A top price of 21,000 guineas was paid for a ram lamb at the Suffolk Sheep Society’s annual national show and sale held Shrewsbury Auction Centre last Friday and Saturday.
Myfyr Evans from the Rhaeadr flock in Denbigh claimed the top price for a son of 90,000 guineas ram Ardlea Arbennig, which sold to Mary-Julia Cornish, Devon for the Mardle Flock.
A entry of 212 pedigree Suffolk shearling rams and ram lambs, shearling ewes and ewe lambs from some of the UK’s top breeders went under the hammer at the show and sale, hosted by auctioneers Halls in conjunction with J. Straker Chadwick.
The show championship also went to Mr Evans with a son of Rookery Best of the Best, which sold for 6500gns to Pamela Lupton, for the Kexbeck flock, Ripon. Mr Evans sold 12 ram lambs at the sale for an average of 3,547gns.
The female champion was a shearling ewe by Rhaeadr Mad Man out of a Stockton Thriller from John Sinnett of Stockton on Teme, Worcester, which sold for 2100gns to Stephen Ovenden, Littlestone, Kent, for the Beckets flock.
The show judge was Sandy Frazer of Lincolnshire.
Shrewsbury Auction Centre manager Nick Hyne praised the high quality of the sheep on display and said 75 per cent were sold on Saturday to buyers from around the UK and Ireland.
“This show and sale attracts the cream of the crop in terms of pedigree Suffolk sheep and entries and we were delighted to see a bigger crowd than ever this year,” he said.
Suffolk Sheep Society’s chief executive Lewis McClinton said there was strong demand for lambs of all classes, although current prime lamb prices noticeably affected their willingness to buy in volume.
“With prime lamb prices under pressure and store lamb sales yet to get underway in any number buyers were understandably cautious,” he added. “It was pleasing to see 24 more ram lambs sold this year compared to last year, an increase of 21% on the year.”
