Summer tup sales starter sees handy £160 ram increase
Summer tup sales starter sees handy £160 ram increase
By Jeremy Hunt
TERMINAL sire breeders will be encouraged by the £160 lift in values of Charollais shearling rams at the breed societys premier sale at Lichfield last weekend – the curtain-raiser to the summer tup sale season.
The sale, held for the first time at Lichfield Auction Market following the closure of Banbury, produced a top price of 2200gns for a two-shear from Carlisle breeder David Bowmans Crookburn flock.
Harmby Moor Hero, bred by David Ward in the Yorkshire Dales, joins the Lornbrook flock of Diano Christie in Northern Ireland who was bidding over the telephone.
Local breeders Robert and Jeanette Gregory clinched the championship with their shearling ram Edstaston Rufus which had taken the interbreed title at this years Shropshire and West Midlands Show.
Judge Mr Tim Prichard went on to buy the champion, a son of Manxman Nessie, for 2050gns to add to his his Castellau flock in Glamorgan.
The senior ram Findatie Mac, a son of Crogham Cannon and owned jointly by Dai Morris, Dilwyn Davies and Arwyn Thomas, stood reserve champion and made 1800gns to T Wilkinson, Cleveland.
Shearlings from the Windmill flock of John P Davies, Redditch, Worcs were in demand. Windmill Bravo, following an enviable run of success at shows this season, made 1900gns to Philip Ashford, Norfolk.
The Highway flock of south Wales breeder Dilwyn Davies produced the top priced lamb with a son of Foulrice Rival that was rated in the top 10% within the breeds sire reference scheme. It made 2100gns to joint buyers Richard Willcocks and Roger Brewer (Cornwall) and Derrick Daffurn and his daughter Jennifer Curtis (Worcs).
Champion tup lamb was a son of sire reference ram Tilton Maverick from Alan and Rebecca Thomas Tilton flock in Leicestershire. The lamb had an index of 192 and made 1200gns to joint buyers Mrs Susan Davies and Geoff Biddulph who both run flocks in Cheshire.
A 1000gns raffle prize to spend at the sale – organised to celebrate the breed societys 21st anniversary – was won by contract shepherd Jenny Gardner, Northants. She bought a ram lamb from breed secretary Carroll Barbers Crogham consignment at 1800gns and then sold a half share to Stuart Dunkley, Nortants.
Averages: 64 senior and shearling rams £696; 89 ram lambs £543; eight ewe lambs £286 and seven shearling ewes £396. (Auctioneers: Northampton Auctions, Lawrie and Symington and Newark Livestock Market.)