Goose Fair Sheep Sale at Tavistock Livestock Market

Auctioneers Stags saw an excellent entry of 2225 sheep with a large contingent of buyers present on October 12, especially forward from all three moors.

The day started with the sale of breeding ewes sold through the cattle ring which topped at £148 for a pen of 2T Masham from Mr S P Cleverdon, Hatherleigh.

Other 2T ewes sold included £140 for a pen of Cheviots from Messrs A Coaker and A Geen, Princetown, £135 for a pen of Berrichons from Messrs Matthews Bros, Callington, £132 for a pen of Cheviots from Messrs P J and M A Hearn, Whitchurch, £130 for a pen of Badger Faces from Miss Bridger, Yelverton and £118 for a pen of Welsh Mules from Messrs A Stanbury and Son, Chagford.

Older ewes sold to £135 for a pen of 6T Mules from Mr S P Cleverdon, Hatherleigh.

Other old ewes sold to £108 for a pen of 4T/6T/FM Romney x from Miss J Stevens, Yelverton, £102 for a pen of FM Whiteface Dartmoors from Mr G Goddard, Sampford Spiney, £100 for a pen of FM Highlsnder x from Mr T E Dawe, Chillaton, £100 for a pen of FM Cheviots from Mr A Mortimore, Chagford and £98 for a pen of FM/BM Cheviot from Messrs J H & J A Vanstone, Meavy.

A decent entry of ewe lambs which were also sold through the cattle ring topped at £110 for a pen of Scotch Mule from Messrs R A, L K & D R Cole, Lydford.

A tremendous entry of 223 breeding rams met a 98 per cent clearance with an excellent ring full of buyers around the ring right to the end of the sale.

Top price was £620 for a 2T Texel from Messrs Abel Bros, Peter Tavy.

There was a good entry of Suffolks which sold to £600 for 2 2T from Mr G Golding, Ashburton.

Blue Faced Leicesters topped at £520 for a 2T from Mr G Hillson, Bere Alston.

There was a decent entry of Cheviots which sold to £400 three times; firstly for 2 2T from Messrs W J & D M Jordan, Chagford and secondly for a 2T from Mr R S Robson, Launceston.

Welsh Rams sold to £460 for a 2T from Mr R S Robson, Launceston and Crossbred Rams sold to £500 twice for a 2T Charolais x Texel from Messrs Abel Bros, Peter Tavy.

Some 953 store lambs – more than originally catalogued - sold to a fast trade from start to finish with possibly the smallest lambs looking the dearest.

Top on the day was seen for Messrs A P Legassick of Tavistock at £99 with a further two pens reaching £98 and others at £95.50, £94 and £90.

Regular vendor Mr R J Luscombe of Plymouth saw his pen sell away at £97 whilst Mr Jones of Yelverton sold Texels to £93.

Cheviots topped at £90 for Mr T D Vallance of Horrabridge while Messrs F G and D M Penwill of Mary Tavy sold the best of their run to £90, £89 twice and £86.50.

Scotch Lambs met a blistering trade with the best for Mrs R Dance, South Brent reaching £81.

In total 38 pens sold for £80 and above quite an outstanding figure when considering a large percentage were hill bred lambs not usually reaching anywhere near prices seen.

More store lambs are wanted for the November Fair with it hard to believe that these lambs can get much dearer, said Stags.

141 grazing ewes met a solid trade with many hill bred grazing types present.

Top for Mr J W Blowey of Tavistock with Mules topping at £93; with Cheviots from Messrs P J and M A Hearn of Whitchurch achieving £90, Cheviots again but this time from Mr T D Vallance of Horrabridge reached £82.50 with his others to £77.50.

Mules for Messrs F G and D M Penwill of Mary Tavy sold to £77 while Scotch grazing rams for Messrs Coaker and Geen, Princetown, topped at £75.50.