A Texel full of power and character led the field at the NSA Early Ram Sale. The shearling ram, Cwmcerrrig King Boxer, sold by Hywel Thomas who runs the Cennen Flock at Trapp, went for 1650 guineas to the Drayton Farm Partnership, Hampshire.

Texels claimed the highest prices at the sale, which saw high prices for the most sought after stock across the breeds and a generally buoyant trade. Buyers and vendors were in confident mood and selling was brisk in the four rings.

A shearling ram, Kavco, sold by David Chave of Arundel, Wellington, made 1350 guineas, E W Quick of Devon's champion Texel, Meirest Final Winston, a Group One genotype, sold for 1200 guineas and another ram sold by Hywel Thomas went for 1,000 guineas. A Texel shearling ewe sold by DJJ Watkins & Co, Cwmcerrrig Farm, Gorslas, Llanelli, sold for 750 guineas. It went to P & M Davies, Ty Mawr, Trallong, Powys.

Two Charollais rams from the Windmill Flock, sold by John Davies of Worcester, topped the breed price at 820 guineas each. A Suffolk ram sold by A E Weaver & Son, of Frampton, Cotterell, Gloucester reached 700 guineas.

The Charollais champion was the shearling ram, Group One genotype Tilton Entrepreneur. It was from the same flock as Champagne this year's Royal Welsh interbreed champion, showed by Charles Sercome of Sandlands Farm, Frisby on the Wreake, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.

It was a great day for cattle inseminator Hywel Thomas and his fiancé Andrea Roderick. The couple who are due to marry in six weeks sold five rams at very healthy prices. Their Cennen Flock comprises 25 ewes and was founded by Hywel in l994.

“I've been coming to the early sale for the past seven years”, said Hywel who works for Local Breeders, Crymych. “And this is the highest price I've had here.

“I'm particularly pleased because I bought him as a ram lamb at Worcester. I used him on a couple of ewes and then sold him today at a healthy profit. I bought him for 250 guineas.

“We spotted this one, he was full of character as a ram lamb which was what I liked about him. He wasn't the biggest of ram lambs but he was a real Texel type. It was really good money for a Group Two genotype ram. Most of the Group Two sheep are slightly stronger and people are going back to using the Group Two rams on the Group One ewes”.

Simon Farmer, who bought the ram with his father-in-law, Frank Moffat, said it was the one sheep at the show that met their 'wish list' of breed characteristics. The partnership also sold fifteen Texel rams at Builth Wells, each averaging £500.

“He had a lot of power and was very correct on his feet”, he added. “He also has a lot of character in his head, without sacrificing anything in the carcass”.

It was also a good day for Charollais breeder, John Davies, who runs the Windmill Flock at Holberrow Green, Redditch, Worcester. It was his sixteenth NSA Early Ram Sale and each of his 820 guinea rams were from different sets of triplets. The eleven rams he sold averaged 628 guineas.

The Group One genotype shearling ram he sold to fifteen year old Martyn Price of Broomhill Farm, Westbury, Shrewsbury, will join the ewe lamb Martyn bought from John Davies at Worcester last October. She went on to have twins and the delighted teenager couldn't wait to buy a tup from Windmill.

The other 820 guinea shearling ram was also Group One genotype and went to Rhian Poulton, of Llangadog, Carmarthenshire. The ram had exceptionally high Signet scanning figures, with very high growth rate and muscle. Mr Davies said it was the third year running that he had had the highest Charollais price.

Ram sale secretary, Jane Smith, also had a good day with her Millennium Bleu shearling rams. It was the second year for the breed to come to the early sale. Two Group One genotype rams sold for 300 guineas each.

And making their debut the Charmoise Hill rams made a top price of 310 guineas. The ewe made 160 guineas.

Ram Sale committee chairman, George Hughes, said that bearing in mind that more than eight hundred sheep had been entered for sale it had been a very satisfactory day. Some very high prices had been achieved.

“The NSA Early Ram Sale is now established as an important date in the shepherd's year”, he added. “There are still a lot of people who want lambs early and we fulfil that need”.

The main ram sale, Europe's biggest, takes place on September 19 when more than 7,500 rams from 33 different breeds will be offered for sale. The sales are organised by the Wales and Border Ram Sale Committee at the Royal Welsh Showground.