Close call for stock lorry

A DENBIGHSHIRE farmer his son and 21 Bluefaced Leicester rams survived a head-on collision that left their stock lorry precariously overhanging a canal.

Huw and Robert Francis were en-route to Monday‘s (Sept 20) National Sheep Association giant multi breed ram sale on the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells when the accident occurred.

The sheep were uninjured. They were loaded into a friend‘s lorry and made it to the sale venue just minutes before the breed championship was judged.

Despite the stress of the collision one of the Francis family‘s rams took the top award and was sold 3600 guineas.

“What could have been a tragic day turned out well,” said Huw Francis.

Top price on the day was paid for a December born Charollais tup bred by the Murray family from Wolverhamption.

The group one scrapie genotype was knocked down for 5000 guineas to a consortium of breeders in the Midlands.

A total of 6137 sheep, or 88% of entries, were sold for an average of £348.58 a head. This pushed the sale turnover to more than £2.2m.