This year’s Society sales at Maidstone, Worcester and Melton Mowbray saw both pedigree and commercial buyers in action, with good demand for well bred males and females.
At Maidstone trade was led by the champion from the pre-sale show, Jen Heathcote’s aged ram Pluckley 13/00048, when knocked down at 1050gns.
This son of Goodwood 10/00049 sold to bulk buyers on the day, Messrs Sinden, Brenzett Green, Kent.
Second best was a 950gns call for a shearling ram from the Whitcombe family, with this being Southern Cross 14/00578, a Southern Cross 10/0070 son. He was bought by Messrs Coney, Belton, Lincolnshire.
Next top in the rams was a 500gns call for the first prize shearling ram from the pre-sale show, Ladywell 14/00168 from Duncan and Monica Crundwell, with this one selling to Michael and Gail Sprake for the All Saints flock, Suffolk.
Trade then followed the judging, with the second prize shearling ram from Jonathan Long and family making 480gns. This was Chaileybrook 14/0005, a son of French sire TC4028, he sold Jess Middleditch, Sudbury, Suffolk.
Selling at 420gns was Goodwood 14/05029 from Goodwood Estate, Chichester, with this Ladwell 12/00095 son being out of a Zelstone bred dam and selling Charlotte Randall, Harpole, Northamptonshire.
Prices among the females were equally as strong and peaked at 700gns for a ewe lamb from the Goodwood flock, with this one, Goodwood 15/05221, selling to the Sinden family, Brenzett Green. She had been champion at the National Show and is by a Ridings sire.
Next best in the females was a 650gns call for a shearling ewe from the same home which also sold to the Sindens. This one is by the same Ladywell sire and is again out of a Goodwood bred dam.
Also at this price was the best of the aged ewes, a 2012-born ewe from the Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer’s Ridings flock. This was Ridings 12/001344, a daughter of Benoit out of a dam by a homebred sire. She sold to an undisclosed Welsh buyer.
Close behind at 600gns was a shearling ewe from the same home, with this being Ridings 14/002181, a daughter of East Dean 11/00418 out of Ridings dam. She was bought by the Sinden family.
Selling at 540gns was another Ridings shearling ewe by the same sire, with this one heading to North Wales with Messrs Williams. And at 520gns was another Ridings shearling ewe. This one is by Ridings 11/00701 and sold to Megan Chilcott, Somerset.
Goodwood 14/04993 then followed at 500gns, with this daughter of Ladywell 00/095 being out of a homebred dam and selling to Nigel Barrington-Fuller, Clacton, Essex.
At Worcester the best of the trade came when a ewe lamb from the Whitcombe family’s Southern Cross flock, Surrey, sold at 470gns. This was Southern Cross 15/00656. Sired by a Langford ram she sold to Sid Cook, Brant Broughton, Lincoln.
Following her at 380gns was the male and overall champion from the same home. This shearling ram, Southern Cross 14/00533 is by the same sire as the top priced ewe lamb and sold to Messrs Fincham, Hook, Hampshire.
Then making 340gns was another shearling ram from the same home, Southern Cross 14/00536. Sired by the same Langford ram sold to Anna Riby, Yorkshire.
At the same money was the final shearling ram from the Whitcombes. This was Southern Cross 14/00562, a Southern Cross 10/00070 son which sold to Messrs Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer, Lewes, East Sussex.
And then selling at 330gns was the Trumper family’s shearling ram from the Beilau flock. This one off a Southern Cross sire and out of a Chaileybrook dam sold to B Price, Hay-on-Wye.
On the same day Worcester Market also hosted the dispersal of Daniel Bunting’s Golden Valley flock of Southdowns at Worcester on Saturday saw a top call of 900gns and sheep sell across the UK.
Taking the sale’s top call was ram lamb Golden Valley 15/00459, a son of Ridings 13/01444 and out of a dam by a French sire. He found a new home with Roland Williams, Aberystwyth.
Second best at 800gns was the flock’s stock ram and sire of the top priced sheep Ridings 13/01444. He’s by a French sire and out of a Ridings dam again French bred and sold to a consortium of breeders.
Following that at 780gns was the best female of the sale, Golden Valley 13/00230, a daughter of a Southern Cross sire out of a dam by a French sire which sold to Nigel Barrington-Fuller, Clacton, Essex.
After that came a 460gns call for Golden Valley 11/00114, a daughter of an imported French sire and out of a dam by East Dean 05/0213. She sold to Morgan, Carmarthen.
Then making 430gns was the top priced ewe lamb Golden Valley 15/00469. Sired by Ridings 13/01444 she is out of a dam by a French sire and sold to Miranda Wallace, Buckfastleigh, Devon.
Two then sold at 420gns, with the first of these being the top priced shearling ewe, Golden Valley 14/00324. She’s by Southern Cross 11/00229 and out of a dam by an imported sire and sold to Gareth Lloyd Hughes, Aberystwyth.
Second at this money was another of the ram lambs Golden Valley 15/00448. Sired by Ridings 13/01444 he’s out of a homebred dam and was claimed by Patrick Goldsworthy, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
And then selling at 400gns was Golden Valley 14/00311, a shearling ewe by a French sire out of a dam by Southern Cross 04/0001. Buying this one was Sam Bullingham, Sampford Courtenay, Devon.
Another similarly bred shearling ewe, by the same French sire and out of a dam by Southern Cross 09/02 also sold at 400gns, being taken by Megan Chilcott, Huntspill, Somerset.
Following that at Melton Mowbray buyers were more cautious, with prices hitting a top of 320gns for a shearling ewe from the Avenue Farm flock sired by the homebred sire Avenue Farm 12/00026. She sold to P Freshwater, Bicester.
Following that at 270gns was another shearling ewe, this time Alison Allan’s entry by Wattisfield 11/00091. This one was knocked down to G F Harrison, Lakenheath.
Linda Clements then sold the shearling ram Stoneridge 14/00043 at 260gns, with this one being by Stonebridge 13/00033. Buying this one was L R Oakes, Swaffham.
And making 250gns was the first prize ram lamb and reserve overall champion, Mark Hawtin’s Spratton 15/00152, a son of a Golden Valley sire which sold to Patrick Goldsworthy, Huntingdon.
Averages; Maidstone - four older ewes £262.50, 20 shearling ewes £310.50, three ewe lambs £ 399, 10 shearling rams £486.15, seven ram lambs £185.85 (Lambert and Foster), Worcester - 14 shearling rams £275.10, three ram lambs £217, one older ram £105, 11 ewe lambs £193.29, 17 older ewes £96.04, 15 shearling ewes £216.30 (McCartneys), Golden Valley - 22 older ewes £310.22, 12 shearling ewes £378, 19 ewe lambs £263.05, one aged ram £840, one shearling ram £378, four ram lambs £509.25 (McCartneys). Melton Mowbray - eight ewes £168, 11 ewe lambs £145.57, eight ram lambs £204.75, four ram lambs £191.63.
2016 Society Sale Dates
Early Premier Breeders’ Sale – Ashford Market, Ashford, Kent, Friday 29th July *Please note change of date and venue
Worcester Premier Breeders’ Sale – Saturday 3rd September
Melton Mowbray Sale – Saturday 10th September
