Early Sale Report and averages can also be found on the Early Sale Section
5th August 2019
Buyers were generally pleased and relieved with the prices achieved at the NSA Wales & Border Early Ram Sale. The headline prices at the sale on the Royal Welsh Showground, topped by a 1400 guinea Texel, were good and supported by strong averages.
Turnover was £152,929.30 and 282 rams were sold, representing 71.39% of the number forward compared to 54.36 in 2018. Buyers travelled from as far as the Isle of Man, with George and Gill Moore taking two Charollais home.
The sale even attracted even the attention of the Washington Post, whose London Bureau Chief attended. Organisers, buyers and vendors were in good form, despite the uncertainties hanging over the sheep sector.
Executive Director Jane Smith said:“Quality rams were finding a ready market, with perhaps a better trade than expected. There is a certainly a degree of concern over the future, but many farmers have held off buying over the past two years and now need to replace those rams. We shall look forward to a decent trade at the Main Sale"
The highest price of the day went to the Chave family whose breed champion shearling Peacehay ram made 1400 guineas. He sold by phone bid to Phil Uglow who had been impressed by the tup family at the Devon County Show. Peacehay Beelzebub is a full brother to the Peacehay ram sold for 23,000 guineas at Worcester two years ago. His sister took the breed championship at Devon County Show this year and, with another full brother, won the interbreed championship. Sue Chave described the tup as ‘very strong and correct, with good breed character, and stands well’. She and son, Henry, were pleased with the trade, having had ‘a good run’. She added: “It was a fairly picky trade, but people paid for what they picked out. They were more choosy than in other years. I thought they might have been more picky, so all in all we’re pleased.”
The highest priced Charollais, a ram lamb, was sold by Gethin and Eleri Gibbin for 1350 guineas. They trade as Drefach Farms at Henllan Amgoed, Whitland. The ram lamb was out of one of the first ewes they bought, out of Glyncoch 569 when they established the Llangan flock six years ago. It comprises 60 breeding ewes and the couple show locally. They also have a commercial flock of 50 ewes and 300 milking cows. They bought the highest priced Charollais ram lamb at the early sale last year, Castellau Talent, for 1900 guineas from Tim Prichard. Another Charollais sold for 1080 guineas, a shearling sold by Gerald Burrough, who bought him at Worcester last year.
A Suffolk ram lamb out of Phil Poole’s Salopian Flock topped the breed at 800 guineas, selling to 12 year old Guto Price. The ram’s half brother sold last week at Sterling for 30,000 guineas. Their father, Solwaybank Rock Solid, was purchased 2 years ago for 26,000 guineas. Guto, a pupil at Bro Dinefwr, Llandeilo, runs his flock of 9 ewes alongside his father, Alun’s commercial flock of Welsh Mountains and 30 pedigree Blue Faced Leicesters. He wanted a different breed for his own flock and liked the tup’s ‘wide size and nice head’.
A shearling Beltex X was sold by Tim Prichard for 800 guineas. The Powerhouse tup was homebred out of one of his Texel ewes.
