Trade for females was nothing short of electric at the Society’s annual Exeter sale, held at Kivells Livestock Market, as prices for pens of shearling ewes soared to heights of £290 per head, with no fewer than 65 pens selling in excess of £200.

Attracting the top bid for penned females was the second lead pen of five shearling ewes from W Davies, Bronallt, Morfa Nefyn, Pwllheli, Gwynedd. They headed home with SM & EM Reed, Higher Kingstree, Devon – who also secured another pen of Bronallt gimmers for £250 per head.

Next best bid came for the top pen from SE Hughes, Ty Cerrig, Garndolbenmaen which went under the hammer at £270 per head. This pen was snapped up by C Gay, North Widdicombe Farm, Bristol.

The same buyer also paid £270 per head for a strong pen of shearling ewes from P & S Eckett, Minster House, Lydlinch.

It was a good few days for WJ & DJ Williams, Bodtacho Ddu, Nefyn who landed the champion pen of females title the previous day at the pre-sale show. This pen then went on to sell for £265 to fellow breeder, P Martin, Little Thriverton, Holsworthy.

Seconds later, another pen of five shearling ewes from Mr Williams reached £245 per head and headed home with C Gay.

TR Stratton, Chittleford Farm, Widecombe In The Moor Hughes bought his pick of the shearling ewes from AW Hughes, Ty Cerrig, Garndolbenmaen at £245 per head.

Mr W Davies was back in the money as he dominated the individual ewe trade with his first prize shearling ewe being knocked down to Slievenamon Lleyns, Gratton House, Exeter for £400.

Close behind was AW Hughes with his second prize shearling ewe making £360 when selling to A Glessing, Meadow View, Holsworthy.

The third prize shearling ewe from P & S Eckett secured £270 and caught the eye of C Gay, with the section levelling out at an impressive £225.45 for 419 sold in total.

 

The excitement of a successful sale didn’t stop there, as the ewe lamb trade proved to be a flyer – with 200 sold to average £139.91, some £17.91 up on the corresponding year.

Leading the charge at £200 per head was a pen of five from RHS Turner, Home Leigh House, Luton, Payhembury. Having been awarded the first prize honours the day previous, this bunch headed home with SA Carter, Bishops Court, Fluxton.

W Davies sold his two pens of ewe lambs to £175 and £170 per head. These were knocked down to A Glessing and J Cain, 50 Abingdon Road, Maidstone, respectively.

Next in the money was the second prize pen of ewe lambs from C Price, Felindre Farm, Upperchapel, Brecon, which attracted a bid of £170 and sold to SP Gubbin & Son, Brendon Barton, Launceston.

Two pens of ewe lambs then hit the £165 price tag, the first deriving from WJ & DJ Williams and another pen which travelled back home with SP Gubbin & Son. Twose Farms Ltd landed the second bid for their best pen of ewe lambs, which attracted the attention of C Gay.

Close behind at £162 per head were a lovely pen of ewe lambs from Dr & Mrs JM & GC Adams, Gondolin, Ruan High Lanes, Truro, Cornwall. These girls were snapped up by James George & Rachel Bromage, Higher Argal Farm, Cornwall.

 

Trade appeared selective amongst the tups, with the section averaging 640gns.

Securing the top price in the section was the pre-sale show overall ram champion, Ty Cerrig Lone Ranger (00825/2203485), from SE Hughes and sired by (02401/1902416). In a fierce bidding war, this boy was eventually knocked down to Harpers Holding Ltd, Trepoyle Farm, North Tamerton, Holsworthy.

E & D Jones, Lluest Wen, Comins Coch, Machynlleth landed the next best price of 1000gns for their Lluest leader, (00599/2314840). Sired by Borrins Jester, with his dam having reared twins every year – this boy attracted the eye of J Cain.

Moments later, another from the Lluest pen (00599/2314808) made 750gns when selling to SM & EM Reed. Sired by Tacho Kit Kat, his dam is a cracking Whitscastle HotStuff daughter.

SB & JE Roberts, Gwyndy, Bryncroes, Sarn, Pwllheli, Gwynedd were next in the trade stakes with their best ram (00012/2302585) also reaching 750gns. Sired by stock ram (:00552/1903144), he was knocked down to HR Ayres & NA Nicholslee Farm, Devon.

Two from the Bronallt pen of W Davies secured 750gns apiece, the first being Bronallt Martin (00050/2308580), which stood second in his class at this year’s Royal Welsh Show. Sired by stock ram (01158/1906892), he joins G & J Chorley & Son, Springsfield Farm in Somerset.

SC & J Bowden, Callisham Cottage, Devon managed to bag the second ram, Bronallt Meurig

(00050/2308587). He is completely out of home-bred stock, with his sire being (00050/1805154).

The final 750gns bid came for the pen leader from P & S Eckett. Their boy LYDDEN Merlin (02185/2301892) is sired by the 2022 Ross-on-Wye sale champion (00350/2106853) and was bought by K Knight, Dairy Cottage, Hampshire       .

 

Averages

Aged ewes to £195 av. £185

Shearling ewes to £290 (£400) av. £225.45 (+£31.92)

Ewe lambs to £200 av. £139.91 (+17.91)

Rams to 2500gns av. 640gns (-£55)

 

Top prices

5-year-old ewes

RHS Turner, £175

 

4-year-old ewes

RHS Turner, £180

 

3-year-old ewes

RHS Turner, £190

 

2-year-old ewes

RHS Turner, £195

 

Individual shearling ewes

W Davies, £400

AW Hughes, £360

P & S Eckett, £270

 

Pens of shearling ewes

W Davies, £290

SE Hughes, £270

P & S Eckett, £270

WJ & DJ Williams, £265

W Davies, £250

WJ & DJ Williams, £245

AW Hughes, £245

P & S Eckett, £242

P & S Eckett, £240

R Saunders, £240

 

Pens of ewe lambs

RHS Turner, £200

W Davies, £175

W Davies, £170

C Price, £170

WJ & DJ Williams, £165

Twose Farms Ltd, £165

JM & GC Adams, £162

RHS Turner, £158

RJ Irwin, £158

RHS Turner, £155

RJ Irwin, £152

C Price, £150 (x2)

Manor Farm East Marden, £150

RHS Turner, £150

 

Rams

SE Hughes, 2500gns

E & D Jones, 1000gns

E & D Jones, 750gns

SB & JE Roberts, 750gns

W Davies, 750gns (x2)

P & S Eckett, 750gns

Harpers Holdings Ltd, 700gns

DF & OM Bond, 700gns

RHS Turner, 700gns

 

Show results

Judges: Dominic & Bethan Klinkenberg

 

Single shearling ewe

1st - W Davies, Flock 50, sale pen no. 319

2nd - AW Hughes, Flock 287

3rd - P & S Eckett, Flock 2185, sale pen no. 303

 

Pen of 5 shearling ewes

1st - W Williams, Flock 350, sale pen no. 265

2nd - D Jones, Flock 599, sale pen no. 242

3rd - AW Hughes, Flock 287, sale pen no. 247

 

Pen of 5 ewe lambs

1st - RHS Turner, Flock 1097

2nd - C Price, Flock 1757, sale pen no. 331

3rd - B & S Harper, Flock 2580, sale pen no. 347

 

Aged ram

1st - SE Hughes, Flock 825, lot no. 20

2nd - RHS Turner, Flock 1097, lot no. 56

3rd - AG Selway, Flock 1156, lot no. 29

 

Recorded ram

1st - D Bond, Flock 2504

2nd - P & S Eckett, Flock 2185

3rd - R Saunders, Flock 2309, lot no. 23

 

West Country ram

1st - RHS Turner, Flock 1097, lot no. 58

2nd - DJ Searle, Flock 2567, lot no. 54

3rd - P & S Eckett, Flock 2185, lot no. 61

 

Open ram

1st - W Davies, Flock 50, lot no.12

2nd - RHS Turner, Flock 1097

3rd - D Jones, Flock 599, lot no. 7

 

Champion ram - SE Hughes, Flock 825, lot no. 20

Champion pen of females - W Williams, Flock 350, sale pen no. 265