WARD and Chowen, auctioneers at Tavistock Livestock Centre, held their second show and sale of mule ewe lambs, the lambs being bred out of either Swaledale or Scotch Blackface ewes and sold through a ring.
An entry of 499 lambs ? up from 280 the previous year ? met 100% clearance and averaged £45.07 ? £54.96 in 2003 ? which was encouraging considering the loss of sheep subsidy.
Judge P Cornelius from Davidstow awarded champion pen to Messrs K C and J C Heard, Okehampton, which sold for £60.50.
Highest priced pen went to the reserve champion pen belonging to P L Heard, Okehampton, and realising £65.
The show was sponsored by Dectomax, Countrywest Trading Ltd and Maunders Agricultural Merchants, allowing prizes down to fifth place. Thanks were expressed to the Dartmoor National Park Authority and DEFRA for arranging a grant from the Dartmoor Sustainable Development Fund.
This grant allowed the sale to be nationally advertised and will help it to become established for future years.
Prizewinners: champion pen (500ml Dectomax), K C and J C Heard, Okehampton; reserve champion (Oramec Sheep Wormer), P L Heard, Okehampton; third (£50 voucher from Maunders), P and W Coaker, Widecombe; fourth (200ml Dectomax), S G Palmer and Sons, Peter Tavy; fifth (200ml Dectomax), L C Branfield, Princetown.