Ewe with respected maternal traits
The desert like conditions of the West Country did not deter buyers who needed breeding replacements. Several buyers had trailers and wagons to fill. Some of the sheep on offer showed they had been short of grass but ready to go on with likely improvement on better ground.
The shearling ewes started with a mixed trade but as confidence built and numbers available dwindled, the trade picked up momentum. AG Selway from Stalbridge saw his run top the trade when selling a pen of five at £255/head to D & S Searle, Helstone. Messrs Searle bought another pen at £235/head. From the same home, J Sanders-Carr, Cullompton gave £220/head whilst T Hall, Bodmin gave £215/head. AW Hughes, Garndolbenmaen sold the 1st prize pen for £215/head to Oxbridge Farm, Dorset. He sold another pen at £215/head to CHS Enterprises, Winkleigh.
The three prize winning individual shearling ewes saw AW Hughes obtain a bid of £500 after the sale from Harper Holdings Ltd, Holsworthy. AW Davies, Pwllheli sold his 2nd prize ewe for £250 to P & J Shipton, Dorset. SE Hughes, Garndolbenmaen sold her third prize ewe for £240 also purchased by P & J Shipton.
Stronger, well-turned-out ewes were finding homes from £170-200. Slightly harder done to ewes particularly earlier on the sale sold for £130-£140 easily lifting to £150-160 in the second half.
Ewe lambs saw a very spicey trade with many smaller lambs on offer. It was the first pen into the ring from RJ Irwin, Kingsnympton that topped the section at £160/head to regular buyer SP Gubbin & Son, Launceston. The same buyer bid £152/head for another pen from the same home. Twose Farms, Whitland sold some early born lambs which had been shorn, these sold for £155/head to SP Gubbin. The first prize pen from AW Davies sold for £150/head to G & J Chorley & Son.
There was 100% clearance in the ewe lamb section with everything £100 plus. Majority of pens £120 plus. Larger lambs were making the bigger prices but also smaller stylish types were being picked out.
Rams saw plenty of demand with 62 forward and 57 sold. Very few were under 400gns with those best rams easily making 800gns plus. Six rams hit the 1000gns mark.
E & D Jones, Machynlleth once again topped when selling a Lluest Ram (00599/2112831) sired by a Whitcastle Hot Stuff for 2,800gns to Harper Holding Ltd, Helpworthy. Messrs Jones sold his next ram (00599/2112903) sired by Whitcastle Enigmia for 1500gns to CM & A Crudge, Tiverton. P & S Eckett, Lydlinch sold Lydden Kingsholm (02185/2101546) sired by a Marcus Bullock ram for 1200gns to R Saunders, Malmsbury. AG Selway sold a Thornhill Ram (01156/2109333) sired by Southam Ironman for 1200gns to LA Wyatt, Cullompton. Twose Farms, first in the ring, sold two for their pen for 1000gns to Devon buyers.
Averages
Shearling Ewes to £255 (£500) av. £169
Ewe Lambs to £160 av. £124
Rams to 2800gns av. £660
Top Prices
Pens Shearling Ewes
AG Selway £255
AG Selway £235
AG Selway £220
AG Selway £215
AW Hughes £215 (x2)
E & D Jones £200
SE Hughes £198
E & D Jones £198
AW Hughes £195
Harper Holdings Ltd £195
D & S Searle £190
Individual Shearling Ewes
AW Hughes £500
AW Davies £250
SE Hughes £240
Ewe Lambs
RJ Irwin £160
Twose Farms £155
RJ Irwin £152
AW Davies £150
RJ Irwin £145
S & JB Roberts £140
C & J Price £140
Manor Farm East Marden £132
AW Davies £132
Twose Farms £130 (x2)
C & A Crudge £130
Rams
E & D Jones (62) 2800gns
E & D Jones (63) 1500gns
P & S Eckett (8) 1200gns
AG Selway (45) 1200gns
Twose farms (3) 1000gns
Twose Farms (1) 1000gns
D & O Bond (39) 850gns
AW Davies (42) 800gns
Harpers Holding Ltd (55) 800gns
RHS Turner (13) 800gns
Pre-Sale Show
Judges: Rams – MH Miller, Females – A West
Aged Ram
Recorded Ram
West Country Shearling Ram
Shearling Ram
CHAMPION RAM – AW DAVIES (40)
Individual Shearling Ewe
Pen of 5 Shearling Ewes
Pen of 5 Ewe Lambs
CHAMPION FEMALES AW HUGHES