NSA South West Region Ram Sale 2015
Date: 19th August 2015
RING ONE
This year’s sale marked the introduction of a new category for crossbred rams, which gathered plenty of interest. The best Texel cross Charollais, from EW Quick & Sons of Crediton sold to £609, while Andy and Wendy Reed of Cullompton’s Beltex cross Charollais was sold at £525. Berrichon’s averaged £459 this year, up £2 on the previous year’s sale. This year’s top priced Berrichon sold to £756 for Henault Jack and son of Malcom Yeo, Yarnscombe.
Texels were, as expected, a slightly easier trade throughout. FH Chave and Son of Wellington topped the shearlings with ‘Peacehay Vick’, sold for £924. Robert and Rebecca Jordan, of Chagford, sold their run to a top price of £840 twice. 101 Shearling Rams, identical to last year, sold to £924, averaging £465, back £72 and very similar to 2013. A cracking trade for females saw shearling ewes sold to £420 for Malcolm Yeo. Ewe lambs were sold to £399 for Clinton Devon Farms.
RING TWO
Border Leicester shearling rams sold to £630 and shearling ewes to £273 for MJ & JM Pile of Barnstaple.
Hampshire Downs experienced a variable trade, selling to £420 for HC Derryman and Sons of Yarcombe and £315 for Richard Cole of Tavistock.
Shropshires from Bowles and Bray of Cullompton sold to £367.50. A similar number of Suffolk rams on offer sold to a much more difficult trade overall. HC Derryman and Sons dominated the top prices, reaching £945, nearly £200 more than last year’s top price. M. Payne of Wellington sold their Suffolks well, considering they were last in the ballot, to reach £640.50. Plenty of Suffolks sold between £380 and £500 to achieve an overall average of £423, down £85 on 2014. 48 Suffolks were sold in total, nine less than 2014.
Roussin’s sold to £210 for Gwen Renfree of Liskeard. Lleyns sold to £441 for Richard Turner of Honiton and £336 for Dudley Shellard of Wells. Dorset Rams sold to £441 for Edwin Pocock of Sheffield and £420 twice for Les French of Launceston.
RING THREE
A smaller entry of Beltex than catalogued sold to a noticeably stronger trade. Shearlings sold to £840 for Judith Lapthorne of Plympton who picked up Male Champion with her shearling ram, Challonsleigh Warick, selling to £682.50.
Andrew and Chris Kingdon of Newquay, saw £714 while ram lambs sold to £630 for the first prize and reserve champion male, Fingle Admiral, from Louise Moorhouse of Crockernwell. Females were also in great demand. The overall champion was a second shearling from Louise Moorhouse, knocked down at £630 while the Reserve Champion Female from J and G Howieson of Watchet sold to £504.
A similar entry of Charollais’ in terms of number and quality sold as expected. Shearling rams topped at £787.50 for Gerald Burrough of Honiton. The first prize shearling came from C Hopper and Son of Tiverton and sold for £651.
Shearling rams averaged a pleasing £533, back £36 on 2014, but £13 dearer than 2013. Lambs were headed by the overall champion from Carol Irwin of Kings Nympton, selling at £840. The reserve champion from C Hopper and Son sold at £577.50. All 46 Ram Lambs sold, 6 less than 2014, averaged £380 which was back £15 on last year. Charollais females were keenly bid for, with older ewes peaking at £420. The champion female was sold at £378, from Arthur and Rosemary Wrayford. Others sold to £336 for Michael and Melanie Alford. Shearling ewes sold to £472.50 for EW Quick and Sons. Ewe lambs from Ben Watts sold at £315.
