Stags auctioneers report an excellent entry of 2,254 sheep were sold at the annual Tavistock Goose Fair Sheep Sale.

Trade was strong for all sections.

The day’s sale started with the breeding ewes, which were sold through the store cattle ring. Just under 900 were sold to £120 for a pen of mule shearlings from RP & JA Brendon of Bridestowe.

Older ewes sold to £105 for a pen of 4T mule ewes from Messrs JH & JA Vanstone of Tavistock. The best trade was definitely the hill-bred ewes, which topped at £105 for a pen of 2T Cheviot ewes from Mr HT Davis of Chagford; with next best at £102 for a pen of Welsh mules for Mr J Braunton of Bodmin. Older hill-bred ewes topped at £88 for a pen of full mouth Cheviots from Messrs PJ & MA Hearn of Tavistock. Other notable breeding ewe prices included £100 for a pen of 2T Lleyns from Miss J Smith of Bodmin; £98 for a pen of 2T mixed breeds from Mr G Floyd of North Bovey; £82 for two pens of full mouth Welsh ewes and full mouth Beulah-cross ewes from Mr M Cole of Sampford Spiney; and £86 for a pen of 2T Badger Face ewes from Messrs J & S Eggins of Yelverton.

Also sold through the store cattle ring were the ewe lambs, which topped at £80 for a pen of mule ewe lambs from Messrs DH & C Legassick of Sheepstor. Again the best trade was for the hill breeds, which topped at £68 for a pen of Cheviot crosses from Mr KJ Watson of Postbridge; with Scotch Blackface ewe lambs selling to £66 for a pen from Messrs RP & JA Brendon of Bridestowe.

A very pleasing entry of just under 1,000 store lambs met an electric trade from start to finish, with a pleasing average of £64.28 which included around 300 hill-bred lambs. Top of the day was seen for Texel-cross lambs from Messrs G & R Cundy of Lamerton reaching £85. Cheviots from Mr TD Vallance of Yelverton also looked very well sold at £83. Regular consignor Mr AP Legassick of Tavistock brought his usual quality, achieving £82 for Charollais-cross lambs with his Suffolk-crosses also reaching £79 and £78.50 twice. Mr W Hamilton of Tavistock presented a run of 100 Charollais-cross lambs all looking well with his topping at £80 twice, with others at £77.50, averaging just shy of £79. Another regular consignor, Mr T Roskilly of Tavistock enjoyed a pleasing day with his best Scotch mule wethers to £78.50 while his 60 Scotch wethers topped at £69 three times.

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Mr J Cox of Tavistock sold Texel-crosses which topped at £76.50, while Messrs FG & DM Penwill, also of Tavistock, were pleased with their Suffolk-crosses selling for £76. Mr R Radmore of Yelverton was early in the sale but still came away with healthy prices of £76 and £73.50 for Suffolk-crosses. Tamar Farms LLP also consigned a small batch of Charollais-crosses which topped at £73.50 alongside Mr HT Davis of Chagford who reached the same money for Cheviot lambs. Over 380 realised over £70, with the majority of these being continental-bred, showing the influence of hill-bred types on the overall average. November fair will see the next sale with good entries already forward. Several new faces attended the market, leaving with less than they required and wishing more had been on offer.

A massive entry of 265 breeding rams sold at an excellent 95 per cent clearance rate. Prices topped at £540 for a 2T Suffolk from Messrs WJ & DM Jordan of Chagford. Other Suffolks sold included £420 for a 2T from Messrs Abel Bros of Peter Tavy; £400 for a 2T from Mr M Waycott of Ashburton, and £380 twice for Messrs Abel Bros and Messrs JH & JA Vanstone of Tavistock. There was a massive entry of hill-bred rams, with prices topping at £400 for a smart 2T Cheviot from Mrs J Williams of Ilsington. Other Cheviots included £380 for a 2T, again from Messrs WJ & DM Jordan, again with other prices included £340, £320 and £310 for three from Messrs JW Reddaway & Son of Belstone. Other breeds and prices included £380 for a 2T Suffolk x Charollais from Messrs Abel Bros; £370 for a 2T Texel from Mr CA Kneebone of Lifton; £350 for a 2T Charollais from Messrs Abel Bros; £320 for a 2T Blue-Faced Leicester from Mr N Dalgarno of Tregony and £320 for a 2T Berrichon from Messrs JH & JA Vanstone.