Stags Auctioneers of Tavistock Livestock Centre report a buoyant trade for their annual St Johns Sheep Fair held on the September 10.

Over 1, 200 sheep were sold, with vendors old and new consigning stock to the market, and nearly all were content with the prices achieved.

A smaller entry of 440 breeding ewes were first to be sold with the top of the day being reached for pens of strong Masham 2T shearling ewes realising £126 & £120 for Mr R Sizmur of Okehampton.

Aged Suffolk ewes which were in short supply on the day, reaching £100, with others to £98 for the same vendor. Another regular vendor Mr H T Davis of Chagford sold 2T Welsh Mules to strong demand reaching £82.

Only a small number of quality shearling ewes forward this year meant a strong trade was received for high quality aged ewes, with regular vendors Messrs Abel Brothers of Peter Tavy receiving a strong trade for their FM & BM Welsh Mules, achieving £82 and £80 three times.

FM Cheviots for Messrs PJ & MA Hearn of Tavistock also sold well on the day topping at £78, with Scotch Mules for Mr T Roskilly of Tavistock topping at £76 and FM Exmoor Mules reached £68 for Mr EM Dodd of Peter Tavy.

660 store lambs met a solid trade despite the ongoing uncertainty and the depressed up and down trades reported at other centres in the south west. Mr S Jones of Plymouth topped the day with an excellent pen of strong Texel bred lambs, reaching £65 with other Texel crosses from Mr R J Luscombe of Shaugh Prior reaching £63.

Regular vendor Mr AP Legassick of Tavistock consigned his usual quality run of Suffolk cross lambs and was rewarded with prices of £62.50, £62 and £60.50. Three vendors sold pens for £60, Mr S Cole of Yelverton with Suffolks, Messrs MJ & WH Cann of Tavistock for Texel crosses and Mr KJ Watson of Yelverton with his pen of Cheviots.

Other notable prices included Cheviots to £59 for Messrs PJ & MA Hearn of Tavistock, Scotch Ram Lambs to £48.50 for Mrs R Dance of South Brent, Mule Wethers to £50 for Mr HT Davis and Swaledale Wether lambs to £40 for Messrs Hancock & Teesdale of South Molton.

READ MORE: South Molton Market report Thursday 12 September

132 grazing ewes and rams met a trade on par with other centres; highlights included a Suffolk cross Charollais ewe making £69 for Mr S Jones of Plymouth, with others for the same vendor reaching £66. Mr FR Hill of Lewdown also sold strong Suffolk ewes for £66. Others included Mules to £ 52, Cheviots to £48 and Scotch ewes to £44.

36 Rams met a selective trade as many purchasers said they were waiting until Goose Fair in October to purchase their rams of choice. Top of the day was achieved by Messrs JH & JA Vanstone of Tavistock with shearling Berrichon rams reaching £320. Mr N Dalgarno of Truro was rewarded for his journey with a healthy trade, selling shearling Charollais rams to £300 and £290 twice.

READ MORE: Annual South Molton Sheep Fair auction report Wednesday 21 August