Tavistock Livestock Market report, Tuesday August 4, 'August Fair'

Again there were plenty of buyers looking to purchase quality cattle and trade was exceptionally strong from start to finish.

The sale started with the breeding cattle which topped at £1800 for a 28mo pedigree Charolais bull from Messrs Hatherleigh & Rendle of Tamerton Foliot.

There was a good entry of cows and calves which sold to £1740 for a grand 5 year old South Devon with her South Devon steer calf at foot from Messrs Collacombe Farm Ltd of Lamerton; who also had other similar bred outfits to £1600; £1425 and £1420. Other cows and calves included £1400 for another 5 year old South Devon cow with her 4 week old steer calf at foot from Mr JA Cuming & Son of Moretonhampstead; a run of three further South Devon cows and calves from Messrs A Coaker & A Geen of Princetown sold to £1140 with others at £1120 and £1080. In calf cows peaked at £860 for a 4 year old Aberdeen Angus from Mr RJ Glanville of Milton Abbot.

In the mature cattle section trade was also strong with a trio of Red Ruby Devon cows from Messrs D & A Hutchins of Gulworthy selling to £1030 and £1025 twice. Another excellent entry of store cattle met an expected even dearer trade than last month with all vendors going home happy. Top of the day at £1300 twice; the first to a 39mo Charolais cross steer from Messrs EG & MA Dunn of Shaugh Prior and the second to 31mo British Blue cross heifer from Messrs D & KJ Bragg of Tavistock. Messrs Bragg had a super run of cattle forward with other prices including £1260 for three 26mo British Blue cross steers; £1160 for three 28mo Hereford cross steers and £1100 for four 26mo British Blue cross heifers. Messrs Dunn also had other overage cattle to £1250 for a 38mo British Blue cross steer, £1235 for a 40mo South Devon heifer and £1200 for a 39mo Charolais cross heifer.

Other steer prices included £1235 for a pair of 24mo Limousin cross steers from Mr RG Paine of Yelverton who also had three 18mo Limousin cross steers to £1180 and other pens to £1110 and £1105. Mr AJ Eggins of Roborough saw his three 15-16mo Limousin cross steers to £1070. £1010 for a 19mo Saler cross steer from Messrs J & S Eggins of Yelverton; £1005 for three 15mo Limousin cross steers from Mr JH Vanstone of Tavistock and £1000 to a pair of 15mo Limousin cross steers from Mr HT Davis of Chagford. Other heifer prices included £1070 for a pair of 20mo Charolais crosses from Messrs T & M French of Brentor; £1010 three times; the first two to 16mo Limousin crosses from Mr RG Paine of Yelverton and Messrs JH & JA Vanstone of Meavy with the third to a pair of Saler crosses from Messrs J & S Eggins. £1000 to a 19mo Limousin cross from Mr AJ Eggins.

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Other notable prices included £980 to a pair of 14mo Limousin cross steers from Westcott Farms of Brentor; £945 to a pair of 14-15mo Simmental cross heifers from Messrs PJ & JA Rogers of Sydenham Damerel who also had four 10mo Aberdeen Angus cross steers to £915; £940 to five 16-17mo Charolais cross steers from Mr AP Legassick of Tavistock; £920 to a 12mo Limousin cross steer from Messrs WKJ & MR Harding of Throwleigh; £905 to three 15mo Charolais cross steers from Mr M Cole of Sampford Spiney; £900 to five 12-13mo Charolais cross steers from Messrs Abel Brothers of Peter Tavy with similar pens to £875 and £840; £870 to three 13mo South Devon steers from Messrs D & Hutchins of Gulworthy; £830 to three 11mo South Devon steers from Mr GHJ Medland of Tavistock and £810 to 13mo Charolais heifer from Messrs J & G Nankivell of Tavistock. There were a number of Moorland bred cattle again this month with prices including £790 for six 27mo Galloway heifers from Messrs RA, LK & DR Cole of Lydford who also had 15mo heifers to £700.

In the sheep pens the first season sale of breeding ewes saw just 80 forward topping at £126 for a pen of 2T Cheviot crosses from Mr FR Hill of Lewdown who also had other pens to £125 and £120. Breeding rams topped at £170 for a full mouth Texel from Tamar Farms LLP of Lamerton. Just under 100 store lambs sold to £71 for Mr KJ Watson of Postbridge who also had scotch lambs to £56. A small show of grazing ewes peaked at £66 for a pen from Messrs J & G Nankivell of Tavistock.