South Devon Society’s Spring Sale

SPRING SHOW & SALE - Exeter, 25th March 2009

BIG JUMP IN SOUTH DEVONS’ BREED AVERAGES!

With a top price of 6200 guineas, and six others at 5000 guineas and over, the South Devon bull average price saw a rise of £508 at its recent sale at Exeter, marking the continuing rise in commercial confidence in this popular native beef breed. A total of 31 bulls sold, averaging £3695.

The strong trade was also there for the heifer section, with breed averages rising over £500 overall in the past six months, to £1812 for 2-year old heifers and to £2407 for yearlings.

In the show ring, watched by a good crowd of on-lookers, judge Lionel Pascoe from the Carzise herd, Fraddam, Hayle in Cornwall, selected his male champion from a strong line-up of six bull classes. M E & T E Broome’s Welland Valley Tobias 6, from Thorpe Langton in Leicestershire, scooped the award, with the reserve going to Mr & Mrs J Collings’ Wenfork Trusty 5 from Treburley, Launceston, Cornwall.

Best bull judged on performance and inspection was B G & J Z A Dart’s polled bull, Z AI Woodhayes Illya 12, who also took the best polled male award. The bull’s growth EBVs are in the top 5% of the breed, and he was recently selected for EBLEX’s Young Bull Promotion Scheme.

Mr R K Rundle, Kestle, Newquay, Cornwall, took the female champion award for Kestle Tulip 77 by a Lumbylaw sire, as well as awards for male and female pairs. Reserve female champion was M R & R J Rowe’s Tregondale Jill 132 from Menheniot, Liskeard, Cornwall.
Buyers came from Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Monmouthshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Hertfordshire.

Leading the trade at 6200 guineas was D J Thomas & Son’s (Treguddick, Launceston, Cornwall) polled bull, Z Treguddick Poll Progression 5, selling to E L Foale, Newton Abbot, Devon; followed by reserve male champion at 5800 guineas to T M Kent, Baschurch, Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

Two other good strong polled bulls - R R B & S J Harvey’s Z Sexton Poll Polaris 2, and R J & C Edwards’ Z Colcharton Dynamic 2 – each sold at 5500 guineas to Mr & Mrs J Hopkins, Lympsham, Somerset and to J B Fentem & Sons, Alsop-en-le-Dale, Derbyshire.

R J & C J Edwards had further success in the sale ring, collecting top price of 3000 guineas in the female section, for Z Colcharton Darling of 2007 who sold to R Edwards, Leominster, Herefordshire; followed at 2600 guineas by M R & R J Rowe’s Tregondale Suffragette 17 who sold to T Earl, Lerryn, Cornwall to accompany four other heifers acquired by this new breeder.

Averages: 31 pedigree bulls, averaging £3695. 18 pedigree females, averaging £2031.
Auctioneers: Messrs Kivells, Hallworthy, Cornwall

Photos available from Eric Beard, Leominster, 01568 612329, info@ericbeardphotography.com