McCARTNEYS report an entry of 1367 prime lambs and 207 cull sheep at Knighton Market being the Christmas Fatstock Show and Sale, kindly sponsored by Barclays Bank PLC, NFU Mutual, F M Caine and Sons, M A Evans Transport Ltd, J A Francis and Sons and The Horse and Jockey Inn.

Our Christmas Fatstock lamb and ewe classes were kindly judged by Mr Percy Jenkins and Mr Stephen Hill and results were as follows:

Class 1 Best pen of 10 or more Lambs: 1st J G Duggan, Lea Hall £71.20. Sired by a Native Breed: 2nd J G Duggan, Lea Hall £63. Not exceeding 41 kg: 3rd Not awarded.

Class 2 Best Pen of 10 or more Lambs: 1st T L and E M Davies, Hill Farm £80. Sired by a Native Breed 2nd J Lewis and Son, Carters Farm £73 exceeding 41 kg. 3rd T L and E M Davies, Hill Farm £74.80.

Class 3 Best pen of 10 or more: 1st K and J Davies, Cefncoch £71.80. Lambs sired by a Continental Breed 2nd J Bright and Son, Upper House £68. Not exceeding 41 kg 3rd D W Lewis, Abermithel £68.

Class 4 Best pen of 10 or more: 1st Price Bros, Garbett Hall £105 Champion Lambs sired by a Continental Breed. 2nd J Phillips, Lower Treverward exceeding 41 kg. 3rd Lewis Bros, Weir £73.

Class 5 Best pen of 5 or more: Lambs (any 1st Price Bros, Garbett Hall £85.50 weight) sired by a Beltex. 2nd Lewis Bros, Weir £78 Beltex cross Ram. 3rd A Price, Meeting House £66.

Class 6 Best pen of 5 or more: 1st A Chilvers, CLoggie £74. Lambs any weight (confined to 2nd J H and J A Ellis, Greenshutters £75 vendors farming less than 120 acres). 3rd A J Tortoriello, Rock House £76.20.

Class 7 Best Pen of 10 or more: 1st R D and M G Owens, Old Badland £72.20 Mule or Halfbred Wether Lambs. 2nd J T and J E Lloyd, The Corner. 3rd J T and J E Lloyd, The Corner £75.

Class 8 Best Pen of 5 or more Lambs: 1st Mark Tortoriello, Garbett Hall £71.80 Reserve Ch shown by a YFC Member. 2nd Thomas Swancott, The Lawn £81 (10 – 26 years old). 3rd Lucy Griffiths, Hill House £77.20.

Class 9 Best Pen of 5 or more: 1st S A Cherry, The Graig £129.50 Continental cross. 2nd S A Cherry, The Graig £95 Suffolk cross Ewes. 3rd C Gittoes and Son, Village Farm £108.50.

Class 10 Best Pen of 5 or more Mule: 1st V P and D E Jones, White House £67.50 or Half Bred Ewes. 2nd A L and R L Lewis and Son, Far Hall £65. 3rd A L and R L Lewis and Son, Far Hall £60.

Class 11 Best Pen of 5 or more Hill Ewes: 1st V P and D E Jones, White House £52. 2nd J J Owens and Son, Gumma £50. 3rd T A Swancott and Son, Lawn Farm £44.

Class 12 Best Cull Ram (any breed): 1st N T Davies, Neaudd £124. 2nd H E Williams and Son, Bwlch £97. 3rd A L and R L Lewis and Son, Far Hall £90.

The winner of the Horse and Jockey Shepherds Crook and the Knighton Chamber of Trade Championship Trophy for the Best Pen of Lambs was Price Bros, Garbett Hall. T L and E M Davies, Hill Farm won the West Bromwich Shield for the Best pen of Lambs in Classes 1 and 2.

The trade overall was more difficult today with heavy lambs steadier averaging 168.58 pence per kilo and £73.46 per head selling to 210 pence per kilo for the Champion lambs being 50 kilo Texel cross lambs to £105 per head from Price Bros, Garbett Hall. Also to 195 pence per kilo for 48 kilo Beltex cross lambs to £93.50 per head and 190 pence per kilo for 45 kilo Texel cross lambs to £85.50 per head all from Price Bros, Garbett Hall. 182 pence per kilo for 39.5 kilo Texel cross lambs to £71.80 per head from K and J Davies, Cefncoch. 179 pence per kilo for 42 kilo Texel cross lambs to £75 per head and 177 pence per kilo for 43.5 kilo Texel cross lambs to £77.20 per head both from E and W Griffiths, Hill House. 177 pence per kilo also for 43 kilo Texel cross lambs to £76.20 per head from A J Tortoriello, Rock House. 176 pence per kilo for both 37.5 kilo Beltex cross lambs to £66 per head from A Price, The Meeting House and 37 kilo Texel cross lambs to £65 per head from A Thomas, Llanliggo. 174 pence per kilo for 41 kilo Suffolk cross lambs to £71.20 per head from J G Duggan, Lea Hall to £71.20 per head from J G Duggan, Lea Hall.

Other top prices per head included £85 per head for 57 kilo Suffolk cross lambs from J G Williams and Son, Upper House. Also to £84 per head for 57 kilo Texel cross lambs from A J Tortoriello, Rock House. £83.50 per head for 55 kilo Suffolk cross lambs from J G Williams and Son, Upper House and 58 kilo Charollais cross lambs from A E Bason, Highfield. £82 per head for 55 kilo Texel cross lambs from A L Lewis, Cefnllyn. £81 per head for 53 kilo Texel cross lambs from R A Lund, Brynywellan and 51 kilo Beltex cross lambs from T A Swancott and Son, The Lawn.

A smaller entry of cull ewes met a firm trade averaging £61.56 per head and selling to £129.50 per head for Texel ewes from S A Cherry, The Graig. Also to £108.50 per head for Texel ewes, £99 per head for Charollais cross ewes and £95 per head for Texel cross ewes all from S A Cherry, The Graig. £90 per head for Texel cross ewes from N T Davies, Neuadd. £87.50 per head for Suffolk cross ewes from C Gittoes and Son, Village Farm, £78 per head for Texel cross ewes from J Bright and Son, Upper House.

Mule ewes sold to £67.50 per head from V P and D E Jones, White House. Also to £65 per head and £60 per head for Mule ewes from A L and R L Lewis and Son, Far Hall.

Hill bred ewes sold to £59 per head for Speckled ewes from T A Swancott and Son, The Lawn. Also to £54.50 per head and £53.50 per head for Speckled ewes from S A Cherry, The Graig. £52 per head for Welsh ewes from V P and D E Jones, White House. £50 per head for Welsh ewes from J J Owens and Son, Gumma.

Cull rams averaged £89.91 per head and sold to £124 for a Texel ram from N T Davies, Neaudd. Also to £120 for a Texel ram from J J Owens and Son, Gumma.

Sale of Prime lambs and Cull sheep at Knighton Market every Thursday. Weighing from 7.30am, sale at 10am.

Up to date market information for entries to Katie Morris on 07817 474241 or Glyn Owens 07970 160898.

Average prices for Premium and Prime Lambs of various weights as follows:-

36.5-43kg Premium 182.00 pence per kilo Prime 173.21 pence per kilo 43.5-48kg Premium 192.50 pence per kilo Prime 168.63 pence per kilo, 48.5kg and over Premium 210.00 pence per kilo Prime 158.24 pence per kilo.