Store and Breeding Sheep Sale report – Friday 1st October 2021

Auctioneers: Elwyn Davies 07710 803901, John Rossiter 07557 392903 and Mark Cleverdon 07741 845230

Female show results

Ewe tegs

1^st            £174       G Homewood, Kingsnorth purchased for £126 by Caleb Rayner Ltd, Chelmsford

2^nd           £181       Swallow Mill Farms, Charing

3^rd           £172       G B Richards & Son, Westwell

4^th           £162       Horne & Sons, Westwell

Ewe Lambs

1^st            £126       Langrish Farmers, Rye purchased for £174 by M A & F W Owen, Hythe

2^nd           £126       H Metcalfe, Wittersham

3^rd           £123       G L Boulden & Son, Aldington

4^th           £131       W T Kemp, Wye

The new David Roberts Trophy was presented to Geoff Homewood along with a bottle of “Fizz” presented by breed secretary Julie Lukehurst.

Congratulations to all the prize winners and many thanks to Larry Cooke, Rye for judging.

Report on trade: A cracking days trading with 2,000 less sheep on offer and strong demand resulting in high prices throughout. The ewe lambs were keenly sought after with the best £120 plus and up to £131 and a favourable average of £100 some £35 up on last year. Only small lambs below £90 and a strong stores price putting a firm bottom in the trade around £80.

Ewe teg numbers well down on the year and plenty of buyers in attendance with many failing to satisfy requirements. Best strong tegs sold readily in excess of £170 with a top of £188 from Swallow Mill Farms, and a good average of £163 up by some £60 on the year and only smaller and not so well-bred sorts below £160.

A good show of over 1,000 breeding ewes sold well and followed on from the high returns for both lambs and tegs. The best young ewes topped at £128 from E W Homewood while the best of the full mouth ewes sold readily around £120 notably £122 from A Barr & Son Ltd, £121 from R H Baker & Son and £120 from Raveningham Farms and G Homewood.

The 121^st show and sale of pedigree Romney ram tegs drew an entry of 47 rams of which all bar 8 were sold in the sale ring.

The competition was judged by Paul Boulden, Aldington back in a full show ring and results were as follows:

Best ram teg and overall champion H V Link Partnership, Newchurch which made £840 to Paul Boulden for G L Boulden & Son, Aldington; second ram teg G Wimble, Bilsington and third N A Balcomb & Son, Lydd

Best woolled ram teg Horne & Son, Westwell which made £725 to N A Balcomb & Son; second G Wimble and third P H & P E Skinner, Cranbrook.

Best Signet recorded ram teg P H & P E Skinner which £400 to Wright Farm Partners, Rye; second H V Link Partnership

The Balcomb top pen took both the group of three and Hobbs Parker best pen of five prizes too. Karims Fallen Stock Ltd were show sponsors for the class and championship prizes.

In the sale ring demand reflected the demand and prices for females sold earlier in the day and relative confidence in the sheep sector and a good clearance was affected and this year 15 (2020 6) making over £500. Away from the champion and best wooled tegs G Wimbles consignment topped at £540; young breeders B C Ginger and family sold 3 at £500, £520 and £560; new breeders Lovejoy Farm Ptnrs sold new blood to the pedigree world (Cooke and Wratten) at £540, £520 and £400 and N A Balcomb & Son sold their 3^rd best teg for £860 to M & C Farms (Cooke family), Rye.

In the purebred (not registered) section tegs that caught a buyers eye made £200 to £510 with including B C Ginger £340, Lovejoy Farm Ptnrs £480 and N A Balcombe & Son selling 12 to £510

Averages

38 Pedigree tegs to £860 average £453.55

34 Unregistered and older rams to £510 average £217.94