Significant increases in averages for Ewe Lambs and Shearling Rams at the Premier sale on Saturday and the quality of stock on offer gave the breed a lot to be positive about especially in the ram lamb classes. Blue Tongue concerns and the lack of rain in some areas may have contributed to slightly lower clearance rates than previous sales with a packed ringside but not all of them there to bid. Rams with good figures were definitely in demand and commercial buyers were not afraid of the early sale or investing money in the breed.

It was the shearling ram section that attracted some of the highest prices in the sale and the biggest jump in averages too. The top price of 2550gns went to Sophie Manners and Joe Dilibero and their Seawell Flock from Northamptonshire. F132400087 came from an impressive pen of shearling rams, well presented and well marketed in the lead up to the sale. He is in the top 1% of breed for TSI and an exceptionally high gigot score after CT scanning of 4.14. Sired by Normanby Wellington and out of a Yarcombe ewe this ram heads to Charles Rathmells commercial flock in Yorkshire.  Another shearling ram from the same pen with similar breeding, caught the eye of pedigree breeders Aled & Lisa Evans Llwyncelyn Flock, Beulah who purchased him for 2000gns.

Top priced ram lamb was 2400gns for a Graylen bred lamb from Graham & Judith Galbraith, Cumbria. This lamb was second in the Recorded Ram Lamb class earlier in the day and has figures that match his powerful look being in the top 1% for TSI and top 5% of the breed for scan weight, carcase weight and days to slaughter EBV. Sired by Graylen Quartermaster who was male Champion at the 2023 National Show. The Derryman Family from  Devon fought off fierce competition to get this lad home for their Yarcombe flock.

2150gns was the next of the high prices and this was for a Yarcombe shearling ram from the Derryman Family.  This ram was second in the pre sale show and is another with impressive figures. Sired by Treworthal Marshell and out of a Yarcombe Hero bred dam this ram will be the new stock ram at the Lumb Flock of John Craig in Yorkshire.

1600gns secured the Male Champion on the day which was a Highcliffe Ram Lamb from Stephen Short from Halifax, Yorkshire. This modern Ram Lamb with good length and width was full of old breeding being sired by Parkstock Warrior who was unbeaten as a ram lamb in 2007 and the dam was sired by the Great Yorkshire Show Champion 2023. Not only did the ram catch the eye of Judge, Robert Vincent but also Lucy Heywood who purchased him for her Thornfalcon Flock in Somerset.

It was the Ewe Lambs that took all the glory in the females with two lots attracting 1500gns price tags. The Yarcombe Flock from the Derrymans in Devon met the mark first and again attracted lots of bidders. This lamb was sired by Treworthal Marshell who is doing well at the flock ‘breeding sheep with deep backends and big eye muscles’  and seeing the merits of this was Harry Elsden from Hertfordshire where she will join the Hertford Flock.

The other 1500gns was paid for a Whitby Ewe Lamb from Louis & Becky Stainthorpe from Yorkshire. Second in the pre sale show this lamb received much attention along with the other ewe lambs from the same pen which averaged 1200gns. Sired by Bridgehaugh Braveheart with Thorbeck breeding on the dams side, this January lamb has good growth rates. She makes her way to Somerset with Charlie Bougourd to  join the Loxhill Flock and Charlie was definitely not going home without her!

The pre sale Champion, an impressive shearling ewe from David, Denise & Harry Middleditch St Paul Flock  failed to meet her reserve. This ewe has already had an impressive show career being unbeaten on every outing as a lamb and has gone back to Suffolk to breed show winners herself.

A big thank you to Neogen for sponsorship of the sale.

Auctioneers: HALLS

Averages:

22 Ram Lambs £833.80 (2024 £1110.22)

5 shearling rams £1680 (2024 £875.70)

18 Shearling Ewes £604.92 (2024 £656.25)

19 Ewe Lambs £848.63 (2024 £828.50)