The British Charollais Sheep Society's premier sale at Worcester last weekend - the first of the season's terminal sire ram sales - boosted the confidence of a sheep sector beleaguered by bluetongue zoning restrictions as bidding reached a top of 5000gns and saw over 20 rams sell at over four figures.
Sheep from Tim Prichard's Castellau flock at Llantrisant, Glamorgan has long been a force to be reckoned with in both the show and sale rings and it was some skilful breeding based on the flock's most successful bloodlines that paid off earning him the day's top call of 5000gns.
The early December-born ram lamb Castellau Ieuan is an ET-bred son of Flashy Lady who took the 2006 Royal Welsh Show's inter-breed championship. Ieuan was secured by new breeder John Davies from Stoke-on-Trent.
Another ram lamb from the same flush - Castellau Iestyn - made 3700gns to Gloucestershire breeder L M Buckland who runs the Stonebow flock.
No one could deny the depth of quality in the pen of Herefordshire breeder Peter Vaughan who presented an impressive string of ram lambs from his Kings Land flock. The six lambs averaged £2677.
His top price of 3700gns was paid for the overall champion - Kings Land Invincible - bought by Jonathan and Carroll Barber for their Crogham flock in Norfolk.
Kings Land Igor, also by Exotic, claimed the reserve championship and heads for Yorkshire with buyers D and D Lee at 3200gns.
Another from the same pen - the Galtres Guardian sired Kings Land Impeccable - made 3050gns to Mike Alford's Foxhill flock in Devon.
Impeccable's twin brother, Kings Land Indestructible, was bought jointly by Welsh breeders Edward Lewis and Meilir Jones for 3000gns.
Long established Leicestershire breeder Charles Sercombe brought fully vaccinated and blood tested sheep from his Dalby flock and earned a best of 2300gns for the high index ram lamb Dalby Inspired.
Sired by the 2007 Royal Show champion Rockvilla Golden Promise, he joins Richard and Jane Easom's Grimston flock at Melton Mowbray.
There were two more four-figure deals for Dalby entries. Dalby Iggle Piggle - by Foulrice Garcia that stood inter-breed champion at Derby Show last year - made 1350gns to Mrs Diane Rusbridge, Carmarthenshire while the Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire based D and W Livestock gave 1000gns for Dalby Illustrious who combines Lowerye and Rutland breeding.
Best of the ram lambs from York-based Charles Marwood's Foulrice flock was a Foulrice Grenadier son - Foulrice Ivor - taken at 2100gns by John Osborne, Cornwall.
Tim Prichard was back in the money when the shearling tups came up for grabs. He led this section at 3400gns with Castellau Hob Nob - a Galtres Dominator son - bred out of a Highway Mr Softie sired ewe whose progeny have sold for a total of 22,000gns.
Buyer was new breeder Christopher Hawes, Bicester who has recently purchased an entire flock as a foundation and now runs over 100 Charollais ewes.
Mr Hawes also bought a 1500gns half share in the highest index sheep on offer at the sale - Neil Outram's ram lamb Lowerye Is a Good'un. Mr Outram retains half ownership of this Dalby Galactico son.
Mrs Jennifer Curtis, of Daffurn and Curtis, Evesham, Worcestershire collected the ram championship with Elmwick Harvest Gold. This ram, by Langstone Fan Fare, realised 1550gns to new Lincolnshire-based breeder Graham Allenby.
Averages: 44 ram lambs £1177 and 30 shearling rams £719. (McCartneys).
Comments (2)
Glad to see the Charollais society had a good sale - cracking average! Sheep trade this year is going to be hard enough, so I'm glad supply met demand.
Posted by baa-ram-you | July 1, 2008 8:43 PM
Posted on July 1, 2008 20:43
why have the charollais never really taken off? There seems to be right specimens here...
Posted by Miss Wales | July 2, 2008 10:59 PM
Posted on July 2, 2008 22:59