior Ewes

N Hodgetts £108

AW Hughes £90

W & B Lewis £78

Shearling Ewes

JA & R Geldard & Sons £198

HM Wells £185

AW Hughes £185

E & D Jones £182

JA & R Geldard & Sons £180

H & M Dugdale £180

E & D Jones £180

E & D Jones £175

DJ & GA Watkins £172

E & L Thomas £172

C & R Bowen £170

DJ & GA Watkins £170

E & L Thomas £170

H & M Dugdale £170

Ewe Lambs

AW Davies £135

C & J Price £135

W Roobottom £132

P Hale £130

D & B Vaughan £130

DW & CF Morris £125

W Roobottom £122

D O’Brien £122

P Hale £120

C & J Price £120

DW & CF Morris £115

WJ & DJ Williams £115

Manor Farm East Marden £115

Rams

E & D Jones (442) 3700gns

JA & R Geldard & Sons (412) 2400gns

L Organ (462) 1500gns

L Organ (464) 1500gns

HM Wells (426) 1050gns

E & D Jones (443) 1000gns

P & C Andrews (492) 800gns

JA & R Geldard & Sons (413) 750gns

W & B Lewis (437) 700gns

H & M Dugdale (488) 700gns

H & M Dugdale (490) 700gns

Auctioneers: RG & RB Williams