Recorded rams lead Worcester Southdown trade

A strong crowd, bolstered by Welsh buyers seeking high indexed rams, greeted Saturday’s Southdown sale at Worcester, with a top price of 510gns paid for a shearling ram from Michael and Gail Sprake’s All Saints flock.

This was All Saints 10/0029, a ram in the top 1% of the breed for growth which sold to Welsh breeder O T Jones, Llangefni, Anglesey. He is by East Dean 05/0320.

Another shearling ram from the same flock, All Saints 10/0026, an All Saints Dudley son with figures in the top 25% of the breed for muscle depth sold at 480gns to T R Davies, Cwmderwen, Clwyd.  

Then at 460gns was a shearling tup from Simon and Jayne Hutley with figures in the top 10% for growth and by All Saints Patrick. He sold to L P Griffiths, Crewe. And another from the same home went at 440gns, with this one being another All Saints Patrick son and this time with figures in the top 25% for growth. He was knocked down to O W J Singleton and Sons, Brecon.

Topping the ram lambs was Brompton 11/00006 from Antony Glaves. This is by Chaileybrook 07/00019 and sold at 360gns to Jim and Patsi Cresswell, Suffolk.

Selling at 270gns was  a tup lamb from the Sprakes, All Saints 11.00069, an All Saints Dudley son with figures in the top 10% for muscle depth. He headed to Wales, with J D Rawlins, Colomeny, Denbigh

In the females the best call of the day was a 280gns bid for a shearling ewe from G R Hargreaves-Jones. This East Dean Hector daughter sold to O T Jones.

And at 250gns was another shearling ewe, this time a Southern Cross 08/0012 daughter from Howard Wood’s Prescoed flock. In the ewe lambs the top call was a 240gns bid for a lamb from the All Saints flock, with this being a daughter of Chaileybrook Charlie 09/0002. She had figures in the top 5% for growth and sold to T R Davies.

At 230gns was the champion from the pre-sale show, a ewe lamb by Southern Cross 09/11 from Jim and Patsi Cresswell’s Wattisfield flock.

Averages; nine shearling ewes £236.83, seven ewe lambs    £201, six shearling rams £383.25, six ram lambs £243.25 (McCartneys).