Richard Gwilliam (far right, back row), the auctioneers'
representative on the Ram Sale Committee, with six of the founders who still serve on the committee.
Front row, from left: Les Jones, John Davies and the late Verney Pugh.
Back row, from left: Brynmor Morgan, Emlyn Pugh, and George Hughes, chairman.

In the autumn of 1976 a meeting of the NSA Wales & Border region was coming to an end when the late Verney Pugh posed the question "Why don't we organise an all breeds ram sale?". Brian Nuttall, who was then regional livestock husbandry officer for Wales supported him saying "I think that's an excellent suggestion Mr Chairman". The Chairman that day was George Hughes, founder member and chairman for the past 27 years of the Wales & Border Ram Sale Committee. So the idea was born, and those regional committee members who thought it was a good idea stayed on and agreed to meet agin in the spring 0f 1977. Original committee members were Verney Pugh, who would speak for the Kerrys and Shropshires, Leslie Jones the Cluns, Robin Gill the Suffolks, John Davies the Hampshire Downs, Emlyn Pugh the Royal Welsh Livestock Committee, Lee Wrench the Border Leicesters, Brynmor Price Beulah and other hill breeds, Brynmor Morgan MLC, Brian Nuttall ADAS and George Hughes as Chairman. The committee had no funds, but a small amount of Ministry funding was accessible for development work.

Breed societies were written too, and with one exception all were in favour. The Suffolk Sheep Society however felt that there were already far too many sales - it is interesting to note that for most of the 25 years the Suffolk have dominated the entry, in some years more than 2000 were entered!

The RWAS welcomed the idea of the sale, and offered the site free of charge. After the sale the committee were able to give the RWAS a small donation by way of grateful thanks. The date was going to be critical and the committee was delighted when the Welsh Committee of the Border Leicester Society agreed to share its established date on the third Monday in September. Many meetings were held and advise and help obtained from the organisers of the Kelso Ram Sales. It was decided to delay the first sale until 1978, thus allowing extra time to complete preparations, failure would have been unthinkable.

Very little funding was available for advertising but the RWAS lent the Boardroom for a Press Conference which attracted journalists from both the National and local press. Plans for the sale were outlined and interest from the industry in what was a new and unique initiative was immediate.

• There would be strict quality control of all rams -the Ram Sale Committee would appoint experienced inspectors to ensure only those achieving a high standard would be allowed at the sale
• Should after sale problems arose, the Ram Sale committee would act as mediator to arrive at a satisfactory outcome
• All auctioneers would be welcomed provided they complied with the rules of the sale
• The sale would benefit those ram buyers already using more than one breed and ram producers would be able to sell their rams at one major sale rather than having to attend weekly sales throughout the sale season.

At the outset it was agreed that an entry fee would be charged and furthermore the NSA Ram Sale committee and the auctioneers would split the commission. At the first sale all the entry fees were spent on advertising the entry of 660 rams, more than three times the number that was expected! At that first sale in 1978 most of the organisation worked very well, although there were a few problems with the pay desks and traffic control. Some rams remained unsold but it was an encouraging start and the committee realised that advertising was going to play a major part in future sales. One Suffolk breeder had no reservations about his commitment to future sales. He said that he and other vendors were prepared to pay higher entry fees if that would enable the sale to succeed - so the green light was shining brightly.

The Welsh Badger Face Sheep Society had been founded a year or two earlier and were hoping to have their own first breed sale. Emlyn Pugh, a founder member of both organisations had the idea of incorporating the Badger Face sale within the Ram sale, it went ahead and became the first breed Society Sale. Many other societies have followed suit, as can be seen on our Breed Society page. Some of the Society sales include females. The active involvement of Breed Societies has always been given the greatest encouragement, and their inclusion has raised standards as well as being an excellent way in which to get new people involved.

In 1986 the Ram Sale attracted sponsorship from the National Westminster Bank. The bank had been impressed by the phenomenal growth of the sale, the Builth Wells location which was strategically placed to serve a very wide potential area of demand and to acknowledge the timely marketing initiative of the Wales & Border Ram Sale Committee. The NatWest sponsorship was used to purchase capital equipment to improve the standard of facilities at the sale, and as an appreciation of their sponsorship, the Ram Sale Committee offered an award of Welsh crystal to the champion ram of each breed holding a society sale. This format continues to this day, firstly with the NatWest support, followed by a long relationship with FSL Bells, and now today with Denis Brinicombe and Symtag.

The committee's brief from the outset was to make the ram sale the best of its kind in the country. Each year the small profit has been ploughed back to improve facilities. In addition the Ram Sale Committee has made sizable donations to the NSA Region for improvements to the NSA Building at Llanelwedd, and more recently to the RWAS as a contribution to the cost of the new livestock exhibition centre.

By 1987 the sale had outgrown the facilities within the Glamorgan Hall and the existing livestock buildings, and the decision taken to move the sale under canvas on the trade stand area of the showground, where it remains to this day. The 1987 sale was to be one of the best ever, vindicating the momentous decision taken two months earlier to relocate the sale. 85% of all rams forward were sold, with 36 breeds on offer. No less than five breeds had rams or ewes over 1000gns and a Bleu du Maine ewe lamb topped the sale at 3000gns. The catchment area extended for Caithness in Scotland from where the late Queen Mother sent a consignment of North Country Cheviot rams, to the Romney Marsh in Kent and to Cornwall in the far south west.

Since its inception some breeds have lost favour, while new continental breeds have seen a rapid increase in numbers. Sire referencing and genotyping are now commonplace.

Over 40% of the sheep population of the UK is to be found within easy travelling distance of Builth Wells. Not only is the Ram Sale linked to the future prosperity of the sheep industry, it is a vital ingredient for its prosperity.

An additional sale held on the first Monday in August for prime lamb sire breeds was introduced in 1989. The sale, which is held in the exhibition buildings on the showground, attracts 600 - 800 rams and ewes and is targeted at early lamb producers.

Official Veterinary Officers