Builth tups sell to 8200gns top call

More than 85% of the sheep forward at yesterday’s main NSA ram sale at Builth found new homes on a trade which saw breeders take home just shy of £2.2m, up by nearly £300,000 on last year.

Leading the sale was a Texel shearling from Bill and Elizabeth Reed’s Scolton flock, Spittal, Haverfordwest. Sired by a Caereinion tup bred in Cefin Pryce’s flock at Welshpool, he sold to Somerset-based breeder Dave Chave for the Peacehay flock having stood second in the pre-sale show. Mr Chave said the tup was just what the modern breeder needed. “He has the width and length I wanted and he moves well too.”

Next best in the Texels was a 3800gns sale for a shearling from Mr Pryce’s Caereinion flock which sold to the Quick family for their Loosebeare flock at Crediton, Devon. So impressed were the Reed’s with the progeny of their previous two tups from Mr Pryce that they were underbidders on this one.

In the Bluefaced Leicesters on offer the top price was a 4200gns bid for a ram lamb from Myrfyn Walters and family, Gaerwen. Having been champion in the pre-sale show this one was bought by telephone buyer Alan Clarke, Mossamains, Cockermouth. Mr Clarke had spotted the tup lamb at Anglesey show. Mr Walters hopes to retain a share in the lamb for his own use.

Herefordshire-based Charollais breeders the Probert family had another successful say at Builth, trading shearlings at up to 4200gns. Their breed leader had been reserve champion in the breed’s pre-sale show and sold in a two way split to Adrian Davies, Manordeilo, and D J Curran, Talgarth. The Proberts also sold another at 2300gns.

The best of the Lleyns were also in demand, with the breed peaking at 2700gns for a shearling from Emrys and Dylan Jones, Commins Coch, Machynlleth. This one sold to Simon Kavanagh, Skipton.

At the same price was the best of the Border Leicesters, a shearling tup from Jim Brown’s Northumberland-based flock. Buying this one were Messrs Whitcombe, Petersfield, Hampshire.

In the Suffolks the pick of the trade was a 2500gns sale for a ram lamb from the Davies family, Llangorse, Brecon, which sold to Jim Jones, Nantgaredig.

And other breeds also realised good prices with a Badger Faced Torddu ram lamb from Christie and Ryan Joseph selling for 1580gns to A V Brigg, Warwick.

Other leading prices included a Beltex shearling at 2080gns, a Blue Texel ewe at 1100gns, a South Country Cheviot at 1450gns, a Berrichon du Cher ram lamb at 1000gns, and a Beulah at 650gns.

Main averages; 786 Texel shearlings £623.65, 284 Texel ram lambs £350.27, 432 Bluefaced Leicester shearlings £613.50, 102 Bluefaced Leicester ram lambs £478.88, 332 Charollais shearlings £608.15, 201 Charollais ram lambs £507.29, 71 MV Suffolk shearlings £561.53, 207 MV Suffolk ram lambs £342.30, 369 non-MV shearlings £580.69, five non-MV Suffolk ram lambs £342.30, 89 Beltex shearlings £328.69, 221 Beltex cross shearlings £467.03, 65 Berrichon shearlings £407.83, 31 Berrichon ram lambs £412.89.