Buyers at the Southdown Sheep Society’s opening sale of the season at Ashford were cautious in the spending, but bid well for the best of the stock on offer, with quality in demand.
Heading up the trade at 400gns was the pre-sale champion, a shearling ram from the Goodwood flock under the management of Nick Page. This was Goodwood 15/05201, a son of Ridings 11/00701 out of a homebred dam. He was knocked down to the Mannering family, Bethersden.
Then making the same money were a pair of shearling ewes from the Wakeham Dawson and Harmer’s Ridings flock. The first of these was Ridings 15/03058, a daughter of East Dean 11/00448 and out of a homebred dam. She sold to Megan Chilcott, Somersett.
The same buyer took the second Ridings shearling at this price, with this one being Ridings 15/03056, a daughter of the homebred Ridings 11/00701 out of an imported French dam.
Then selling at 360gns was a Goodwood shearling ewe by a Southern Cross sire and out of a homebred dam. She sold to Nigel Barrington-Fuller, Clacton On Sea.
And at 350gns was another gimmer from the same home and this time by Ladywell 12/00095. She is out of a homebred dam and sold to Messrs Sparke, Hertfordshire.
A pair then sold at 330gns, with the first being another of the Goodwood shearling rams, Goodwood 15/07391. Again by Ridings 11/00701, this one is out of a homebred dam again and sold to Messrs O’Kane, Hothfield.
The other at this level was another Ridings shearling ewe, Ridings 15/03064, another by the Ridings 11/00701 sire and out of an imported French dam. This one also headed to Somerset with Megan Chilcott.
Three then found new homes at 300gns, with the first being the female and reserve overall champion, a ewe lamb from the Long family’s Chaileybrook flock. This was Chaileybrook 16/0022, a daughter of the homebred Chaileybrook 13/0001 and out of a homebred dam. She was bought by Celeste and Florence McKeague, Ayrshire.
The next two at this price were shearling ewes from the Ridings flock, Ridings 15/15/03146 and Ridings 15/03140, with the former being by an imported French sire and the latter by an East Dean sire. Both of these were aslo bought by Megan Chilcott.
Selling at 280gns was Southern Cross 15/00649 from Messrs Whitcombe. This shearling ram is by Langford 12/00134 and out of a homebred dam and sold to Anne-Marie and Peter Payne, Hertfordshire.
Wrapping things up at 275gns was the reserve male champion and leading ram lamb of the day, Chaileybrook 16/0002 from the Long family. Sired by the imported sire TC10187, he is out of a homebred dam and sold to Ray Edwards, Devon.
Averages; aged rams £215.20, shearling rams £273, ram lambs £202.65, shearling ewes £283.50, ewe lambs £196.35 (Hobbs Parker)
