Welshpool – 25th September 2025

Welshpool – Thursday 25th September 2025

Kindly Sponsored by K L F Insurance Brokers Ltd

The final Welsh Association sale of the year was held at Welshpool, bringing down a hectic week for the region. The week ended with more of a whimper than a bang… Unlike the electric trade at Builth three days earlier, buyers were being more cautious with the auctioneers working hard to extract bids, but there were still some strong headline prices for the top end.

Rising highest of all was the second prize aged tup from the pre-sale show. Gornal S27 was chock full of homebred genetics, all four of his grandparents being bred by the Davies family. He also possesses one of the highest EBV indexes in the breed at an eye watering 308. Their short ten minute journey to the sale was made well worth it as the bids raced up into four figures, eventually being knocked down at 1900gns to DL & E Harding of Croesdu, Carno.

The highest priced shearling on the day came from another Montgomeryshire breeder, Alun Bennett of the Plas Ucha flock. Plas Ucha T26 was full of character with a great skin, as were the whole pen of 15 tremendous shearlings which Alun had forward. He was a son of the 1500gns Whinnyhall, who bred so well in his first season that he got all of the flock’s ewes in his second. T26 sold away to GW Jones, Tyn-y-Ffrydd, Maerdy, who paid 1600gns for the privilege.  Plas Ucha had another Whinnyhall son sell for 1400gns to E O Griffiths, Ty Mawr, Caersws, and a third away at 1250gns to M J Sockett, Upper House Farm, Shrewsbury. It was a great day for the flock, who will be dispersing while on the crest of this wave in the winter.

The pre-sale show was ably judged by Jack Wilkinson of the Bollihope flock, all the way up in Weardale. He found his champion in the aged tup class. Shown by Dewi Williams, Blacket House, this great stamp of a sheep was Wallhome S3. A son of the £1200 Kirkstead R8, he was bought out of Carlisle a couple of years ago for £1000 by Dewi’s daughter Dona. He’s grown into a real unit of a tup, powerful, long and with lovely white hair he was a worthy champion.

Jack’s first prize shearling tup came from association president Tudor Harris and his Bonvilston flock. This was Bonvilston T1, an embryo transfer substitute entry sired by the £1700 Kelso purchase Leadburnlea R4, he is full brother to Bonvilston T2 who sold up into Scotland at Builth for 2900gns. A wonderfully put together ram with a great skin, he was the choice of M & A Powell, Drefor Farm, Kerry, who paid 1500gns for him. A successful week for that particular flush!

Also at 1500gns was the day’s best from Gareth Howatson and his Fferm Tudno consignment. This was another substitute entry, Low Arkland T2. A son of Myfyrian S7, he has bred well on pure ewes for the flock and Gareth was in two minds whether to let him go. On the day though 1500gns were enough to convince him to part with this beautiful headed tup with real scale and stretch. Stumping up the cash for him were E & T Powell Gwernarglwydd, Pen-y-Bont.

Topping the lamb section, following on from successful sales at both Ruthin and Builth was the Cernyw flock of Elfyn Owen. Elfyn wasn’t at Welshpool so it was left to son Ifan to fly solo as it were and keep up the flock’s great vein of form. He’s likely to be trusted to represent the firm alone in future though after scooping the red rosette in the performance recorded class with a super stylish son of the homebred Cernyw C10 before going on to sell for 1400gns. He’s off to be the new stock tup for the Gregorys and their Brewards flock in Derbyshire.

The next highest lamb price was 800gns, and this was achieved three times. Twice by Tom Jerman and his very strong pair of lambs from the Church Farm flock, who both sold to Roy Davies of the Monarch flock. And again by Gareth Howatson’s Fferm Tudno V1, who was a son of his homebred R1, selling to Gill Humphreys for her Llys flock.

The female section was much more subdued than last year, but there were some fireworks right near the end of the sale from Sophie Harding and her Shrewbridge flock. Her gimmers had secured Champion and Reserve in the female section and were beautiful types, full of style, colour and correctness. The champion was a daughter of the now legendary Ashes N3 and out of a daughter of the £7000 Cassington J1. She sold up into Scotland to Claish Farms and their Ben Ledi flock for 1100gns. The same buyers had to dig a little deeper to keep the champion and reserve together, this time paying 1500gns to land her. She had a wonderful pedigree, sired by the 2000gns Piel View S1 she is the twin sister to Shrewbridge T10 who had stood third at Builth before selling for 2800gns to the McClymonts at KIrkstead.