Thur  23  Feb

Many expectations have been forecast for the sheep industry in 2011 and this year’s big event met and surpassed most people’s predictions. All I can say is ‘what a day!’ More sheep of the highest quality, more people, more trade stands and more smiles as the trade took off. The foundations were set for a good day when the first pen through the ring (which was actually lot 2 due to a no-show of lot 1) sold to the day’s top price of £232 – the deserving recipient was RJ & BE Kimber who sold a very impressive pen of pure Texel theaves which created a bidding frenzy. The same trade continued through the Continental section with Gore Farm showing another quality run of Beltex which sold at the top end returning £226 and £215 for the first two pens. Texels from DW Gurney & Son sold well at £210 followed by Beltex from Mrs Susan Head to return £202 and £200. The prizes in the Continental section were won by Mr M Cross who was awarded the Michael Capel-Smith Memorial Challenge Trophy for his run of Texels.

The Suffolk x Mule trade was as predicted, with an average of £146.14. The top of the market was certainly above expectations with a fantastic run of seven hundred and fifty from Eddie Bullman topping at £202 and £200. This run of sheep were a credit to Eddie Bullman and were the deserved winner of the best run of 100 or more Suffolk cross mule theaves, and the best pen of Suffolks in the sale.  Also selling Suffolks well was FC Lester & Son with a top of £188. These two vendors shared the top prices across the top fourteen pens, followed by R Randall & Son with £164 and G Eaton with £163. Many thanks go to our judge Mr R A E Wilson for his duties on the day in the Continental and Suffolk sections.

The other big prize contended for was the NEMSA Ltd Perpetual Challenge Cup given for the best run of 60 or more Mule theaves. The Mule trade was the big surprise this year up over £30 on the year and exceeding all early expectations. This year’s winner was GE Haynes & Son who entered three hundred and twenty North Country Mules and every one as strong as the next.

These prize winning sheep also set a huge trade with a top of £190 helped by the purchaser Mr Brandon Richardson. More exceptional Mules from J & H Tustian topped at £169, winning the best pen of 25 or more Mule theaves.  Further Mules from Richard Haynes sold for £168 for two pens and a top of £166 for AR & J Collett. A strong run of Mules from Bertrand Facon sold well and topped at £165, followed by CR & DP Hunt with a top of £162.  Our judges in the Mule section this year were Mr W Lawson and Mr B Hewitson, who had a difficult job this year with a tremendous entry of sheep.  Once again our thanks go to the judges.

A strong entry of ewes topped at £122 for CW Webb & Partners, which was matched by R Randall & Son with a pen of Continentals. Charollais from H Marten sold to a top of £120, followed by Texels from TR Reeve at £118 and Mules from A Pearson & Son at £117 twice.

As ever we are most grateful to all the vendors for all the work they put into their sheep prior to the sale and during the year leading up to the breeding sale season. Customers travel from far and wide and help make the day a huge success. The growing support from sponsors, advertisers and trade stands is now a key part of the fair and I would like to express my thanks and hope they all enjoyed the day. As always, a big thank you to the purchasers who travelled from all corners of the UK to support the Bicester sheep fair.

And finally the team of staff who worked tirelessly both leading up to the sale and during the course of the day either covering the huge distances around the fair or providing all the support required through the office, tag reading and selling. There are too many to mention, but I would like to give a special thanks to Jonquil Jones and Robert Wilson for all the advice in preparing the catalogues and pen plans, to Adrian, Jane and Billy in building the pens with assistance from Archie Dancer and Robin Ward.

During the fair the professionalism of the staff was exceptional with support much appreciated from my number two, Scott Ruck. Daniel Slade kept the problems to a minimum while Jo Bromwich led the EID stick reading team to a successful finish.  The main ring was kept alive all day long with much humour and banter between myself and Paul Wilkinson (aka Mousey) making the day a fun and successful one, and keeping the crowd entertained throughout. Thank you once again to Ed Cox who ran the store ring and gave me support in the main ring, and to Scott Ruck and Malcolm Wakeling who ran the ram section and the Beltex sale.

Several staff worked for over 24 hours and the day could not run so smoothly without this dedication, so a big thank you to you all.

In the store ring, a fast trade was experienced with plenty of demand from around the ring, with ewe lambs topping at £140 for a pen of ¾ bred Beltex x Texels from B Blandford & Sons. Suffolk x SHB’s sold to £118 for Lovell & Son while Suffolk x Mules sold from £97 to £104 for Humphrey Livestock while smaller framed ewe lambs sold from £80 to £91.

A good entry of store lambs sold to a top of £73 for TG Levinge. Strongest stores sold from £70 to £73 with mediums at £62 to £67 and small lambs were returning £56 to £61. Plenty of demand in the store ring generated a store average of £63.50 and a ewe lamb average of £93.

Entries are now being taken for the second sheep fair on Friday 9^th September where prizes will be given for the best ewe and store lambs.

Rams: 200                                                                Auctioneer Scott Ruck

On being told selling the rams was one of the toughest jobs on the day I must say I was glad to see the vast amount of buyers around the Ram ring coming to get their future stock getters in good time.....and get them bought they did, with a record of over 80% being sold!

Prior to the sale of the Rams, it was a pleasure to sell for the Central Beltex Club, who held their inaugural show & sale of breeding sheep, kindly sponsored by JG Animal Health & attracting plenty of purchasers for the top breeding on offer.

Shearling Beltex ewes from M Walker & Taylor topped at 450 guineas, with others from the same home to 435 guineas & A Hodges & Sons examples to £260. Shearling rams from VJ & ML Roots & Son to £510 and rams from A Hodges & Son to £420. 

Many thanks to Clive Roots for all his work on the day and all other Beltex society members for a quality entry of breeding sheep, we look forward to progressing the show and sale for future years.

With the sheep fair being the 1st pick of the season purchasers had plenty to choose from and the top quality and breeding from around the country gave potential purchasers a fine opportunity to take a tidy breeding tool home. 

Topping the trade in the Shearling Rams were fantastically bred & sought after Charollais from C.Hawes at £865, with other examples at £710 & £660 & £655 to £600. Stonking Charollais, also from J & C Maxwell to £695 & £655. Texels from Miss M Kellett caused some fierce bidding to top at £658 with other examples not far behind, and Charollais from AJ & MJ Gregory romping to £650. Texels from Mrs D M Blakemore to £625 and a delightful run of yet more Texels from keen market & sheep fair supporter, Richard Cheshire topping at £600, not forgetting Jane Roff with hers to £590.

Ram Lambs sold on a flyer of a trade, clearing the majority of vendors out (& commented to be a 1st for most of them!). Top of the tree were a run of cracking Suffolks from prestigious breeders MJ & JA Pinny, selling at £555 with others of equal stature to £550, £540, £530 & £515 respectively. Strong Charollais from M Seymour to £500, with Charollais from AJ & M Gregory to £475 & yet more Charollais goods from C.Hawes to £415. 

Older Rams topped at £650 for Charollais from AD & RM Thomas and top quality Beltex rams from VJ & ML Roots to £445 with R Richardson’s Charolais to £360 and a Millennium Blue from Julie Bury to £345.

All in, a set of Averages to be proud of, with  Shearling Rams at £420 (top £865), Ram Lambs to Average £409 (top £555) & Mature Rams to Av. £388 (top £650)      

Many thanks to Steve & Lindsay Martin for all their help, keeping  the ring flowing throughout the day & Lyn Hollier for all her fantastic work as ever – It was a pleasure working with you. Not forgetting Adrian Hope, Jane Britnell & Billy Biswell for putting up the penning and ring.....though following this years entry & amount of interest, and now the fun is over....I’ll make a request....next time can we have one five times as big??!!