NSA Wales & Border Early Sale
A strong sale for good quality tups, particularly for yearlings, was the hallmark of the NSA Wales & Border Early Sale. It was held at Brecon and is the first major sale of the season, traditionally setting the standard.
A top price of 3,000 guineas for a Galtres Charollais shearling was achieved by Deborah Whitcher of Yorkshire. She and her parents, Charles and Valerie, have been stalwarts of the NSA Wales & Border Ram Sales for more than 20 years.
Deborah said: “He was homebred and the first ram through the ring for us. He’s by Artnaguillion Armani, out of a homebred sire, which in turn was by Foulrice Osprey, which had previously won at the Great Yorkshire show.
“His grand dam was by Inglis Cymro, the sire that set our flock off going back, more than 20 years. There is a lot of conformation in the breeding.”
And she admitted there was a bit of healthy competition between with her parents, whose Foulrice Flock is now run by Charles and son Stephen. Their tups also attracted some of the sale’s highest prices and a shearling topped their trade at 2,200 guineas, with an average of 1,238 guineas.
The sale grossed £122,955.00 with 72% sold. It compares favourably with last year at Brecon, when 70% sold to gross £118,282.50. Chairman Geoff Probert, who bought the top priced ram was pleased with the day’s trading.
He said: “There was an improved standard of yearling rams, which sold to a very good trade. We’re hoping this trade will be maintained for the whole season.” Commenting on the top priced Charollais shearling he purchased, he said it had caught his eye as soon as he walked in. It was a very well-balanced sheep, that hopefully going forward would improve the yearling rams.
Sale secretary, Helen Fairclough Watling, was pleased with her first sale at the helm. It had run very smoothly, with a lot of good quality stock forward. This had been reflected in the prices people had been prepared to pay.
The highest priced Texel was a shearling sold for 1400 guineas. The highest priced Beltex x Charollais was sold by Adrian Davies of Manordeilo. A Texel X went for 1500 guineas. The highest price Berrichon sold for 840 guineas, the highest price Suffolk for 1050 guineas. The highest price of the Charollais X and crossbreds sold for 1575 guineas.
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