Date: 22nd September 2025
The annual fixture at the Royal Welsh showground was as usual a busy event with some 2411 rams finding new postcodes. The Suffolk breed was well represented with an offer of MV Accredited Ram Lambs and Shearlings in Ring 10 and next door in Ring 11 Non MV Accredited Shearling rams. A change to this year’s format with their being an offer following comments at last year’s sale of MV Accredited Shearling rams alongside the Ram lambs. The trial for this year ended up a bit less fruitful for the shearlings with MV accredited not proving too much of an attraction for the buyers around ring 11.
The pre-sale show judged by Huw Thomas from Carmarthen started the proceedings for the day with the following outcome and the emergence of some newer members coming to the fore.
Shearling Rams (MV Accredited)
1st place 1983 D Roberts Llwyn
2nd place 1972 A Reed Beaconhill
3rd place 1984 D Roberts -Llwyn
Ram Lambs forward (MV Accredited)
1st 1991 Messrs Lewis & Thorne, Studdolph
2nd 2098 Gavin Rees, Forlans
3rd 2004 K&L Greaney, Claddagh
Rosettes for the best pen of sheep forward
1st place GG Lewis Wigfa
2nd place D Jones Frongoy
3rd place AW Evans Dol-Llys
Topping the trade at the sale was the second placed ram lamb from Gavin Rees Forlans flock, Llanwrda, selling at the fall of the gavel for 2,700 guineas. Well done to them for breeding and bringing a real class outfit that appealed to the audience, a sure sign that they have their breeding right.
The Champion from Messrs Lewis and Thorne, Studdolph flock, was next up with a very lengthy lamb and the only Suffolk consigned by them reaching 2,100gns. Their long stretchy lamb was well turned out and impressed the judge gaining first place in the show.
Regular consignor GG Lewis and his daughters from the Wigfa Flock with a good following for honest sheep was the winning entry in the best pen of lambs. It was an even pen forward all from high ground and well known to the regular buyers at Builth for their staying power. Their pen averaged 979gns for the 15 and well deserved.
Following the sale Lyndon Trumper from Straker Chadwick commented that it just seemed to be harder work than usual at the sale.
Ring 11 averages
MV accredited Shearlings averaged £714.38 with no previous year comparison a 93% clearance
MV Accredited Ram Lambs averaged for the 108 sold £691.83 an increase over last year of £57.14
Ring 10 Non-Accredited Shearlings
The Suffolk breed saw a 4,700-guinea top price for G Davies & Co’s Llanfechan yearling, sold to HE Havard & Co. Chris Davies was delighted, praising his tup as ‘the biggest we’ve ever bred, big and wide with a nice black head’. He was pleased with the ‘good, level trade’. The family run 25 pedigree Suffolk ewes
Non MV accredited Shearlings with 286 sold to average 1213.89 with a 95% clearance an increase over last year of £245.57.
