Auctioneers Halls held their second seasonal sale of 2,000 breeding sheep on Love Lane, Bishops Castle on Saturday which included 650 yearlings and stock ewes, 700 ewe lambs, 50 breeding rams and 600 store lambs.

Prices were as good as ever, said auctioneer David Bryan Jones, with a number of buyers keen to satisfy their requirements before the end of the season.

The sale included the annual prize event for ewe lambs with the G. Bryan Jones Cup awarded to the best pen of 10 or more theaves.  The class was expertly judged by Murray Roberts and the cup was presented by Gerald Bryan Jones’ wife Paula and daughter Phoebe with the cup going to Brian and Chris Roberts, The Forge, Felindre.

Averages prices: Yearling ewes £181 to £212, stock ewes £106 to £170, ewe lambs £125 to £155, breeding rams £530 to £820 and store lambs    £85 to £107.

Leading prices were: Yearling ewes: Welsh Mule: £212 Messrs W. C. & J. M. Gittins, Ashton Farm. Texel: £202   Mr R. J. Amphlett, Edgton Farm. Stock ewes. £170 Messrs B. O. & C. E. Roberts, The Forge. Store sheep: £133 for Mr D. H. Tilsley, Foxhill Farm. Ewe lambs: £155 for Messrs B. O. & C. E. Roberts. Texel breeding rams:  £820 for Messrs K. J. & T. M. C. Llewellyn, Broadway Farm. Store lambs: £107 for Mr M. Hooker, Ellenvale.

In the first sale, on September 1, Halls reported a “fantastic trade” for an entry of 3,200 breeding sheep, with yearling ewes averaging just shy of £200 to £260 per head and ewe lambs £165 to £175 per head.

The prize sale of Welsh Mules for the Andrew Lawton Cup was judged by Nigel Pennie and the winner was Luke Page. The Derek Pugh Cup for the highest priced pen of commercial ewes was won by N. L. Pugh & Co.

Top priced yearlings were £260 for Welsh Mules from L Page and £230 for Texels from N. L Pugh & Co. Top priced ewe lambs were £175 for Suffolks from G. H. Bayliss & Son and £168 for Texels from R. T. Bright & Son.

The Tom Gittins Cup will be on offer at the next sale of store cattle at Bishops Castle Market Thursday, October 12, starting at 10.30am.

Bishops Castle and District Quality Cattle Association is holding at prize sale of suckled calves and weanlings at the market on Thursday, October 19, with entries closing on October 9.

Picture caption:

Paula Jones and Phoebe Jones present the G. Bryan Jones Cup to winners Brian and Chris Roberts watched by judge Murray Roberts.