Denbighshire breeder Myfyr Evans returned home from Scotland a happy man after topping this week’s Scottish National Texel Sale, Lanark.
A ram lamb from his Rhaeadr flock at Tan-Yr-Accar, Llanrhaeadr , sold for £131,25 to lead the trade on a day the sale average jumped 26%.
His sale leader was Rhaeadr Best of the Best, a much fancied lamb by the 70,000gns Teiglum Young Gun and out of a 12,000gns Auldhouseburn-bred ewe by the 145,000gns Knap Vicious Sid.
After attracting significant pre-sale attention, Myfyr’s ram lamb became embroiled in a fierce bidding battle that quickly climbed past six figures.
The hammer eventually fell at 125,000gns to Hugh and Alan Blackwood of the Auldhouseburn flock, Murikirk, Ayrshire.
Although the overall average of £3,417.04 was up more than £700 on 2017, Texel Sheep Society chief executive John Yates suggested the prices could have been higher.
“There is no doubt costs incurred during the hard spring – and expected to be incurred in the upcoming winter – were on the minds of commercial buyers who were more reluctant with their spending,” he said.
“This reflects the trade seen at a number of early sales across the country and undoubtedly that, and the uncertainty surrounding future trade deals post-Brexit, were playing on the minds of commercial buyers.”
Mr Evans is no stranger to sale-topping prices – in 2011 he paid a breed record 90,000gns for a Suffolk ram lamb.
His Rhaeadr Best of the Best was 5,000gns down on last year’s sale and a long way short of the Lanark record, the 222,000gns paid for Deveronvale Perfection in 2009.
In 2014 Knap Vicious Sid went for 145,000gns at Lanark and he was a grand-sire of the two best offerings at this year’s sale, including Myfyr’s ram lamb.
The other was Auldhouseburn Boss from the Blackwoods, buyers of Myfyr’s sale leader.
A son of the 130,000gns Sportsmans A Star, he went home with Keith, Roy and Alan Campbell for their Cowal flock, Argyll.
Making 40,000gns was the day’s pre-sale champion from the Knox family’s Haddo flock. This was Haddo Balvenie, a Clinterty Yuga Khan son who was Royal Highland champion earlier in the year.
Selling with an index of 470, he was bought in a three-way split by John Elliot, Roxburgh, Staplegrove Livestock, Foxhill, and Ken Hodge, Greenarch.
Late in the sale, which saw 20 sheep sell at five figures of more, came a 32,000gns bid for Plasucha Big Gun from Robert Bennett , Meifod, Montgomeryshire .
This son of the homebred Plasucha All Star is out of a dam by Kelso Wiseman and sold with an index of 415, having stood first in the pre-sale show. Big Gun returned south to Cheshire with Charlie Boden and family for the Sportsmans flock.
Mr Bennett was back in the money when taking 20,000gns for Plasucha Boss Man, a son of Mullan Awesome out of a dam by Knock Yankee and with an index of 430.
He sold in a two-way split to the Arnott family, Haymount, and Esmor Evans, Maerdy.
Visiting Larnark with his chequebook was Idris Morris of the Fachell flock, who paid 11,000gns for another from the Blackwoods’ Auldhouseburn pen.
This was Auldhouseburn Bozo, sired by 130,000gns A Star, with a half share going to H & I Williams of the Llyfni flock.
Texel females
More spoils came the way of Mr Bennett’s Plasucha flock when he sold a gimmer for 18,000gns to leads Lanark’s female trade.
This was the day’s female champion, an ET-bred daughter of Eden Valley Wiz Kid out of a dam by Garngour Upperclass.
Champion at this year’s Shropshire County Show, she sold with an index of 346 to Staplegrove Livestock, Devon, for the Foxhill flock.
Another Plasucha gimmer, again by Wiz Kid, sold for 3,000gns
A total of 54 females went under the hammer to level at £1670.28, a rise of more than £120 on the same sale in 2017.
Averages
- Ram lambs (325) av £3,417.04 (+715.04)
- Gimmers (54) av £1,670.28.
