Quality sells well at Melton

A smaller number rams were forward than previous years at this year’s Melton Midlands Sheep Fair including the NSA Eastern Region Ram Sale, but quality rams still met solid ringside bidding, with most rams forward away to new homes. 

Pre sale judging was carried out very ably by Angela Tarry-Smith with a strong pen of Texel Shearling rams from Phil Weaver, Nottinghamshire, being selected as her champion.

The Beltex were first into the sale ring with Chiltern Beltex selling a shearling to a top of 680gns. 

Blue Texels were seeing highs of 620gns from SJ Timms, Warwickshire.

Texels were far and away the most numerous at the sale with some fantastic pens of shearling rams forward. Topping the day saw shearling rams to 1050gns from R & B Smith, Northamptonshire, with Phil Weaver hot on their heels with rams to 900gns, 820gns and 800gns.

Charollais as always were popular with second in the ring Charles Sercombe, Leicestershire, selling away to 880gns and 860gns, with CD Timm, Yorkshire, showing strong rams to 750gns on two occasions.

Messrs Hallam and Egglestone, Leicestershire took the top price for a Suffolk shearling at the sale, selling to 780gns, with others from the same stable to 720gns and 700gns.

Crossbred rams were still in strong demand,flying to 820gns for a Charollais cross Beltex from CD Timm.

Results:

Pen of four Suffolk ram lambs:

1^st – D & J Inman, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

2^nd – Hallam & Eggleston, Loughborough, Leicestershire.

Pen of four Suffolk shearling rams:

1^st – R A Harrison, Spilsby, Lincolnshire.

2^nd - Hallam & Eggleston, Loughborough, Leicestershire.

Pen of four Charollais ram lambs:

1^st – Galtres Farming, York.

Pen of four Charollais shearling rams:

1^st – C R Sercombe, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

2^nd – Chris Timm, Pickering, North Yorkshire.

3^rd – B & G Hinton, Towcester, Northamptonshire.

Pen of four Texel shearling rams:

1^st – Philip Weaver, Newark, Nottinghamshire.

2^nd – R & B Smith, Towcester, Northamptonshire .

3^rd – Chris Timm, Pickering, North Yorkshire

Champion pen of four ram lambs – NSA Eastern Region Trophy:

Champion – D & J Inman, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire. – Suffolk

Champion pen of four shearling rams – John Hallam Trophy:

Champion - Philip Weaver, Newark, Nottinghamshire. – Texel

Overall Champion pen of four – Melton Borough Salver:

Supreme Champion - Philip Weaver, Newark, Nottinghamshire. – Texel

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Note on the sale. NSA ram sales around the country pride themselves in selling high quality animals that are independently inspected for testicles, teeth and general health by an NSA-approved inspector. NSA Eastern Region is committed to taking this one step further with its two sales (at Rugby and Melton Mowbray) being for MV-accredited rams only, giving buyers an additional level of assurance. Unlike for many iceberg diseases, an accessible accreditation scheme is available for MV and NSA Eastern Region supports breeders’ involvement in the programme to contribute towards health standards within the national flock.