Strong cattle show tops at £2,083 at Ross

Prime cattle sold to 320p/kg at Ross-on-Wye on Monday (30 November) at 208p/kg for steers and 201p/kg for heifers with a strong sale dominated by a local stockman.

First in the money, and champion on the day, was a steer from Ian Pugh, Three Ashes, Ross-on-Wye, which made £2,083 selling to W Randall.

Show stopper: Ian Pugh and top steer on the day which sold for 320p/kg and Andrew Mutch, Mutch Meats.

This was one of seven prizes on the day for Mr Pugh who won every class entered, altogether claiming prizes for best steer, best steer over 650kg, best heifer and winning the Sam Madeley Trophy for Best Cattle Stockman and the J L Phillips Challenge Cup (overall points).

Janey Cotton, a delighted daughter, told Farmers Weekly: “In the last five years Ian has come away with three Show Champion prizes, and has exhibited cattle every year for 27 successive years since the new market opened in 1988, except for the year of the Foot and Mouth.”

Mr Pugh’s haul included the ‘Sam Madeley’ Trophy for Best Cattle Stockman and the Best Beast from a Smallholder

Richard Williams, of RG and RB Williams auctioneers, said: “A larger entry of cattle for the Christmas market sold to another strong trade, although the edge seems to have slightly gone off it. Plainer cattle again proved more difficult to sell.”

Meanwhile, a “very strong” prime lamb trade topped at 205p/kg with Messrs B Blandford and Sons, Eastnor, achieving top price kilo and headage price at £90 a head.

Heavy commercial lambs improved on recent sales, peaking at £80 a head from Mr D R Jones, with medium weight lambs stirring up a “very fast trade” topping at 205p/kg and levelling at 164p/kg.