SHEEP FAIR REPORT

Auctioneers: Simon Draper, Scott Ruck and Edward Cox

Britain’s largest and probably most important one day sale of sheep saw 23670 head go through the ring worth £2,845435 and a sold rate of 96.6%.
Once again the doubters have been proved wrong. One ring won’t work! 8.00am sale start too early! No buyers at that time of the morning! They all said.
This year’s Thame with Bicester Sheep Fair again proved an outstanding success and has enabled all sheep producers, auctioneers, agents and spectators to go away and value their stock. The trade has been set for the coming season.

Trends
The continental shearlings much as anticipated and generally not a strong a sheep as last year were down some £20 on the year to level at £126.60. There were several more runs of plain sheep kept over from hoggets.
Cheviot X and half bred were a roaring trade to average just over £150.
Suffolk X were just as strong a trade for the smart sheep to £205 with an average of £128 again dragged down by the poorer sheep that should have been killed as hoggs.
North of England mules sold exceptionally well even with the sale starting at 5.00pm. Smart sheep just as dear, running sheep a little less but an average of £139 just £5 down on the year. There were a lot of relieved mule breeders and auctioneers, sat at ringside.
This year’s sale was kindly sponsored by ‘Ectofly’ and our thanks go to our sponsors, the Thame Agricultural Society and our judges.
Best pen of Continental X won by Michael Cross for his Texel Cheviot Mules at £161.
Best pen of Suffolk X won by Eddy Bullman at £205 to top the sale.
Best run of 100 or more Continental Theaves and Michael Capel-Smith Trophy to Eddy Bullman
Best pen of Mules to J & H Tustian £200
Best run of 80 or more Mule Theaves for NEMSA cup to Messrs G.E Haynes and Son
Eddy Bullman took top honours of the day with his leading pen of homebred Suffolk X at £205. Messrs J & H Tustian showed their usual quality mule shearlings had lambs to £200, £185, £182, and £181.
Garfield Stephens sold his Scotch half breds at £190 but John Goodman went one better for his Cheviot mules at £195. Eddy Bullman had two pens of Suffolk X at £185 and two at £182.
The best pen of Continentals came from Messrs DW Gurney and Son at £175 to Beltex X. Texel X from Messrs Kimber followed at £172.
Stuart Mcintosh sold his mules had lambs well to £170 with Messrs Collett to £165, Messrs Haynes and Messrs Hunt sold at £162
Conrad Lester sold his annual run of mule double theaves to a top of £155.
Suffolk X ewes from Messrs Elliot sold at £132 and Continentals from Messrs Rawding at £128. Mule ewes full mouthed from Messrs Pearson sold at £107.50 twice.
The ewe lamb trade was steady in places but topped at £115 for Beltex X from B Blanford & Son who also sold at £106 and £105.
Suffolk X sold to £96 from Humphrey Livestock and £92.
Texel X from Graham Woodard were at £85 while Lleyn X Texels for Mrs Heady were £84.
The store lamb trade was strong for all despite the 8.00am start with a ring full of buyers.
Gerald Levinge topped the section at £69.50 and £68.50 for Texel X. Suffolk X from Messrs Roberts sold at £68.50 twice £67.50 when Messrs Colinswood sold at £67 along with Fred Morris.
Tegs Lambs were a very strong trade to £66.00 from Messrs Hunt with one vendor up £10 on the year on their 500 head.

BREED	AVERAGE	TOP £	VENDOR
MULE	138.87	200	J & H TUSTIAN, Epwell
SUFFOLK X MULE	126.95	205	E BULLMAN, Thornborough
TEXEL X	125.03	172	RJ & BE KIMBER, Christian Malford
BELTEX X	126.09	175	DW GURNEY & SON, Stoke Hammond
CHAROLLAIS X	110.93	170	GE HAYNES & SON, Winslow
SHB	169.65	190	GA STEPHENS,  Kirby Bellars
CHEVIOT	162.03	195	JH GOODMAN, Winslow
NZ ROMNEYS	158	158	TYTING FARMS
EWES	100	132	R ELLIOTT & SON, Kislingbury
EWE LAMBS	78	115
STORE LAMBS	63	69.5	TG LEVINGE, Staines

Rams – 265 Penned, 75% clearance

A larger entry than for the previous few years. A strong demand throughout for best quality shearlings and ram lambs particularly for Texels, Beltex, Charolais and Suffolks.
Secondary sorts met a more selective trade with demand for these likely to rise later in the season.
Another packed ram ring this year with the sale very ably conducted by Will Abbott and Malcolm Wakeling.
Texel shearlings topped the sale at £655 from Messrs R & B Smith, Messrs Roots sold Texel X Beltex at £650 and £630 twice. Miss Kellet sold her Texel at £630 also.
Jenny Curtis sold her Charolais to £620 closely followed by Messrs Seahawes at £600.
Suffolk shearlings sold at £505 from Mr Beddie. Hampshire Down Shearlings to £310 (M & L Brown)
The best of the ram lambs was £590 for Charolais for Messrs Seahawes closely followed by Messrs Brown at £500.
A pair of Suffolk ram lambs from Merrick and Julie Pinny sold at £490. Beltex females sold to £290 from Messrs Roots.
Our thanks must go to all the members of staff who organized and worked tirelessly to make the sale the success it is.