NSA Eastern Region Melton Ram Sale
Date: 21st September 2018
Location: Melton Mowbray Livestock Market, Leicestershire, LE13 1JY
Charollais Shearling Ram tops sale at 1,000 gns
Quality rams were in demand at the 33rd Annual Ram Sale held at Melton Mowbray Market on Friday (21st September 2018), with regular buyers competing for the best on offer.
Top price on the day went to the 1st prize winning pen of Charollais shearling rams from Gemma Maxwell from Fordham in Cambridgeshire. The flock had eight strong, well-grown fleshy tups forward and topping their trade was one at 1,000 gns which went to a buyer from Burton Lazars. Next best achieved 900 gns purchased by Burton Farms Ltd, Rempstone who took another one from the pen at 780 gns. Their average finished at £660.18.
The Champion pen of shearling rams prize went to regular vendor Barbara Smith from Slapton, Northants with her Texel sheep. She achieved top price of 920 gns twice; buyer for both of these shapely tups was W T Carr & Sons, Loughborough. The pre-sale judge, Mr Chris Sabine took the next best two at 900 gns and 850 gns. The 7 shearling rams averaged £807. The flock also had a pen of 4 Texel ram lambs forward which sold up to 480 gns to Goadby Hall Estate.
The overall champion pen of rams award went to Ruth and Tom Mawer with a pen of Charollais ram lambs from their Kelby Flock in Grantham. They were awarded the Melton Borough Council salver by the Mayor, Councillor Pru Chandler who support this annual event. They achieved top ram lamb price on the day at 650 gns for one which sold to D S Edwards.
Other top pens of Texel came from regular vendors R R & M Lawrence, Market Bosworth, Warwickshire whose smart, well-fleshed tups finished on an average of £514.50 for 12 sold to a top of 780 gns.
Suffolk rams were less in demand with a disappointing clearance for the lots forward. Topping this section was C D Timm from Appleton roebuck in Yorkshire who sold their shearling ram for 920 gns to J Pointer. Mr Timm also topped the cross-bred section with a price of 880 gns for a Charollais x Beltex which sold to local farmer, Ros Turner.
Strong winds the morning of the sale had played havoc for some regular buyers who were forced to miss the event; which undoubtedly led to a slightly reduced number of purchasers.
Averages :
Charollais 33 shearlings sold to a top of 1,000 gns, average £493.50
14 ram lambs sold to a top of 650 gns, average £371.25
Suffolk 9 shearlings sold to a top of 920 gns, average £581.00
11 ram lambs sold to a top of 480 gns, average £351.27
Texel 46 shearlings sold to a top of 920 gns, average £518.60
5 lambs sold to a top of 480 gns, average £441.00
Auctioneer : Tom Greenow, Melton Mowbray Market.
