Champion Dafydd tops Kerry Hill trade at 4,200gns at Ludlow

The Overall Champion from J and P Owens led the Society’s annual sale, with other leading prices of 2,800gns and 2,400gns

Trade peaked at 4,200gns at the Kerry Hill Flock Book Society’s 126th annual Show and Sale at Ludlow Livestock Market, which attracted an entry of 260 sheep.

Sale leader was the pre-sale Overall Champion, Pentrenant Dafydd, from J and P Owens, of the Woodhouse 2 flock, Shobdon, Leominster.

Bred by Robert and Jean Price, of the Pentrenant flock, Churchstoke, the three-year-old ram is by Fronarth Arbennig and out of a Pentrenant ewe by Woodhouse 2. Dafydd was champion ram lamb in the 2023 Society flock competition and had stood first in the aged ram class at this year’s Royal Welsh Show and second at the National Show.

After being tapped out champion by pre-sale judge Jim Rowe, of the Downwood flock, Leominster, Herefordshire, Dafydd was knocked down at 4,200gns to the Howells family, Llandysul, Carmarthenshire.

Next at 2,800gns was ram lamb Penygelly Guinness from Stuart Lane, of the Penygelly flock, Newtown, Powys.

Second in the ram lamb class before the sale, Guinness is by Woodhouse 2 Chaos, the top-priced aged ram at Ludlow in 2024, and out of a home-bred Penygelly ewe. It sold to D Brown, Ardgay, Sutherland.

A bid of 2,400gns secured Dorddu Frank from S A Hamer, of the Dorddu flock, Llanidloes, Powys. By Pentrenant Brandy and out of a home-bred ewe by Woodhouse 2, it sold to W Evans and J Etheridge, of the Lowlands flock, Tenby.

At 1,700gns was a shearling ram from G W Roberts, of the Pengwern flock, Denbigh, North Wales. Standing fourth in its class before the sale, it is by Woodhouse 2 Bonanza, a £4,000 ram, and out of a home-bred Pengwern ewe. It sold to J S Croose, Leominster.

The Reserve Male and Reserve Overall Champion, Glenariff Fontayne, from the Barrett family, of the Glenariff flock, King’s Lynn, Norfolk, sold for 1,600gns. Fontayne had already stood Reserve Male Champion and formed part of the Reserve Interbreed pair at the Royal Norfolk Show earlier this year.

It was knocked down in three equal shares to D S Duggan, Aymestrey; D P Bevan, New Radnor; and J S Croose, Leominster.

Also at 1,600gns was Woodhouse Fighter from Hannah Owens, of the Woodhouse flock, Shobdon, Herefordshire. By Woodhouse 2 Diamond and out of a Fronarth-sired ewe, it was knocked down to A F Bevan and Co, Knighton, Powys.

Females to 2,000gns

Leading the main female offering at 2,000gns was ewe lamb Downwood Go Getter from J Rowe and T Webb, of the Downwood flock, Shobdon, Leominster.

By a Downwood ram by Glenro and out of Downwood Emily, a Lowlands Cody daughter, Go Getter sold in partnership to Huw and Kate Williams, Talley, Carmarthenshire, and Chrissie Long, Bishops Frome, Herefordshire.

Shearling ewes topped at 1,700gns for lot 20 from W Evans and J Etheridge, of the Lowlands flock, Tenby. By Downwood Charlie and out of a Ledicot ewe, it was knocked down to H and K Williams, Talley, Carmarthenshire.

At 1,600gns was the Reserve Female Champion, Clayfield Foxy Lady, from Pauline Hambleton, of the Clayfield flock. By Top Spot Danny Boy and out of a home-bred ewe, Foxy Lady sold to D P Bevan, Presteigne, Powys.

The Female Champion from A T Probert, of the Leinthall flock, Leinthall Starkes, Ludlow, sold for 1,300gns to G M Edwards, Llanfechell, Anglesey.

The shearling ewe is by Woodhouse 2 Derrick, a Dalwyne Avicii son, and out of a home-bred Leinthall ewe.

Pentrenant dispersal peaks at 2,000gns

The sale also included the dispersal of Robert and Jean Price’s Pentrenant flock, Churchstoke, which was established in 2003 with females from the Montgomery and Cwmberllan flocks alongside a Woodhouse ram.

During more than two decades of breeding, the flock secured numerous breed and interbreed championships, including Champion and Reserve Champion honours at the Royal Welsh Show, as well as Ram of the Year and two Society flock competition titles.

Pentrenant breeding has also enjoyed success in other flocks, including producing the 2024 Royal Welsh Champion for Hannah Owens.

Trade in the dispersal peaked twice at 2,000gns.

First at this money was lot 148, a ewe lamb by Pentrenant Cracker and out of a Woodhouse 2-sired Pentrenant ewe, which sold to J and P Owens, of the Woodhouse 2 flock, Shobdon, Herefordshire.

Also selling at 2,000gns was ram lamb Pentrenant Gene, again by Pentrenant Cracker and out of a home-bred Pentrenant ewe. It was knocked down to Sion Jones, Llanon, Ceredigion, for the Fronarth flock.

Aged ewes from the dispersal sold to 1,500gns for Pentrenant 29304, a Woodhouse 2 daughter, which sold to J and P Owens for the Woodhouse 2 flock.

Shearling ewes topped at 1,100gns for lot 135, while another aged ewe, lot 112, also sold for 1,100gns, with both bought by J and P Owens.