A top price of 3,800gns with good averages reflected a “solid trade” at the National Sheep Association (NSA) of Wales and Border’s early ram sale.
The sale, which took place Monday (August 7), was held at the Royal Welsh Showground and is traditionally thought to be a “trailblazer” for the season, according to the NSA.
The highest price went to a February-born Charollais shearling, sold to Hywel and Avril Rees, from Charles Marwood, CW Marwood & Son.
Speaking on the sale, Marwood said: “It’s a much better sale than last year, the whole tone is different. The shearling was by our senior stock ram, Lowerye Vulcan.
“He is very well balanced and was indexed in the top 2/3% of the breed and was the second prize performance recorded ram in the show. We have retained his twin brother as a stock ram.”
The buyer, Hywel Rees, said his purchase would be going on his pedigree Llynfi flock of 68 Charollais ewes. He also runs a commercial flock of 300 ewes at Somerset Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan.
“It has good muscling and is well fleshed, with good bone, good on its feet and a good all rounder,” he said.
Sales
A Charollais shearling from NSA Wales and Border ram sale committee member Gareth Jones’ Roblestone flock made 2,000gns.
The ram, from Jones’ Pembrokeshire-based flock, was described as a “good strong shearling” by the NSA and was third in its class in the Royal Welsh Show this year.
Arwyn and Jane Davies’ Charollais breed champion, a December-born shearling, was sold for 1100gns to RJ and J Towers, Ingleton, Yorkshire.
The NSA said the sale continues a good year for the Arbryn flock of 60 pedigree ewes, which also took the Interbreed group of three title at the Royal Welsh Show.
Tim Prichard sold the highest-priced Beltex cross ram at 1020gns. Adrian Davies sold three Beltex cross shearlings at 1,000gns and one at 900gns.
The champion Texel was from the Chave family’s Peacehay flock based in Somerset. The shearling made 900gns with the pen topping at 1,000gns.
Paul Quick, a regular at NSA Wales and Border sales, had his yearling ram make the Texel breed top price of 1150gns and his family had an average of 800gns at the sale.
“It was a good sale, but quite selective. Anything with a bit more quality and there was definitely a premium. It was a better sale than last year,” he said.
The sale’s organisers said they were delighted with the day’s trading and chair Graham Jones said the sale had a nice atmosphere.
“The best sheep were selling well and there was quite a good bottom in the market,” he said.
“There was some money flying about for the best rams. The cross bred rams had a buoyant trade.”
