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A highlight of the older ewe section was the flock dispersal of nearly 350 head from George and David Heywood, Bideford, whose full-mouth Suffolk cross Mules sold in large pens at £250 with the six-tooths to £250, and four-tooths reaching £242. They also sold pens of flock aged Texel and Suffolk purebred ewes to £250. Nearly 1,200 older ewes averaged £207.

There was flying trade for the 2,800 Suffolk cross shearlings with more pens selling over £250 than under £200.  The overall average was £226.02, up over £27 on last year and £51 better than 2022 for a much larger entry.

Champion

The pre-sale show championship went to Robert and Angus Mackintosh, Milborne Wick Farms, Sherbourne, whose pen sold for the joint top price of £300/head to the judge, Ben May, Exeter.

The largest consignor, Roger Rottenbury, Crediton, sold 483 Suffolk cross shearlings peaking at £252 three times. He also donated a uniquely marked ewe for The British Heart Foundation which sold for £300 to Wayne Stephens, Holsworthy.

In the commercial section pure Charollais shearlings topped at £390/head for the Quick family, Zeal Monachorum, who also sold pure Texels to £360 and CharTex shearlings to £340. The 55 continental pure and crossbred shearlings averaged £305.

Texel cross Mules averaged £232 topping at £275 for A. and L. Gillard and Sons, Tedburn St Mary.

 The 600 Mule shearlings topped at £245/head for Scotch Mules from R.W. Tapp, South Molton, with Cheviot Mules to £240 for Maurice Hockridge, Credition, and Welsh Mules to £230 for the Burrough family, Chard.

North of England Mules which sold to £228 twice for Pete and Angela Smerdon, Totnes.

Most of the Mules sold from £185-£205 to average £193, up £33 on the year.

Purebred Dorset shearlings topped at £275 for Peace Farm, Bridport, with Dorset cross Mule shearlings to £238 for Mark and Henry Johnson, Bridport, and ewe lambs to £230 for Stan Harris, Blandford Forum.

The MV accredited female section saw Texel shearlings sell to 450gns for Messrs Quick. F.H. Chave and Son, Wellington, sold six Texel cross shearlings at 400gns apiece and Suffolk shearlings sold to 320gns twice for B. Haines, Beaminster.

Rams

The largest catalogued entry of rams see at Exeter, saw the West Country Suffolk Sheep Association kick things off peaking at 1,200gns for the champion from Henry Derryman and family, Yarcombe.

Suffolk ram lambs peaked at 500gns for Brandon Roth, Redruth, and Phillip Brooks, Yeovil.

Texel shearlings peaked at 1,000gns for Will Braund, Holsworthy  

Ross Edwards, Dorchester, sold a Dutch Spotted shearling at 700gns. Hampshire shearlings reached 900gns for the Derryman family and CharTex rams from the Quick family sold to 880gns.

Beltex's reached 700gns for Paul and Lin Calcraft, Payhembury. Charollais peaked at 680gns for both the Quick family and Ben and Amelia Watts, Ashburton, and Dorset shearlings topped at 600gns twice for Les French, Launceston.  

Auctioneers: Kivells.

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