Overall, Southdowns took the top three places for the highest sheep prices across all breeds at this year’s Traditional & Native Breeds Show & Sale, quite an achievement with over 800 individual sheep entries across all breeds and species.
Topping the sale at 1700gns and setting a new breed record for females at Melton Mowbray was D, S & P Humphrey’s shearling ewe East Dean 24/06406, an April 2024 born daughter of homebred sire East Dean 18/3615 and out of East Dean 21/05330. Following some fierce bidding she was knocked down to Josh Farrell of the Yester Estate and will be heading back to Scotland to join the recently founded Yester flock.
Buyers were prepared to maintain fierce bidding for other shearling ewes. The overall show champion within the Southdown classes was Emily Yates’s Fulfen Georgia 24/00069, a triplet daughter of homebred sire Fulfen Fairfax 23/00059 and out of Goodwood Howty 20/15704. This ewe was sold to David Beech of Burnaston, Derbyshire, for 1300gns, being one of a number of Southdowns purchased on the day to start his new flock.
Third placed shearling ewe from Jessica Stanger, Meadow Hailey 24/00876, sold for 1000gns to David Beech. This ewe is sired by Sutherland Adam 19/00406 and out of Offham 22/09017.
Buyers continued to bid vigorously for the remaining shearling ewes. Two further ewes from the East Dean flock of D, S & P Humphrey were knocked down at 600gns (East Dean 24/06328) and 550gns (East Dean 24/06392) and sold to Lorraine Levell and David Beech respectively.
The remaining shearling ewe on offer from Emily Yates, Fulfen Galinda 24/00085, reached 650gns and headed home with David Beech.
The single entry of a shearling ewe from Messrs Watton, White Horse Esme 24/00416, out of a homebred sire and dam, was knocked down to Lorraine Levell for 480gns.
Ewe lambs were also much in demand with the highest priced ewe lamb beating the previous ewe lamb record of 440gns at the Melton Mowbray Show & Sale. Emily Yates’s Fulfen Hot Stuff 25/00110, second in the pre-sale show and a triplet out of a homebred dam Fulfen Fairfax 23/00059 and a Brant sire 19/00669, was knocked down for 480gns to David Beech to join the foundation stock for his new flock.
First prize in the ewe lamb class went to Sophie Davies with Revesby Eleanor 25/00027 who sold to David Beech for 220gns. This ewe lamb is out of a Blackfriar dam 21/00679, and sired by Prescoed Merlot 22/00526.
A small but select group of rams were on offer with all those forward on the day finding new homes. Champion male and Reserve Show Champion in the pre-sale show, shearling ram Avenue Farm Principal Dancer 24/00403, out of a homebred ewe Avenue Farm Linda 20/00291 and sired by Chaileybrook 20/00709, was snapped up for 350gns by David Beech.
The remaining two shearling rams in the sale each reached 500gns, both from the flock of D, S & P Humphrey. East Dean 24/06322 headed back to Scotland with Josh Farrell to join the Yester Estate flock, and East Dean 24/06343 made the shorter distance to join Lorraine Levell’s Avenue Farm flock in Nottinghamshire. Both rams are out of homebred sires and dams.
Ram lambs peaked at 350gns. Meadow Iwan 25/00946, the first placed ram lamb in the pre-sale show, by a homebred sire Meadow Grant 23/00722 and out of Northumbria 22/00300, was purchased by Gordon & Matthew Sparke and headed back to their Northumbria flock.
The final class at each of the official Southdown Sheep Society sales is the Young Southdown Breeders’ class. Congratulations go to Emily Yates who competed with three of her team to gain the Champion and Reserve Champion prizes in the 2025 Melton Mowbray Show & Sale.
Averages
Shearling ewes 668gns
Ewe lambs 273gns
Shearling rams 450gns
Ram lambs 243gns
Aged ram 150gns
Gallery
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