THE Christmas Show auction sale held at the Livestock Market in Ross-on-Wye met with a flying trade with cattle peaking at 645ppkg, lambs reaching £212/head and ewes at £282/head.

Auctioneers RG and RB Williams that the end of year event saw exceptional cattle coming forward with the strongest demand being shown was for quality butcher’s heifers with the Champion selling to 645p per kilogramme while the reserve champion, from the same farm, coming in close behind on price at 640p per kilogramme.

The auction saw any number of quality heifers selling between 465p per kilogramme and 645p per kilogramme.

Quality steers were attracting fierce bids topping at £3,129 with well finished steers consistently selling between 420p and 440p per kilogramme.

The commercial cattle also attracted strong demand despite the falling dead weight price with the better end consistently changing hands between 370p and 400p per kilogramme.

Raglan butcher Neil James of NS James Butchers, judged the cattle classes. Auctioneer William Probert said that more cattle is required to meet the Christmas demand.

A good entry of cull cows topped at £2,720 while well-meated Grade one cows consistently sold between 300p and 320p per kilogramme with leaner cows selling from up to 300p per kilogramme. The overall average price of cows was £2,007.

A nice entry of finished lambs with strong support for the Christmas Show. The Champion Beltex Cross lambs from A Amor sold to a remarkable £212/head and any number of well fleshed show lambs consistently sold between 420p and 451p per kilogramme

A good entry of commercial lambs met a strong demand from start to finish with handy weights meeting strongest demand selling between 330p and 400p per kilogramme and heavy weights selling consistently between £165 to £188. The top vendor was A Amor of The Brambles.

Cull ewes and rams met a flying trade topping at £282 for strong Texel Cross ewes to £264 with any number of quality continentals selling between £200 and £282. The entire consignment of ewes averaged an unbelievable £160 per head. Leaner sorts of ewes changes hands between £100 and £130 and ewes with meat sold between £150 and £200. The top vendor was Monnow Marquess of Hill Farm.

CHRISTMAS SHOW RESULTS

Champion Beast: DE & SJ Cheacker of Ostbridge Manor Farm; Reserve Champion DE & SJ Cheacker of Ostbridge Manor Farm Best steer: DE & SJ Cheacker of Ostbridge Manor Farm; Best heifer: DE & SJ Cheacker, of Ostbridge Manor Farm, Best Bull: N R Scudamore of Llangarron Court, Best Unled Cattle: GH & JM Samuel of Orlham Farm; Best Cull Cow: GH & JM Samuel of Orlham Farm; Sam Madeley Perpetual Trophy: Nancy Savidge of Dean Common Farm; JL Phillips Perpetual Trophy: DE & SJ Cheacker of Ostbridge Manor Farm; Best of Five Lambs under 39.5kg: B E Arthurs of Trewarne Farm; Best of Five Lambs over 39.5kg: A Amor of The Brambles; Best of Four killing ewes: H H Williams & Son of Red Barn Farm and Champion pen of Five Lambs: A Amor of The Brambles.