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The Southdown Sheep Society's second annual sale at Worcester saw a steady trade with females in strong demand, while tups were harder to place.

But, despite this, it was the male champion from the pre-sale show which led the day's trade at 550gns. This one was a January-born ram lamb from the Glaves family's Brompton flock, Scarborough. By Chaileybrook 07/0019, sire of this year's Royal Show reserve male champion and sale topper at the breed's Maidstone fixture, Brompton 09/0026 is out of a homebred ewe. With a muscle depth scanned at 37mm at 21 weeks, this one headed back to Kent to join the Chaileybrook flock of his sire.

Next best call was a 275gns bid for the day's female and overall champion from Stephen and Paul Humphrey's East Dean flock. This shearling ewe, by East Dean A136 and out of East Dean A1 sold to Martin Smale, Tavistock.

Then at 230gns was another shearling ewe, this time from Bob Backshall's Caesars flock. She is by Caesars 04/001 and out of Caesars 04/0012 and sold with a second prize ticket from the show to Messrs Glaves.

Selling for 220gns was the best shearling ewe of the day from Howard Wood's Prescoed flock. This one, by Southern Cross 06/0010 and out of Prescoed 06/009 sold to Drew Coulter, Lanark.

Best among the shearling rams on offer was a 240gns call for Brompton 08/0040 from Messrs Glaves. This one is a son of Brompton 04/0003 and out of Brompton 04/0046. He sold to Mr Westwood.

Another of Mr Backshall's strong pen then made 200gns. This one, also by Caesars 04/001 and out of Caesars 03/0039 sold to local buyers Messrs Burroughs. (McCartneys).

The premier Southdown sale at Maidstone on Saturday saw stock sold to buyers from across the country who were keen to secure the breed's leading bloodlines and tellingly it was these well travelled buyers, many of them commercial producers who bid strongest.

Leading the trade at 590gns was the best sale of the day from my own Chaileybrook flock, a shearling ram which had stood reserve male champion at this year's Royal Show. This one is by a homebred sire, Chaileybrook 07/0019 -  a son of out imported French sire, TC4028 - and out of a ewe by the same sire. He sold to Kevin Hawes, Hartfield, for his Nightingale Farm flock.

Selling at 580gns was the best of the day from Messrs Whitcombe's Southern Cross flock, Churt, Surrey. This one by East Dean Guardsman 05/0271 and out of a homebred ewe sold for commercial use.

At 560gns was another from the Chaileybrook and another by the same sire. Also out of a TC4028 daughter this one sold to Harry Emslie, Peterhead, Aberdeen, for use in his commercial flock.

Champion from the pre-sale show was yet another from Chaileybrook, this time a son of TC4028 himself and out of a homebred ewe by East Dean Z30. This one sold at 420gns to commercial farmer Mr Coulter, Biggar, Lanarkshire, who is establishing a nucleus purebred flock as well.

Among the ram lambs on offer it was again a Chaileybrook animal which topped the sale, with a March-born son of Southern Cross 07/0013 out of a TC4028 daughter, which was full sister to this year's South of England Show female champion, making 300gns when selling to Gail Sprake for her All Saints flock, Suffolk. A full brother to the pre-sale champion then sold at 200gns to an Oxfordshire buyer for his pedigree flock.

Then among the females the fine form of the Chaileybrook offering continued, with a shearling ewe by Chaileybrook 07/0019 and out of a dam by TC4028 making the day's top female price of 340gns when selling to Messrs Bulmer, Malton, North Yorkshire.

The pre-sale female champion and reserve overall champion was a shearling ewe from Messrs Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer's Ridings flock. This one, by Chaileybrook 06/0007 and out of a homebred ewe sold at 250gns to Mo Williams, Derbyshire.

And the top call in the aged ewes was another from Chaileybrook, this time the dam of the top-priced shearling ewe which sold for 170gns to Mr Coulter, Biggar.

Leading the ewe lambs was the the pick of a strong pen from Messrs Whitcombe's Southern Cross flock. This one also sold to Mr Coulter at 180gns. Next best call here of 150gns was shared by two. The first was the pre-sale reserve female champion from the Whitcombes. This was a Southern Pastures 44/91 daughter out of a homebred ewe which sold to Jim Cresswell, Suffolk. The other at this money was again from Chaileybrook, this time a TC4028 daughter out of Chaileybrook A2, this sold to Mr Coulter.

Averages; seven older ewes £93.45, 18 shearling ewes £165.90, 11 ewe lambs £116.55, 13 shearling rams £433.65, four ram lambs £189 (Lambert and Foster).

Judging has just finished in the sheep lines for today and I've got a few more results to bring you.

Firstly the Beltex champion went to Steve and Sara Gibbons with their tup lamb, reserve were Andrew and Becky Bishop with their ewe lamb.

In the Bluefaced Leicesters the champion was Michael James with his aged ewe and reserve was Merv Roberts with an aged tup.

Finally the Southdown champion went to Sophie Arlott with her aged ewe and reserve was Roland Williams with an aged tup.

Taking the interbreed sheep award at East of England was the Texel leader, Neil and Emma Pamplin's shearling ewe. This homebred ewe, by Ettrick Jackpot and out of a dam by Cowell Maverick is one of 40 ewes kept by the couple at home at Ringstead, Northampton. She was previously interbreed champion at Suffolk last month and is destined for the breed's premier sale at Worcester.

Standing reserve to the Texel was the Suffolk and Native breeds champion, a two shear ram from Merrick and Julie Pinny, Northampton. This one is a Baileys tup purchased privately in 2007 and is one of a team of tups used on the family's 180 ewe Alloaks flock.

The Southdown breed enjoyed a return to winning ways at today's South of England Show, with Messrs Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer's shearling ram taking the interbreed title, a third in four years for the breed at the event.

This one, which stood reserve interbreed at Suffolk and interbreed at Heathfield is by a homebred tup and out of a homebred ewe. He was praised by judge, Charollais breeder Tim Pritchard for his exceptional fleshing throughout and style and ring presence.

Standing reserve was the champion from the Any Other Down Breed section, a Hampshire Down shearling ewe from myself and Chrissie's Chaileybrook flock. This one, by Owlesbury Xerxes and out of a Pode Hole ewe is one of 15 ewes we run at home alongside the 20 Southdowns. She was bought from Charles and Sally Horrell as a ewe lamb for the foundation of the flock and now heads to the Royal in July.

In the sheep lines here at Suffolk Show it was the turn of the Texel champion from Neil and Emma Pamplin, Ringstead, Northampton, to take top honours.

Their interbreed champion was a homebred shearling ewe by Cowell Maverick and out of a homebred ewe by Ettrick Jackpot. The couple run 40 Texel ewes alongside a flock of 30 Beltex ewes.

Standing reserve overall was the Southdown champion, a homebred shearling ram from Messrs Wakeham Dawson and Harmer, Lewes. This one is fully homebred, being by a homebred tup, Ridings 06 042 and out of a homebred ewe.

Southdown sired lambs were to the fore in the sheep section at yesterday's South Eastern Primestock Winter Fayre, with both the overall championship and reserve championship going to Southdown progeny.

Leading the way were a pair of purebred Southdowns from Messrs Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer's Ridings flock from Offham, Lewes. This pair had earlier won the purebred native class before going on to take the native championship. These lambs later sold for £80 to local butcher Tony Foulkes.

The reserve pair, were from my own flock and were Southdown x Suffolk lambs by the French sire we imported in 2005 and which has sired sons to £2250. These lambs were May born out of pure Suffolk ewes by a Belgian-bred sire.

Having stood first in the native crossbred class they then stood reserve overall native and followed the purebreds through to the reserve overall award. Mr Foulkes also bought this pair at £65.

Southdown breeders returned to Maidstone last weekend for their annual Premier Show and Sale, having suffered the disappointment of a last minute cancellation last year due to foot-and-mouth.

Topping the trade was Tunbridge wells-based Messrs Crundwell's shearling ram from their Ladywell flock which had stood second in the shearling ram class, sired by East Dean 03/0016 and out of a homebred ewe, this one sold for 550gns to Dennis Jenkins' Heathgate flock, Thetford, Norfolk.

Next top went to the pre-sale champion, another sheep bred by the Crundwell's, but this time forward from Jim and Patsy Cresswell's Wattisfield flock at diss, Norfolk. This two shear, again by the East Dean sire, took a call of 450gns and joins Moira Williams' Pindale flock in Derbyshire.

Leading the way among the local buyers was Udimore-based Frank Langrish when he bid 360gns for Jonathan Long's French sired entry from his Chaileybrook flock. Mr Long was also prominent among the ram lambs, trading one by the French sire at 300gns to join Richard Bulmer's newly established flock at Great Habton, North Yorkshire.

Female trade was led by Messrs Wakeham Dawson and Harmer's shearling ewe which stood female champion, this one is by Steepdown A2 and sold at 220gns, with Philip and Rosemary Whitcombe's Australian-type shearling making 205gns to join Messrs Cresswell (Lambert and Foster).