A great start to the commercial sale season at NSA Builth Early Sale for Charollais as they took overall top price. Leading the sale at 3800gns was Foulrice 22DG12139 from C W Marwood & Son. This February born shearling by Lowerye Vulcan and out of a homebred dam, sold to Hywel and Avril Rees, Llynfi flock, Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan.
A great day’s trade for the Foulrice flock, with a pen average of 841gns for their shearlings. Charles was delighted with the prices on the day. “It’s a much better sale than last year, the whole tone is different. People are looking for sheep. Last year we had had two years of Covid and then the drought. “We have retained his twin brother as a stock ram. He was indexed in the top 1% and was the second prize shearling at the Great Yorkshire Show and one of the winning pair.”
Next best at 2000gns was a shearling 22WGN05844 from Gareth Jones’ Robleston flock. Gareth said the ram was a ‘a good strong yearling, third in his class in the Royal Welsh this year, where a few people had spotted him’. Taking him home was R J & J Towers and their Camp House flock, Ingleton, Carnforth.
Breed champion 22WRF00905 from Arwyn and Jane Thomas’s Arbryn flock sold for 1100gns to SJ & RM Lang Plymouth, Devon. Arwyn was very happy with trade on the day saying, “the top end were selling really well and the shearlings went really well, with quality selling.”
This year’s judge for the show at Builth was Young Breeders Chairman James Danforth. This was James first big show and what a great show of sheep he had to judge. Arwyn and Jane Thomas’s shearling ram lot 83 22WRF00905 took overall champion. Commenting on his champion “Very powerful correct and stylish tup which handles well on the loin with good tight gigots. He was the stand out sheep on the day for me”. Reserve champion was a ram lamb lot 99 23TZ04265 from Tim Prichard, which went on to take the top price for Charollais ram lambs on the day of 650gns.
Taking first prize pen of ram lambs was Tim Prichard’s Castellau flock. Tim’s average for his pen was 556gns. First prize shearling pen went to WC & R Bowens Gwyndy flock which averaged at 674gns.
It was great to see many returning customers coming back to buy Charollais with GN & M Morris taking 14 tups home to Wrexham and Phillips Farms in Pembroke taking 5 tups with them up the road.
Averages: 67 Shearling rams £768.85, 17 ram lambs £462.00 (Hereford Market Auctioneers).
