Charollais premier sale hits 7600gns

A new face among the Charollais ranks came up with the goods at the breed society’s show and sale at Worcester last weekend and earned the day’s highest price of 7600gns.

Peter Vaughan was making his debut at the breed’s premier fixture and it was his ram lamb Kingsland High Flyer that began his headlining ascent after being given a Gold Award in the pre-sale ram assessment. With no shortage of admirers, this son of Southam Exotic, was finally taken by Eire-based breeder Michael Power who runs the Ballyhibben flock in Co Limerick.

Mr Vaughan, who already has a 150-strong flock of Texels at his farm at Kingsland, Herefordshire, bought the ram in-vitro through the purchase of its dam from Lionel Organ’s Southam flock in Carmarthenshire last autumn. And Southam Exotic came good again with lambs from breed society chairman Herbert Kennedy, Dumfries. Two Exotic sons – Parkgate Hurricane and Parkgate Highlander – made 4200gns and 3100gns, respectively. Hurricane – a first prize winner at Lesmahagow – heads for Denbighshire with Myfyr Evans. Two Shropshire-based breeders shared Highlander – Robert Gregory (Edstaston) and Dave Reynolds (Severn Gorge).

Buyers were looking closely at performance figures and that focussed plenty of attention on Crogham Hannibal from Jonathan and Carroll Barber, Wymondham, Norfolk. By the high index ram Rockvilla Ferrari, he realised 4000gns to William Ingram of the Logie Durno flock in Aberdeenshire.

Topping the shearlings at 3200gns was Elmwick G4 from Jennifer Curtis and Derrick Daffurn.

The ram stood interbreed champion at the Royal Bath and West this summer and goes to North Yorkshire with Wetherby breeder Robert Tindall.

A strong consignment of ram lambs and shearlings from Tim Prichard’s Castellau flock in Glamorganshire reached 3000gns for the shearling Castellau General. This son of Galtres Dominator goes to Michael Miller, Dorset.

Another Dominator son – Arjane Hector from Arwyn Thomas, Carmarthenshire – made 1800gns to C D Timm, Goole, East Yorkshire. This ram achieved the highest score in the pre-sale evaluation.

Females reached 850gns paid for a yearling ewe from the Curtis/Daffurn partnership taken by Peter Vaughan. A ewe lamb from the Kelby flock of Thomas Mawer, and boasting high figures, made 700gns to George Booth, Northern Ireland.

Averages: 46 shearling rams £766; 102 ram lambs £812; 16 shearling ewes £407. (McCartneys).