Stags, auctioneers at Tavistock Livestock Market, report a bigger entry this year than previously at their annual Goose Fair Cattle Sale.

Trade was very similar to the last market, with a lot of cattle sold at between 190 – 200ppk. There was an excellent quality entry, with the majority being Suckler-bred.

The Store Cattle topped at £1,290 for a grand 23mo Charolais x steer from Messrs BJ & L Landick of Sampford Spiney, who also had four 24mo South Devon steers to £1,235. The Landicks also had top price for the heifer, at £1,250 for a 24mo Charolais cross, with other pens at £1,240 and £1,990 respectively.

There were a large amount of 15-18mo cattle on offer, which saw prices to £1,140 for a pair of 16mo Charolais cross steers from Mr R Cole of Yelverton. Heifers sold to £1,090 for a pair of 18mo Charolais crosses from Messsrs MH & SRS Eggins of Roborough. Out of the 412 Store Cattle sold, just shy of 100 made £1,000 or more. The 265 steers averaged £879.94 and the 147 heifers averaged £806.30

For the younger cattle 8-14mo, prices topped at £1,000 for a 12mo South Devon steer for Mr RH Murrin of Bere Alston and heifers sold to £815 for a pair of 14mo Saler cross from Messrs J & S Eggins of Yelverton. The entry consisted of 30 Galloway steers, which sold to £950 for four 26mo from Messrs G Abel & Son Ltd, Peter Tavy. There were some lovely runs of South Devon steers where pens included £1,140 for 18mo steers for Messrs GC & VJ Hill of Lamerton; £1,090 for 18mo steers from Mr JW Hillson of Bere Alston and £1,025 for 19mo Steers from Mr AJ Friend of Coryton.

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Other notable steer prices included £1,145 for a pair of 24mo British Blue cross steers from Messrs D & KJ Bragg of Tavistock; £1,120 for a super pen of nine 16mo Charolais cross steers from Mr R Cole of Bere Alston; £1,075 for 17mo British Blue cross steers from Messrs T & M French of Brentor; £1,000 for four 18mo Charolais cross steers from Mr E Dodd of Peter Tavy; £1,000 for 17mo Limousin cross Welsh Black Steer from Messrs DH & C Legassick of Sheepstor.

Other notable heifer prices included £1,100 for a pair of 27mo Limousins (non FABBL) from Mr HT Davis of Chagford; £1,045 for a pair of 17mo Charolais crosses for Mr R Cole and £1,005 for another pair of 18mo Limousin crosses from Mr AJ Eggins of Roborough.

The day's sale began with the grazing and breeding cattle, where bulls topped at £1,960 for a six and a half year old year old pedigree South Devon from Messrs WR & EC Stacey of Lewdown. Cows and calves sold to £1,340 for a four and a half year old South Devon cow with her two mo South Devon heifer calf at foot from Messrs JA Cumings & Sons of Moretonhampstead; who had other similar outfits at £1,320 and £1,270. A Hereford heifer with her two mo British Blue cross calf at foot sold to £1,320 for Messrs D & KJ Bragg, Tavistock. Grazing cows sold to £1,005 for an eight year old Devon from Messrs D & A Hutchings of Gulworthy.