Charollais females were in hot demand at this year’s Hereford High Flyers Sale, resulting in a top price of 5800gns for one of the furthest travelled vendors, a shearling ewe average of more than £1800 and a complete clearance of the sale. 

Sale leader at 5800gns was the in-lamb shearling ewe, Runningburn 25VDU00430 from Jim Neil, Scottish Borders. By Hollylodge Bon Accord, who was purchased in Dungannon having been tapped out by Jim when he judged and out of one of the best Logie Durno Winston ewes in the flock, this one met spirited bidding from both ringside and on-line buyers with the hammer finally falling to Richard Bamforth for his Lower Denby flock, based at Huddersfield, Yorkshire. She was canned carrying triplets to Skyefall Everest. 

Second highest price on the day was the 4400gns Prestleigh Dream Girl from Shepton Mallet, Somerset-based Tom Newth. By the 4000gns Pembroke Crafty and out of a homebred female by Ballyhunsley Victorious, she sold having been scanned for a single to the 16,000gns Robleston Elite. Taking this one home to Acton, Suffolk for the Lavenham flock was Stephen Cobbald and Amy Byford. 

David Lewis’ Pembroke flock was then in the headlines selling Pembroke 25VJZ05530 for 3400gns from the Narberth, Pembrokeshire-based flock. By Foxhill Benadict and out of an Arbryn female by Artnagullion Turbo, this one was scanned for twins to Bachymbyd Colarado and was the pick of previous buyers Stephen Cobbald and Amy Byford. 

Meanwhile, the best from Arwyn and Jane Thomas, Whitland, Carmarthenshire, was the 3000gns Arbryn 25WRF01103, another by Foxhill Benadict, this time out of a Robleston female by Arbryn Tonto. Sold having been AI’d to Thackwood Destiny, this one heads to the Birkle family, Loughborough, Leicestershire. 

At 2600gns was another from Jim Neil, with Runningburn 25VDU00428, an Arjane Klansman daughter out of a homebred female by Springhill Untouchable. Scanned a single to Skyefall Everest, this proved to be the pick of M A and P J Curran, Talgarth, Powys. 

Just shy of that at 2500gns was the best from Jennifer Curtis’ Evesham, Worcestershire-based Elmwick flock in the form of Elmwick 25DQ03342, a Loanhead Bright Spark daughter out of a homebred female by Runningburn Warlord. Having been AI’d to Saveock Diablo, this one was the pick of H Rees, St Donats, Vale of Glamorgan. 

Sale leader from the Bronwydd pen of Emyr Hughes, Wolfcastle, Pembrokeshire, was Bornwydd 25WAJ01177, selling for 2100gns. By Knockin Cracker and out of an Arbryn Viking homebred daughter, she sold having been AI’d to Hollylodge Dynamite and scanned for twins. Buyer here was Stonegrove Livestock, Shrawley, Worcestershire. 

Ewe lambs 

Ewe lambs matched the demand of shearling ewes with an electric trade for the top draw lambs on offer. Leading this section at 3600gns was the best from Paul Curran and Ally Davis, Talgarth, Brecon. Wernfawr 26XEV02826 is by the 10,000gns Cavick Davinci Code and out of the 2000gns Pembroke Black Magic, a Foxhill Va Va Voom daughter. This one is full ET-bred sister to the first placed ram lamb from this year’s Royal Welsh Show and joins the two previous lots on the road back to Suffolk with Stephen Cobbald and Amy Byford. 

Sticking with the Wernfawr pen, the next best was a call of 3000gns which secured Wernfawr 26XEV02875, another by Cavick Davinci Code, but this time out of a Dalby female who has bred well for the flock, producing the 2000gns Wernfawr Awesome and 3500gns Wernfawr Chieftain. This one was the pick of F A and C J Ellsworthy, Witheridge, Devon. 

Next at 1650gns was the best of the Elmwick ewe lambs in the form of Elmwick 26DQ03525, a daughter of the homebred Elmwick Countdown and out of a homebred female by Runningburn Warlord. The hammer for this one fell to H F Hodges, Oving, Buckinghamshire.

Then at 1600gns was another from the Wernfawr pen in the form of Wernfawr  26XEV02876. Again, by Cavick Davinci Code and this time out of a homebred female by Glyn Coch Ace, she headed home to Dumfries, Scotland, with Hannah Jackson and Helen Sloan, for the Rigghead flock. 

Aged ewes 

The older flock ewes on offer hit a top price on the day of 1450gns for Pembroke 24VJZ05301 from David Lewis. By Knockin Arthur Shelby and out of a Knockin ewe which was interbreed champion at Royal Three Counties in 2022. Scanned for twins to Bachymbyd Colarado, she sold to Roland Williams, Capel Seion, Aberystwyth. 

Then at 1400gns was another from the same pen, Pembroke 22VJZ04743, a Logie Durno Tiesto daughter out of a Loanhead female by Wernfawr Red Bull. Again, carrying twins to Colarado, she sold to Chris Griffin, Sturminster Newton, Dorset. 

Averages: 4 aged ewes £1220.63; 64 in-lamb shearling ewes £1826.02 and 17 ewe lambs £1460.74 (Hereford Market Auctioneers).