A record breaking day saw a top price of 8,000 guineas and a turnover of nearly £2million at the NSA Wales & Border Main Sale at the Royal Welsh Showground yesterday (September 20).

High prices, quality tups and a great atmosphere distinguished the sale, organisers say, with consignors and vendors clearly glad to be back following the sale’s absence last year.

Turnover reached £1.979 million, £152,000 up on the 2019 turnover with fewer sheep forward. There was a top price of 8,000 guineas and the highest ever average price was a record £694.63.

A total of just shy of 3,000 sheep sold, representing 88.1% of the sheep forward.

Chairman Graham Jones said the top end had been "really fantastic", with a solid trade right through.

"It’s quite exciting that the North Country Cheviots had a big entry and they sold well, with a new record price of 3,600 guineas," he said.

"They were virtually all sold out and two rams beat their breed record at Builth.

"It was especially nice to welcome the Dutch Spotted to the sale for the first time. They had a solid clearance, highlighted with a 2,000 guinea top price for a ewe lamb.

"People were very happy to be back, meeting people they hadn’t seen for a long time. And the weather helped. I got around every ring and it seemed to all be going very well. I knew that if we got the sheep here then they would sell."

The highest priced ram, a shearling Caereinion Dan Dare out of Granite Untouchable, was sold by regular Texel consignor, Cefin Pryce, for 8,000 guineas.

He has been selling at the NSA Wales & Border Main Sale since 1993 and sold the top price 12,000 guinea ram some years ago.

Cefin and his wife Nia and family run 30 pedigree Texel ewes at Yr Helyg, Llanfair Caereinion. They were delighted with the day’s trading.

He said: "It’s been brilliant and makes it all worthwhile. People keep coming back and clearly missed it last year. The best sheep have had a very good sale."