NSA Wales and Border Main Ram Sale 2016

Date: 19th September 2016

Location: Royal Welsh Showground, Builth Wells, LD2 3SY

A record price of 18,000gns for a Texel meant smiles all round at a brisk NSA Wales & Border Ram Sale.

Turnover was up on last year at £2.2 million, with 85% of sheep forward sold. The average prices paid held up or increased across the breeds.

The 18,000gns eclipsed the previous 17,000gns price for a Bluefaced Leicester in 2008 and was also well ahead of other headline prices. These were 7,800gns for a Bluefaced Leicester, 5,500gns for another Texel and 5,200gns for a Welsh Mountain ram.

Chairman John Owen said: “Generally there was a very good show of rams. People were prepared to pay for good quality and the majority of the averages were up on last year. Everyone seemed in a good frame of mind. The sheep trade has been good this summer, which reflected in the overall prices and improved clearance rates.”

The headline grabbing shearling, sold by Llion Jones of Pant, Llanegryn, Tywyn, was sold to Charlie Boden of Stockport, Lancashire. Llion had bought Pant Wolf’s mother, a Sportsman ewe, for 2,800gns in Carlisle from Charlie Boden in 2011, after beginning his flock with foundation stock bought at the NSA Wales & Border sale in 2001.

He said the ram had good bone, top line and power and that there weren’t many of his quality around. Mr Jones added: “I had thought of bringing him here to the Royal Welsh but feared he might not be good enough. He only came third in the Texel championship here!”

Mr Jones, who is married to the Catrin Lisa Jones, Royal Welsh Lady Ambassador 2016, is the grandson of the late Richard ap Simon Jones. He also breeds commercial ewes and the Welsh Black Ysguboriau Herd. His other three rams at the sale made 1,100, 850 and 600gns each.

David Powell, NSA Wales & Border Sales Committee member, said it had been a buoyant sale: “The vendors would be quite happy I’d have thought. It’s been a good trade. I bought a Border Leicester ram for £680, about £150 more than I had thought to pay, but I am pleased with him. It’s been a good sale all around. Sheep have sold well, which meant the rings have finished early and that’s led to a few queues – but that’s life.”

A Bluefaced Leicester ram lamb bred by M. and N. Gray of Low Espley, Morpeth, Northumberland, went to G. Smith and Sons, Alnwick, Northumberland, for 7,800gns. A Texel sold by Danny Creer from the Isle of Man was bought by Barbara Smith, Slapton, Northamptonshire, for 5,500gns.

It was a good day for Stuart Davies and family of Jay Farms, Bucknell, Shropshire. They sold a Talybont Welsh Mountain yearling, for 5,200gns. Mr Davies is only in his second year of breeding Welsh rams, having previously bred Suffolks. He has 100 Welsh ewes and 900 cross bred ewes, as well as 150 suckler cattle. The buyer was his brother Rob Davies, RWAS Director Sheep, who farms at Ty Canol, Llangynidr.

He said: “It’s a very good line and I still have his grandfather and I need to maintain that line. It’s an outstandingly good line and the ram is very correct.”

Another high priced Texel was sold by father and daughter Jim and Nicola Hartwright of Brynclochydd, Abergele, for 4,400gns. They brought 100 rams to the sale, which they regard as their ‘harvest day’, selling only a few other tups privately and in a few pedigree sales.

Vendors travelled from as far as the Orkneys and the Isle of Man, with Dutch buyer Harry deVliegher making a 48-hour trip to buy Arwyn Thomas’s Charollais ram lamb, this year’s Royal Welsh winner, for 1,700gns. Harry, who was accompanied by his father Cor, has been making the trip for eight years and says he thoroughly enjoyed the sale.

Llion Jones with his record-breaking Texel tup.
Llion Jones with his record-breaking Texel tup.
Welsh Mountains sold to a top of 5,200gns.
Welsh Mountains sold to a top of 5,200gns.