Strong Female Trade and New Buyers at South Devon Autumn Show & Sale
The South Devon Autumn Show & Sale at Exeter saw a particularly strong trade for females, achieving a 100% clearance and an average of £3,330, while bulls averaged £4,650. A useful, functional entry of South Devon cattle met good demand, with animals heading to established herds, developing herds and first-time farmers alike.
Champions lead a strong female trade
The females proved to be a real highlight of the sale, with every heifer forward finding a new home and buyers keen to secure sound, functional females with the attributes to go on and do a job in their respective herds.
Leading the championship honours was Lot 15, Trewint Jill 747, from P S & A P Rowe. The 18-month-old heifer was tapped out as Female Champion before selling for 4,000gns (£4,200) to Menhalhyl Farm Ltd.
A strong and eye-catching young female, she clearly appealed to her new owners as the type on which to start a herd. It was a particularly exciting purchase, with Menhalhyl Farm being first-time farmers who have chosen South Devons as the breed with which to begin their farming journey, attracted by their docility and renowned mothering ability.
They weren’t finished there either. Reserve Female Champion, Lot 17, Trewint Jill 756, also from the Rowe family’s Trewint herd, caught their eye and joined her herd mate after selling for 3,600gns (£3,780). The two quality young females should provide a strong foundation on which to establish their new South Devon herd.
The day’s top-priced female was Lot 14, Tregondale Jill 333, an 18-month-old heifer from M R & R J Rowe’s Tregondale herd. A smart, useful heifer with plenty of appeal, she realised 4,200gns (£4,410), selling to the Emmott family of Godford Land Farm, Awliscombe.
The Emmott family hadn’t necessarily planned on being quite so busy. They had brought a trailer along “just in case”, but the quality on offer clearly proved too tempting! Alongside Tregondale Jill, they secured Lot 10 from the Providence herd for 2,900gns (£3,045) before returning later in the sale to purchase Lot 24, an unhaltered heifer from F & J Rowe’s Raphael herd, for 2,600gns (£2,730). Three females later, bringing the trailer certainly proved to have been a wise decision.
Tregarrick females in demand
The Tregarrick herd of N & E Bunkum enjoyed a successful sale, with all four of their females finding new homes and their useful run of young breeding females attracting buyers throughout the section.
Lot 12, Tregarrick Perry, a strong, workmanlike heifer, sold for 3,100gns (£3,255) to G C & V J Hill, followed by Lot 13, Tregarrick Pansy, at 3,000gns (£3,150) to P D Rowell & Son of Winscombe.
G C & V J Hill returned to secure Lot 16, Tregarrick Pippa, another functional young female, for 3,000gns (£3,150). The two Tregarrick purchases will join the Hams Barton Herd, furthering the herd’s already impressive genetics as it moves into its next chapter under Tim and Shirley Culverhouse, with Dad continuing to keep a watchful eye on proceedings.
There was another lovely story behind Lot 18, Tregarrick Piran, who realised 3,400gns (£3,570) to Tytherton Holdings Ltd – the Ferris family. Having visited Tregarrick during the week, the Ferris family had already fallen in love with the heifer. Her quality clearly made a lasting impression and, when sale day arrived, she simply had to come home with them.
The Trewint offering continued with Lot 19, Trewint Buttercup 333, another useful young breeding female, selling for 3,200gns (£3,360) to R D Gendall of Sowanna Farm, Cornwall.
Unhaltered females meet a ready trade
It was particularly encouraging to see a strong trade for the unhaltered females, demonstrating that buyers were prepared to look beyond sale-day preparation and recognise the functional, commercial qualities of the cattle in front of them.
B G & J Z A Dart’s Woodhayes herd offered two unhaltered females and both headed to the same new home with J Heard & Son of Deptford, Hartland. Lot 20, a 31-month-old heifer, led the pair at 3,500gns (£3,675), while her 29-month-old herd mate Lot 21 followed at 3,000gns (£3,150). The pair represented exactly the sort of practical, workmanlike females capable of going away and doing a job.
The Raphael herd of F & J Rowe also enjoyed a complete clearance of its three unhaltered heifers. These were useful, functional females presented in their working clothes, and buyers responded accordingly. Lot 22 sold for 2,700gns (£2,835) to C A Kneebone of Cookworthy Farm, Lifton, while Lot 23 realised 2,800gns (£2,940) to N J Baker & Sons of Bickwell Farm, Sidford. Their final offering, Lot 24, completed the Emmott family’s trio of purchases at 2,600gns (£2,730).
Earlier in the female sale, Lot 11 from the Providence herd had sold for 2,800gns (£2,940) to T Eustice of Chy-an-Vounder, adding another useful South Devon female to the day’s trade.
With the female section averaging £3,330 and achieving a complete clearance, the sale provided an encouraging demonstration of demand for practical South Devon breeding females. The success of the unhaltered section was particularly pleasing, reinforcing the value buyers placed on functionality, breeding potential and cattle capable of working in commercial farming systems.
Bull championship
Turning to the bulls, Lot 3, Boakley Freddie, exhibited by R Saunders, took the Bull Championship before selling for £4,500 to J Tucker. A strong, workmanlike bull, Freddie had earlier stood first in his class before going on to secure the overall championship.
The Reserve Bull Championship went to Lot 5, Tregarrick Pencubitt, from N & E Bunkum’s Tregarrick herd. Another powerful, functional young bull, the 19-month-old sold for 5,000gns (£5,250) to R C Burrough & Sons of Godworthy Farm, Membury.
R C Burrough & Sons were also active as vendors, selling Lot 4 from their Godworthy herd for 4,000gns (£4,200) to R L Topp of Gnat Ham Barton Farm, Walkhampton.
Perhaps most encouragingly, the sale saw South Devons purchased by a real mixture of buyers: established herds continuing to develop their genetics, families adding to their existing cattle and completely new entrants choosing South Devons as the breed with which to begin their farming journey.
The combination of strong, functional cattle, new buyers and a complete clearance of the females made for a positive day for the breed and demonstrated the continued demand for South Devons capable of combining pedigree quality with practical performance.
A huge thank you goes to all vendors and buyers, to our judge Gemma Sell, and to Mark Davis and the whole Kivells team for their hard work in making the Autumn Show & Sale a success.
We wish every purchaser the very best with their new South Devons and look forward to following their progress in their new homes.
