A ram bred in Talgarth has topped the Charollais trade at this year’s NSA early sale in Brecon, selling for 3,500 guineas and taking the overall breed championship.

Wernfawr Chieftain, a shearling ram from Paul Curran, was judged champion from a strong class of entries before going on to lead the day’s trading across all breeds on August 4.

Sired by Glyn Coch Ace and out of a Dalby-bred Edstaston Tulloch daughter, Chieftain was bought by G C and G Y Jones for their Springfield flock at Newchurch West, Chepstow.

Judge Victoria Ashmore, of the Micklehills flock, made the selection.

Paul Curran and his partner, Ally Davies, breed Charollais, Texel, Suffolk and Beltex X tups at Wernfawr, Talgarth. They bred 14 pedigree Charollais tups this year, using embryo transfer.

He said: “We’re very pleased with the trade for the Charollais here today. Our shearling is a heavily fleshed tup, with a big gigot. We registered him last year. We pick the best rams out in May and he is a yearling born in December 2023.”

The second-highest price of the day was 1,100gns, achieved twice. The first was a shearling ram from C W Marwood and Son’s Foulrice flock in Whenby, York. By homebred sire Foulrice Aristocrat and out of a Cardoonan Vermont daughter, he was sold to A H J Jones and Son, Trefeinion, near Brecon.

The same price was paid for a shearling from the Springfield flock, sired by Lowerye Troubadour and out of a Foulrice-bred ewe. He was bought by D A Evans and Partners, Llancair Kilgeddin, Abergavenny.

Another Springfield shearling, bred similarly, sold for 1,000gns to D T Davies and Son, Trecastle.

Also hitting the 1,000gns mark were two shearlings from Deborah Whitcher’s Galtres flock in Skewsby, York. Both were by Oldwood Bansky and out of Moss Side Valiant daughters. One sold to G Davies and Co, Llangadog, Carmarthenshire, and the other to S J and R M Lang, Plympton, Devon.

Several other rams reached 950gns, including entries from the Foulrice and Robleston flocks. However, many buyers showed caution when bidding into four figures.

In total, 49 shearling rams sold to average £850.71, with a clearance rate of 87.5 per cent.

Ram lambs met a more selective trade. The top price of 700gns was shared by two entries. One, a Wernfawr lamb from Paul Curran, was by Glyn Coch Ace and out of a ewe by Wernfawr Stormer. It went to previous buyers S J and R M Lang.

The other 700gns lamb came from Arwyn Thomas’s Arbryn flock. By Arbryn Chief and out of a Hyde Vinny daughter, it was bought by C H Rees, St Donats, Vale of Glamorgan.

NSA Wales & Border Ram Sales Chairman Geoff Probert was pleased with the trade on the day.

“There was a good clearance and it came in very well in the circumstances,” he said.

“It was a real team effort, with the committee, auctioneers and everyone working together.”