A top call of 1300gns was the highlight of the Southdown Sheep Society’s Premier Sale, Worcester, on Saturday 6th August, with this price paid for a shearling ram from D, S and P Humphrey’s East flock, East Dean 21/05278.

Sired by the homebred East Dean 17/03163 and out of a dam by Wigginton 12/00019, he had previously been male champion at Royal Cornwall and sold to Keith Manning, Findon, West Sussex.

Then at 680gns was a shearling ram from Roland Williams, Aberystwyth. This was Greenlands Man of The Moment, a Greenlands Great Expectation son out of a dam by Greenlands J R 91st. Buying this one was T R Davies, Clynderwen, Carms.

Following him at 600gns was the day’s male and reserve overall champion from young breeder Annabel Halcrow, Northants, with Calley Castle 21/00247. Sired by Chaileybrook 20/00666 Diablo and out of a dam by De Pibrac Max, he headed to Lichfield, Staffordshire, with Emily Yates.

A 560gns call followed that for a shearling from Buckinghamshire-based Basil Cooper, in the form of Glandore 21/00243. This son of Offham Arcturus is out of is out of a dam by Ridings 15/03077 and sold to Ruth Judson, Bingley, West Yorkshire.

Then making 550gns was another from Roland Williams, with a full brother to his 680gns shearling, in the form of Greenlands Great Nephew. He sold to Aled Johnson, Llanyfynydd, Carmarthenshire.

And at 540gns was Usk-based Harry Wood’s sold male entry of the sale, Windrush Leon. Sired by Ridings 15/03077, he is out of a dam by East Dean 17/03198 and was bought by Neil Stainthorpe, Selby, North Yorks.

Ram lambs

Topping the ram lambs was a 740gns call for the first prize ram lamb from the pre-sale show from Basil Cooper’s Glandore flock. Sired by Offham Orion, this lamb is out of the same dam as Mr Cooper’s 560gns shearling ram and was bought by Katherine Wheeler, Wormsley, Herefordshire.

This was followed by a 510gns call for a lamb from Messrs Beck and Son’s Harbeck pen, Harbeck Knucklepuck. Sired by Beckbred Amazeballs and out of a dam by Glandore 15/00094, he sold to Jess Stanger, Newark.

Then came a brace of sales at 480gns, with the first being for Jonathan Long’s Chaileybrook 22/01368, a son of the imported sire Dartagnan and out of a dam by TC4028. He stood second in the pre-sale show and went home to Northumberland with M White.

The other at this money was Annabel Halcrow’s Calley Castle Sprout, a Chaileybrook Diablo son which had been reserve male champion at the Royal Welsh earlier in the year. He’s out of a dam by De Pirbac Max and sold to Robert Cox, Leicestershire.

And at 440gns was Littlebrook 22/01033 from Sophie Long. Again, by the imported sire Dartagnan he is out of a dam by Chaileybrook 13/0001. Buyers here were Chloe and Katie West, Stoke Gifford, South Glos.

Shearling ewes

Leading the female trade was the female and overall champion from the pre-sale show a shearling ewe from Jonathan Long, Chaileybrook 21/01039. She’s by Southern Cross 15/00649 and out of a dam by Chaileybrook 09/0002 and sold to Nightingale Community Farm, London.

Next best at 600gns was Glandore 21/00257, a shearling ewe from previous vendor Basil Cooper. She’s by Ridings Performer and out of a dam by Ridings 11/00701 and was knocked down to previous buyer Katherine Wheeler.

Two shearlings then made 500gns, the first of which was Chaileybrook 21/01030 from Jonathan Long. By imported sire Dartagnan and out of a Percheron daughter, she sold to previous purchaser Nightingale Community Farm.

The other at this price was an East Dean shearling from the Humphrey family, East Dean 21/05263. Sired by Snowden 16/00596 and out of a dam by East Dean 16/02855 she sold to Tom Chester, Needwood, Staffordshire.

Ewe lambs

Topping the ewe lamb trade was the first prize winner from the pre-sale show from Messrs Beck, Harbeck Blackhawk, a Beckbred Amazeballs daughter out of a dam by De Pibrac 18/00299. She sold to Sophie Davies, Boston, Lincolnshire.

Then at 400gns was the second prize winner from Jonathan Long, Chaileybrook 22/01355. This Dartagnan daughter is out of a Percheron daughter and sold to Stephen Cobbold, Sudbury, Suffolk.

Averages: 12 shearling rams £593.25, 10 ram lambs £397.42, 28 shearling ewes £342.37, seven ewe lambs £325.50 (McCartneys).