Shrewsbury Sufffolks hit 8000gns top call

A top price of 8000gns and an average of £884 were the headline figures from Saturday’s Suffolk Sheep Society sale at Shrewsbury.

Having been delayed due to bluetongue restrictions, the sale was combined with the Western Area Sale to help vendors offer the best selection of lambs possible. 

Leading the way in the pre-sale show and the sale itself was Derbyshire breeder, Steven Buckley of the Sitlow flock, Buxton, whose champion and first prize winner of the recorded ram lamb class, saw the top price realised just minutes before the end of the sale.

For a delighted Mr Buckley this was his third ram lamb by Perrinpit High Peak, to make top flight with High Peak siring his 7000gns Kelso ram lamb in 2005 and also his 9000gns Edinburgh ram lamb in 2006.

 He says: “High Peak has bred consistently well; also the dam’s full sister both by Strathisla Sinatra bred Sitlow Sensation, winner of five interbreed championships – and he is now breeding well with his first three sons sold at Edinburgh in 2007, averaging 2200gns.” The Sitlow ram was purchased by Jonathan Hayward of the Flodden flock of 120 ewes in Northumberland.

The Mair family, Deveronside, Aberdeenshire, took both the reserve male and breed champion and the second highest price with two lambs which were both part of the first prize pen of three. First in the ring sold for 2800gns to R & G Morgan & Partners, Llangeview flock, Usk. This was a lamb by Strathisla Speed, out of a dam by Middlemuir Winston, granddam by Glenisla Sydney.

 Next in the consignment was Mairs reserve male and breed champion;  a recorded ram lamb by Meikleson Man O War, out of a Glenisla Grimaldi dam and grand dam by Crosemanor Clipper, he was sold for 1700gns to Robert Holmes, Wilmar flock, Exeter.

 Myfyr Evans, Rhaeadr, sold to 2400gns on four rams, two of which were by Thurston Calzaghe and took fourth in the pen of three. His top price ram selling to Ray Woolway, Huntingdon, while Steven Cobbald, Suffolk paid 1600gns.

Ross Lawrence, of Roundacre, Devon, one of the new and younger names, was runner up to Robert Wilson, Strathisla in the Best gigot class and also fifth  in the Western Area trophy, before selling four lambs by Strathisla Xtasy the top two realising 2000gns and 1100gns respectively.

 Robbie Wilson’s six sold came in £19 short of Ross Lawrence’s £990 average. However it was Mr Lawrence who gave Strathisla their top price of 2400gns for a lamb by Strathisla Stoner.

Tom Cox picked up an export with a lamb by Tomcroft Persuader, which won the MLC class at the Royal this year, he took fourth in the recorded lamb, third in the pen of three and both the Young breeder and Young handler top placings. The lamb was bought for 1100gns by A Nerinckx, of Belgium.

 Also exporting was Chris Holmes, Rookery, whose third prize ram lamb was bought by H Eck, of Netherlands for 1100gns and Steven Buckley, who’s top Signet recorded lamb 2008, with an index of £2.54 also went to Mr Eck.

Crossing to Anglesey was a lamb by Monkton Maximus, from J & I Evans, Plasllwellyn who sold for 2500gns to G Owen’s Morris flock.

 The Society’s Western Area sale – an early victim of Bluetongue, brought the Western Area judging to the National with locally based Becky Belcher, Tibberton flock, Newport, Shropshire, winning the Western Area Championship with her first prize shearling ram which later sold for 1100gns to Philip Smith, Peghouse flock, Worcestershire.

Averages: Shearling rams £513 (11); Ram lambs £884 (80).