Rookery ram lamb leads the Suffolk national sale at 10,000gns

 

Strong demand for well-fleshed, commercially focused ram lambs led to a top price of 10,000gns and a 75% clearance rate at the first Suffolk Sheep Society sale of the season.

Leading the trade at the national sale at Shrewsbury last week (19 July) was the champion from the pre-sale show, a ram lamb from Chris Holmes and family’s Rookery flock, Broadway, Worcestershire.

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This lamb, DND 14:00338, is a son of the 21,000gns joint purchase from last year’s Stirling sale, Cairness Great Expectations. Bred from a dam by Cairness Achievement, he was breed champion at the Royal Three Counties Show in June.

He sold to Mary Julia Cornish for her Mardle flock, Devon.

Another lamb from the same pen, DND 14:00385, took the second best price of the day at 5,200gns. This was another Cairness Great Expectations son and is out of a home-bred dam by Williamsgill Prince William.

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Following him at 4,400gns was the best of the day from Steven and Louise Buckley’s Sitlow flock. Their pen topper was 45Z 14:01359, a son of last year’s 4,400gns purchase Stockton Turbine out of a dam by Strathisla Sinatra.

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Selling with an index of 2.52, he was bought by JM Robinson and Son, Great Limber, Grimsby.

Just shy of that at 4,300gns was another Rookery lamb, DND 14:00334. This one is an embryo transfer (ET) bred full brother to the champion and sale topper and was bought by Paul Fletcher, Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

Reserve champion from the pre-sale show made 4,000gns from the Liggett family’s Carony flock, Drumquin, Co Tyrone. This lamb, DBB 14:00454, is sired by the 4,800gns purchase Rhaeadr Vodka and is out of a dam by Rhaeadr Red Bull.

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This winning mix was sold in a two-way partnership with Hazel Martindale and Caroline Roots, taking half each for their Landale and Kilnford flocks respectively.

Knocked down at 3,400gns was the best of the day from Mike Davies’ Saffadan flock, NLH 14:00546. Sired by the 4,000gns Forkins Fagan, this lamb is out of a dam by Kings High and Mighty and sold to Richard Fitton, Bolton, for his Maestro flock.

Following that came a pair at 3,000gns, the first being with the first of these being a lamb from Co Fermanagh-based Gary Beacom. He sold for export to Belgium to join the flock of S Roels, Oulueg.

The other at this money was the Buckley family’s 45Z 14:01407. Selling with an index of 3.11, he was claimed by Tom Cox, Church Eaton, Staffordshire.

Shearling rams
The best price in the small offering of shearling rams came for Viv Samuel’s first-prize winner from the Monkton flock, Y18 13:017, when he sold at 1,400gns. This Rhaeadr General son is out of a Strathisla Speedway dam and sold to Phil Smith, Worcestershire.

Females
Leading the female trade at 700gns was the female championship-winning ewe lamb from the Pryce family’s Horton flock. This was 138A 14:00179 and she heads to the Mardle flock in Devon. (J Straker Chadwick and Sons with Halls).

Averages: 111 ram lambs, £1,282.75; two shearling rams, £1,102.50; 10 ewe lambs, £327.39; two shearling ewes, £357.