Halls auctioneers’ successful annual sale of breeding sheep at Bishops Castle attracted a top quality entry of 3,500 on Friday last week.

Held at Love Lane, the sale included a flock dispersal of 60 well-bred Charolais and Texel yearling ewes from JS and BM Vance & Son, which averaged £389 per head to a high of £500.

Entries for the Andrew Lawton Cup, awarded to the best pen of Welsh Mule yearlings, were judged by Tom Burgoyne and the winner was Phillip Pugh of N. L. Pugh & Co, Longville, Much Wenlock with Luke Page of Sidnal Farm, Chirbury runner-up.

The Derek Pugh Challenge Cup for the highest priced pen of 10 or more commercial bred ewes was won by NNL Pugh & Co for a pen of 20 Texel ewes which sold for £272 per head.

Leading yearling prices were: Texel: £500 to £310 for 12 pens of Charolais cross Texel for Messrs JS and BM Vance; £272 for 20 Texels for Messrs N. L. Pugh & Co. and £262 for 10 Texels from Messrs Murray Roberts.

Welsh mule: £281 for 20 yearlings from Messrs PE and GR Jones; £280 for 20 yearlings from Messrs NL Pugh & Co and £275 for 20 yearlings from Messrs RWM Jones; 10 yearlings from Messrs L Page and 20 yearlings from WC and JM Gittins.

Ewe lambs: £186 for 20 from Messrs GH Bayliss & Son; £185 for 10 from Messrs AM Jones and £180 for 20 from Messrs RT Bright & Son and 20 from Messrs AM Jones.

Aged ewes: £202 and £200 for two and three year olds from Messrs G & SJ Jones; £200 and £192 for two year olds from Julie Watkin and £186 for four year olds for FCP Gethin & Son.

Breeding rams: £650 to £500 for five, one year old Texels for Messrs N and K Unwin and £500 for a two year old Texel from Messrs MB and MB Roberts.

“I would like to thank all the vendors and buyers for making the sale a success and to remind everyone about our next breeding sheep sale at Bishops Castle on Saturday, October 5,” said Halls director James F Evans.