Leading trade at the final Southdown Sheep Society sale of the season at Melton Mowbray was a bid of 320gns for the pre-sale champion from Linda Clements.

At the same money was the final shearling ram from the Whitcombes. This was Southern Cross 14/00562, a Southern Cross 10/00070 son out of a dam by Southern Cross Bradman. He sold to Messrs Wakeham-Dawson and Harmer, Lewes, East Sussex.

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.

The champion from the pre-sale show, Jen Heathcote’s aged ram Pluckley 13/00048, led the trade at Saturday’s Southdown Sheep Society Premier Sale, Maidstone, when knocked down at 1050gns.

The Diamonds and Pearls 60th and 30th anniversary sale of Southdown females for the Long family’s and Sid Cook’s Chaileybrook and Brant flocks, respectively, saw a flying trade, with a new female breed record set twice at 1200gns and a new ewe lamb record also set at 1050gns.

Females were once again the pick of the trade at the third Southdown Sheep society sale this season, with a shearling ewe peaking at 560 guineas from the East Dean flock of D, S & P Humphrey. This shearling ewe, East Dean 13/01368, was selected as show champion by judge Tom Rowlands at the pre sale show and was sold to Robert Cox, Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire.

Females were the pick of the trade at the second Southdown Sheep Society sale of the season, with shearling ewes peaking at 490gns for one from Michael and Gail Sprake’s All Saints flock.