Welshpool – 24th September 2026

Welshpool – Thursday 24th September 2026

Kindly Sponsored by KLF Insurance Brokers Limited

A busy week of association sales in Wales rounded off on a high with a roaring trade at Welshpool. Aged tups averaged £1146, shearlings £1110 and tup lambs £945, all three comfortably setting new record highs for this long established sale.

Rising to the top of the pile was the solitary entry from local legend of the breed Phil May, Derwenlas. His shearling tup was bred by good friend John McLachlan, who runs the Kildalloig flock up in Cambelltown. Kildalloig V7 is a son of Heddon Valley X4, who needs no introduction, and actually goes back to a ewe lamb by the same Heddon Valley tup which John bought from the Carry House traditional dispersal back in 2011. The bids flew up to 1800gns within seconds of him striding into the ring, and paying handsomely to take him home were the Rowlands family, Dolwen Farm.

There were then three tups at 1600gns. The first of these came from a flock who have had a great week, as the Griffiths family from Tyhir in Carmarthenshire continued their fine form from Builth. Their pen leader here, Tyhir V15, was by a different tup to their Builth headline makers though. He’s as on of the 2500gns Espley R2 who they purchased in partnership with the Bonvilston flock a few years ago. The power of his father certainly shone through in V15, which coupled with his style and skin is why DG Pugh, of the Birches shelled out the necessary funds to land him.

Next at the same money was a shearling tup from the Jones family from Upper Rheol and their Underwood flock. This was another flock who are having an incredible September as a fortnight earlier they topped the Welsh Mule sale at Welshpool at £430, and their 340 gimmer lambs, both coloured and whitefaced, averaged £270 between Welshpool and Hereford! Their shearling tup, Underwood V48, is a son of Towdypotts S1 who has done very well for the flock since being acquired at Carlisle as a lamb three years ago. V48 oozed style, with snow white hair and a great skin, it was no wonder there was a bidding war which was eventually won by the Ashleys from Penybank, Carmarthenshire.

The last one at 1600gns came from the Fferm Tudno flock of Gareth Howatson. This was a Drinkstone bred tup bought at Carlisle last year. He’s by the Piel View S3, who was also responsible for the £11,000 Drinkstone T1 sold at Kelso last year. This pedigree, along with the sheer power and presence of this tup made him in high demand. Landing the final bid were Messrs Lewis, Tyn Pistyll. Gareth had also had a great morning in the show, generously sponsored by KLF Insurance Brokers, as he won the shearling tup class and went on to take Reserve Champion. This was another bought in tup, this time from Caroline MacGillvray, Wallhome. Gareth knew what he was buying into last year though, as Wallhome V2 was sired by a tup which Gareth bred, Fferm Tudno R1. Anyone who was at Carlisle last year will remember this tup, he was the super sharp lamb who stood out from the crowd as he was born in… June! He hadn’t lost any of his sweetness with age though, after he’d taken the eye of judge Andrew Hewson, Parton, in the morning, he sold away for 1200gns in the afternoon.

The day’s champion came from the very strong tup lamb class, in the shape of Tom Jerman’s pen leader. Church Farm W3 was a real star, who impressed Andrew with his sheer scale and tremendous style as soon as he stepped into the show ring. He is a son of the old Newmills R1 who has bred so well for Tom since buying him for £1800 as a shearling at Carlisle. He sold for 1300gns to J Hughes, Cwmbrith Isaf. Church Farm weren’t finished there as their next in, W4, this time by Burndale T17 sold for the same money to Messrs Edwards, Tyn Twll. Their third and final lamb, W5, deserves a mention as well, as he’d stood second to the champion in the morning, and sold well also, making 1050gns, again to Cwmbrith Isaf. He was by a third different sire, being by the home bred T11, who had earlier sold for 1250gns, making him the top priced aged tup in the sale. A truly impressive day out for the flock!

The first prize winner from the show to grace the sale ring was the victorious aged tup from local breeder, Carla Ashley of the Graigwen Fawr flock. Her homebred Graigwen Fawr T13 is a son of the 1500gns Gludy R2 bought out of Builth a couple of years ago. He was the second sheep through the ring, and made 1100gns to the Davies family at Cwm Berllan, Sarn. Carla’s consignment set the tone for the whole day in truth, as her clean, powerful pen of shearlings averaged £1120 and topped at 1500gns for a son of Derwenlas S1. Trade didn’t really look back after that, which was a great way to wrap up the association sales in Wales for another year.