Southdown Young Breeders Group – Making the most of your ram

The final weekend of July saw young breeders flock to FarmGene to understand how to make the most of their tups and what to check out when carrying out pre purchase checks.

The day began with an introduction from owner and vet Ian McDougal MRCVS who introduced the business and the services on offer to pedigree breeders before running through a PowerPoint on how to inspect a breeding ram. Starting with the mouth and finishing at the business end, the testicles.

Following on from this attendees had the opportunity to watch the two senior stock sires of Tom Chester’s Chapel House flock, along with an up-and-coming ram lamb, have samples collected before being processed. Members were shown how semen is processed and talked through the abnormalities that can occur and what the potential ramifications of these are.

Tom Chester MRCVS then gave the group a hands-on session on carrying out the breeding examination. Members were shown where to feel key parts of the rams testicular anatomy on the scrotum before being let loose with a tape measure and their new found knowledge onto the Southdown rams there along with 4 Texel shearling rams kindly provided by James Draper.

The morning finished with a Q&A session on all things ram fertility, advanced breeding and how members could best prepare for the upcoming tupping season. Feedback from attendess was excellent and it really epitomises what the Young Breeders Group is all about, young breeders passionate about the Southdown breed coming together, learning and asking questions in a pressure free environment whilst socialising at the same time.

The next event will be hosted by kind permission of Stephen Cobbald and his Lavenham flock, Acton Suffolk in October and all young breeders are invited to attend.  

If anyone would like to host an event or have any ideas for future events then please get in touch with Tom Chester or Emily Yates.

Tom demonstrating how the samples are collected and then the diluted sample under the microscope, thankfully all rams passed the test

A keen James Trumper checking out the testicles of a Chapel House ram lamb

2026 Worcester national sale – full report

Having stood reserve champion in the pre-sale show under judge Susan Harmer of the Ridings flock, Lewes, East Sussex, Chaileybrook 26/02909, a ewe lamb from the Long family, Bishops Frome, Herefordshire, set a new ewe lamb breed record of 1600gs at the Southdown Society’s Premier sale at Worcester on Saturday.

The January-born lamb is by Chaileybrook 07/0019 and out of the 2025 Royal Three Counties interbreed champion, Chaileybrook Killer Queen, herself a daughter of the homebred Chaileybrook Beaujolais. She met spirited ring side bidding, with the hammer finally falling to Tom Chester, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, for his Chapel House flock.

Next best in the female offering was a call of 1350gns for the shearling ewe Beiliau Victoria from the Trumper family, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire. By the homebred Beiliau Rex, she carries East Dean breeding on the dam line. Taking this one home was Hannah Davidson, Ellsemere, Shropshire.

Carrying on strong shearling ewe trade, father and son team, Gordon and Matthew Sparke, Stewkley, Buckinghamshire, sold Northumbria 25/00431 for 1200gns. By Offham Defender and out of an Offham female by Ridings Acrobat, this one was the pick of James Allman, Edenbridge, Kent.

Two shearling females then met a call of 1100gns, both from the Trumper family. The first was Beiliau Vivid, a Prescoed Monet daughter out of a homebred female by De Pibrac 18/00299. This one is half-sister to the 2024 Worcester sale champion and was the choice of Sophie Long, for her Littlebrook flock, Bishops Frome, Herefordshire.

The other at the same money was Beiliau Vesper, another by Monet, but this time out of a homebred female by an East Dean ram. Taking this one home to Romney Marsh, Kent, was Tom Sinden.

The winner of the shearling ewe class and female and overall champion, Lavenham 25/04198 from Stephen Cobbald, Acton, Suffolk, then sold for 1050gns. By Offham Astronaught and out of an Offham female, this one was the pick of Jamies Stiles, Upland Arms, Carmarthen.

 Tup trade

Along with leading the female section, the Long family then topped the ram offering with the second placed ram lamb, Chaileybrook Galileo, selling for 1450gns. By the 2000gns Chaileybrook His Nibs and out of Chaileybrook Killer Queen, this one was previously reserve male champion at the Royal Bath and West Show. He heads to the Goodwood flock at Goodwood Estate, Chichester, Sussex.

Shearling rams from the same flock then met a final call of 1000gns on two occasions, the first being Chaileybrook 25/02589. A son of Chaileybrook Stag, this one is full brother to the 6000gns shearling ewe Chaileybrook 23/1772 and the 2000gns Chaileybrook His Nibs. Having been successful in the family’s show team this year, this

one was knocked down to Howard Wood, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, for the Prescoed flock.

Next at the same money was Chaileybrook 25/02578 a paternal brother to the last out of a Percheron daughter, he caught the eye of Gwen Renfree and heads to Liskeard, Cornwall.

The winner of the ram lamb class and male champion was Northumbria 26/00451. A second ram lamb, Northumbria 26/00472, from the Sparke family, found a new home at 750gns. By the homebred Northumbria Pommard who was the 2026 National Show champion and out of a homebred female by Ridings Acrobat, this one won his class at Lincoln and was Reserve Interbreed at Hanbury Show, and was sold to Neil Stainthorpe, Selby, North Yorkshire.

AVERAGES: 33 shearling ewes £651.64; 3 ewe lambs £875.00; 1 aged ram £315.00; 16 shearling rams £526.31; 9 ram lambs £576.33 (McCartneys).