The last pen of shearling rams at the Builth Wells main sale resulted in the top price of the day. Jonathan Wales from Cumbria sold his Thackwood tup for 3,200 gns to David Roberts, Kenley, Shropshire. The February born ram was sired by Loanhead Ohio out of a Loanhead Nailer ewe.

Leading the ram lamb trade was Jennifer Curtis, from Wickhamford, Evesham. She sold the Reserve Champion and part of the Champion Pen of Rams for 3,000 gns to pen judges, Sheila and Kenny Malcomson from Northern Ireland. This December born twin was sired by Boyo Theinval out of a Shamrock Northern Star ewe. Underbidder for this lamb was Stephen Pickthall from Cumbria, who took the next lot, a very similarly bred tup for 1,150 gns.

The pre-sale Champion came from Dewi Evans’s Frrwd, Anglesey and taking him back to Ireland was the judge, Mr Eddie Buckley, Co Cork. The son of Edstaston Sotogrande had earlier in the year won the Interbreed Championship at the Anglesey Show and made 1,500 gns for his breeder.

The Padrig flock of Dyfed and Mari Williams had a strong pen of tup lambs forward and saw their first lamb in make 1,350 gns selling to David and Johnathan Norman’s Kirkhouse Flock, from Cumbria. The lamb was by a home-bred sire Padrig Sergeant Major our of a Trannon Running Thunder ewe.

A regular visitor to the Builth Sale is Dutch breeder, Harry de Vliegher and his pick this year was a Bronwydd Professor son, from Emyr Hughes, Pembrokeshire, which sold for 1,200 gns.

Two further ram lambs sold for four-figure prices both to breeders; a Robleston lamb by Bronwydd Terminator from R G & R A Jones, Haverfordwest sold for 1,050 gns to R & S Tindall, Yorkshire. Charles Marwood, Foulrice Flock went to the same money for Rhaeadr Union Jack from Myfyr Evans, Denbigh.

In the shearling ring buyers’ preference was for strong, well-fleshed tups and leading the way in the averages were the two pens of tups from the Ingram family, Aberdeen. They achieved two top prices of 1,150 gns for Logie Durno Trump and Loanhead Trailblazer; the first selling to A J & T Snaith, Morpeth and the other to Messrs Collins, Near Abergavenny. Their 15 shearling rams averaged £835.80.

New vendor Chris Timm from Yorkshire had a top of 1,400 gns for a son of Knockin Stud Muffin which sold to Miss L A Turner, Hatton, Derbyshire.

The Mortimer Flock from Geoff Probert, Herefordshire had a good day, selling their pen of 25 shearling tups to average £664.44 with a top price of 1,000 gns. Another pen in demand were the 15 shearling tups from Jeremy Price’s Oakchurch flock, in Herefordshire. He finished up the day with an average of £650 to a top of 820 gns. The shearling ring ended with a good clearance figure of 86% and only a few pounds down on 2018.

Shearling Rams
Number Sold                  163                        (182)
Clearance                       86%                      (86%)
Top Price                       3,200 gns             (4,000 gns)
Average Price                £588.00                (£606 -£18)

Ram Lambs
Number Sold                  141                        (127)
Clearance                       74%                      (71%)
Top Price                       3,000 gns            (2,600 gns)
Average Price                £424.00               (£470   -£46)