Newcomer collects the top honours at Shropshire Sheep Society’s big event

The winning animal went on to achieve the highest sale price for a female at the event held at Halls’ Auction Centre, Shrewsbury.

The entry of Shropshires at the annual sale reached a new high of 142, surpassing entries in all previous years since the event moved to Shrewsbury in 2010.

The show classes were judged by Tim Ward from Montgomery, who presided over some large classes of up to 15 Shearling rams, 19 ram lambs and 18 shearling ewes.

The Breed Championship was awarded to the Shearling female from Lisa Wilson’s Felton Flock, based in West Felton, near Oswestry.

As a relatively new breeder, Mrs Wilson had shown her Shropshires only twice before, and this was her first entry in the Society’s National Show and Sale.

By contrast, the Reserve Champion was a Shearling Ram from the Piddington Flock, established over forty years ago by Sue Farquhar from Ledbury, Herefordshire. The Piddington Flock is now jointly owned by Sue and her granddaughter Ellie Butcher.

In the sale, there was strong demand for male and female stock of all ages, with buyers coming from as far afield as Aberdeen, Surrey, Norfolk and Pembrokeshire. The highest priced animal in the sale was a well-grown ram lamb, Clipston Sam, from Robert Webb of Kettering, Northamptonshire.

Sired by Apiary Bart and born in late February, the animal was placed fourth in the show class and sold to A P Davies of Four Crosses, Llanymynech, for £787.50.

The next highest price was paid for a Shearling Ram, Goblindale Aramis, unplaced in the show class, which was purchased by L and P Newman from Norwich, Norfolk for £756. The ram was sired by Rosaline Claudius and bred by C and R Coleman, Ellesmere, Shropshire.

The Reserve Champion in the show, the shearling ram Piddington Beresford, was sold to Mr Pudge from Kings Pyon, Herefordshire for £682.50.

Top price paid for a Senior Ram was £546 for the two-shear Tushbrook Legacy by Alderton Hazzard sold to J H B Gay from Dutchy Home Farm, Tetbury, Gloucestershire. The ram was first in his show class and consigned by Jeanette and Robert Hares, Millenheath, Whitchurch, Shropshire.

Turning to the females, the highest prices for adult ewes were paid for animals that had won red ribbons in their show classes. A price of £367.50 was paid by L & L Colbourne of Dorking, Surrey for a breeding ewe. The two-shear was sired by Roydon Rico and bred by Jan and Charles Morris, Stoney Stretton, Shropshire.

The breed champion shearling from the Felton Flock, was sold for £546 to D L Batterbee from Buxton, Derbyshire. The ewe was sired by Apiary Benson. The highest priced ewe lamb was from the Piddington Flock, sold to Peter Harris of Ellerdine, Shropshire for £399. The animal, sired by Hornpipe Venom, was 5th in her show class.

Stock at the event was consigned by 26 Shropshire breeders and the overall clearance rate was 77.78 per cent.

Averages: 3 Senior Rams, £462; 7 Shearling Rams, £441; 12 Ram Lambs, £443.75; 9 Breeding Ewes, £273; 45 Shearling Ewes, £273; 22 Ewe Lambs, £241.34.