As seen throughout the country the hogg trade has been easier, however on the day we achieved a firm trade. Overall average of 306.4ppk. The well fleshed hoggs to a top of 322ppk for a pen of 44kgs £141.50 from RJ Watkins, Lower Hollam Farm, Torrington.

Rob Johns, West Ville, Bradworthy realised 317ppk for 46kgs £146. Top per head was £162.50 for a pen of heavies from Richard & Nick Bond, Pencleave, Frithelstock, followed by £155 for Dorsets from Chris Nicholls, Boscastle.

More on offer and again a flying trade, the same as last week. Charollais x ewes to £225 from Miss L James, Higher Stowford, Halwill. Suffolk x ewes to £211 from Terrance Old & Sons.

Blegberry Farm, Hartland. Charollais ewes from Rod Wood, Thornbury topped at £208. Texel x to £208, Mules to £195 all sold by Derek Broad, Homeleigh, Launceston. Exmoor Mules to £200 from WJ Crocker & Sons, Colehouse, Merton.

Good entry considereing the weather. Top being £380 for a Blue Texel TC from Paul Moon, Ashwater, who also topped the Singles at £280. Several Doubles £320 to a top of £338 from Mr Squire, Okehampton.

A more difficult trade this week for the lamb due to it being close to Easter and a lot of hoggs out on the market. Top per kilo being 363ppk for 40kgs £145 from the Stephens family, Burscott, Holsworthy.

A record entry of 579 in Holsworthy market this week, with calves coming from all over the Westcountry. Trade would have been slightly steadier compared to the March trade but that said still some eye watering prices achieved and sellers going home delighted again.

No big numbers of weaned sorts, top of the section was £900 given for a well farmed Blue steer in from SA & EJ Kirk, Petrockstowe followed by Angus steers at £740 (6m) sold by RA & EM Haworth, Morwenstow. More Angus steers to £700 for S & AJ Cork, Umberleigh. Angus heifers to £600 (6m) for RA & EM Haworth again.

Top of the milk calf section was £850 given for a ripping Charolais bull at only a month old in from Mel Balsdon, Okehampton followed by Blue bulls reaching a colossal £790 (5 weeks) presented by Steven & Karen Kendall, Bodmin who sold more to £685, £630 and £620.

Other Blue bulls to £720 and £700 in from T Mawtus, Clawton and £640 for Nick and Kate Bowden, Highhampton. Chris Tucker back up from Truro with another big run with pen after pen of their Blue bulls over £500.

Limousin bulls soared up to a grand £640 in from Philip Harris, Bodmin who had others to £550, followed by £540 in from B and N Davey, Boyton. Native bulls sold extremely well reaching a big £600 given for a smart Angus bull in from RA & EM Haworth followed by £550 for Steven & Karen Kendall, Bodmin.

A cracking Hereford made £492 for RWH Dilling, Highampton followed by a super Simmental bull which reached £520 for DW & SC Gillbard, Black Dog. Plenty of big returns made in the heifer section with Blue heifers reaching a massive £685 in from Steven & Karen Kendall who sold others well at £650, £620 and £590.

More to £570 Philip Harris, £532 K & L Care and £520 Peter Denton, Lostwithiel. All Blue heifers average just shy of £400. Well fed Angus heifers reached a new record at £570 for Steve & Karen Kendall again, more to £500 for Mary George, Buckland Brewer and £390 for a sweet heifer in from Peter Warrington, Putford.

Smart Limousin heifers to £510 presented by Geoff Endacott, Halwill younger sweet sorts to £425 for B & N Davey. Hereford heifers very much wanted and reached £490 for Philip Harris with Longhorn heifers an impressive trade making £420 (x2) in from Ross Denning, Truro.

Best Friesians up to an impressive £370 in from T Mawtus, Clawton others attained £280 for a pair sold by M & M Andrew & Son, Beaworthy. All Friesians averaged £155! A pair a nice young Fleckvieh bulls made £215 for RJ & RD Parkhouse down from Shirwell and Brown Swiss bulls to £160 for B & D & A & V Timms, Thorndon Cross.

Another good entry with a large entry of 170 young cattle included. The stronger fleshed stores sold well with £2470 being the top realised by two vendors.

Firstly three 21mth Aberdeen Angus steers from Messrs J & ML Chamberlain & Son, Shebbear, other Aberdeen Angus from the same farm £2310 (x4) and £2470 also for two good meat British Blues from Messrs NT, AE & MT Gear, Barnstaple, whose other well fleshed British Blues hit £2380 (x3) and £2370 (x4).

A run of forward meat steers from Mr S Norman, Dolton saw Salers to £2450, Herefords £2420 and Simmentals £2400. Stronger grazing types in demand. Charolais 20mths from G & G Heal, Umberleigh £2290. Other 18mth Charolais from Messrs H & M Thorne, Umberleigh £2240. Strong Fleckvieh steers from Messrs NT, AE & MT Gear, Barnstaple £2110 (x2).

Montbeliarde 19mths from Messrs H & M Thorne, Umberleigh £2100. Limousins from G & G Heal, Umberleigh £2080 20mths (x4). Best Friesians in short supply and more required whether feeding or grazing types. Top on the day was £2290 for a 26mth steer from Heywood Partners, Braunton. Other Friesians from Messrs J & ML Chamberlain & Son, Shebbear £2160.

A much larger entry this week with plenty of buyers around the ring. Most 12-14mth Continental and Native steers £1500+. A good run of British Blues and Aberdeen Angus from Loatmead Dairy Ltd, Bradworthy saw a British Blue to £1770, others £1580 (x4) with the best of the Aberdeen Angus steers to £1660 (x8), others £1500 (x7).

British Blue heifers from the same stable £1590 (x5). Charolais from Mr LJ Goaman & Sons, Hartland £1770 14mths, others £1740 (x6) and £1440, with the best of the 14mth Charolais heifers £1700, others £1560 (x6). Younger 12mth Aberdeen Angus Mr JH Bailey, Launcells £1550 (x2) others from Messrs JHG Williams, Helston saw steers to £1500 and £1360.

Aberdeen Angus heifers from the same farm £1280. Hereford x steers from Miss R Charman, Clawton sold well at £1260. Other 12mth Hereford steers from Mr N Leonard, Woolsery £1180 (x3). South Devon steers to £1700 for a 14mth steer from Mr JH Bailey, Launcells.

Several young 6-8mth cattle saw the strongest Hereford and Aberdeen Angus from Messrs J & S Morgan, Halwill £1160 (x2). British Blue and Simmental steers from the same pen £1080 6mths and an 8mth British Blue heifers selling well at £1000. Other young 7mth Aberdeen Angus steers from Messrs Bendle & Lintin, Umberleigh £1160.

Top this week was £1680 for a young 2020 born Aberdeen Angus cow with Hereford 3mth steer calf at foot from Mr DO Wainright, Beaworthy, who sold a young Hereford cow and calf to £1530.

Numbers tight with the top being £1400 for a 6 year old Hereford cow from Mr A Parkhouse, Barnstaple.

Mr A Parkhouse, Barnstaple topped at 288ppk for a Devon cow £1785, others to 254ppk £1518.

The Spring Challenge Show & Sale saw a tremendous trade and attracted spirited bidding both around the ring and on MartEye. Topping the sale at £3800 was the First Prize Heifer and Reserve Champion ‘Winkleigh Rubels Lavender 3’ yielding 36Kgs on behalf of the Harris Family of Winkleigh.

The same vendors also sold other fresh calved heifers to £3650, £3500, £3300 & £3150 with their consignment of 7 averaging a magnificent £3329. Martin & Di Webber of Drewsteignton sold the Second Prize Heifer ‘Oxenacres Wheelhouse Olivia’ at £3700 with the Petherick Family of Kilkhampton topping at £3400 for their smart heifer ‘Aldercombe Welcome 136 GP83’ yielding 44Kgs.

The Westaway Family of Yeo Vale Farm Ltd, Bideford topped at £3000 for ‘Yeovale Applejax Ruth’ yielding 37Kgs with the Murch Family of Umberleigh also topping at £3000 for their fresh calved heifer ‘Littlewier Cyprus Unice 2’. Messrs T & J Adams & Son of Bideford sold a fresh calved heifer ‘Wardada Sumerian Leigh’ at £3000 with Alan & Karenza Hembrow of Lostwithiel topping their consignment of fresh calvers at £2900.

Mr JC Palmer of Chulmleigh topped at £2900 for ‘Sherdon I Am Rae’. Overall Champion and First Prize Cow was awarded to ‘Wardada Razzy Carla’ a fantastic 2nd calving cow yielding 45Kgs and selling to £3600 on behalf of Messrs T & J Adams & Sons of Torrington with the Second Prize Cow ‘Winkleigh Sassafras Blackrose VG87 SP’ also selling to £3600 on behalf of the Harris Family.

The Third Prize Cow ‘Aldercombe Rubi-Haze Natasha’ realised £3500 on behalf of the Petherick Family with the same vendors also selling another 2nd calver ‘Aldercombe Wobbly 27 VG87’ at £3300. Messrs SJ Hockridge & Son of Bideford sold a 2nd calving cow ‘Highpark Rubels June 4’ at £3000 with Messrs H Burrows & Son of Woolacombe topping at £2850 for their 2nd calver ‘Glendene Applejax Alice’.

Colin and Bridget Larkworthy of Torrington sold a ‘Loford’ bred 2nd calver ‘Loford Denver Dreamday VG85’ at £2750 with Steve Davey & Partners of Bideford topping at £2700 for their 2nd calving cow ‘Westtown Wendy 108’. In calf heifers saw an exceptional trade topping at £2700 for ‘Carsella Rudy Tessa 2’ due in July and sold on behalf of Messrs WE Nicholls & Co of Falmouth.

Stephen Nicholls also saw ‘Carsella’ bred heifers due in July race away to £2650, £2450, £2050 and £2000 with his consignment averaging £2450. Mr RG Rowe of St Austell sold a red and white heifer due in the summer to £2050. Youngstock also saw a strong trade throughout. Bulling heifers topped at £1280 for a group of 6 mainly British Friesian type heifers on behalf of Messrs DP & CE Martin of Bude.

The same vendors also saw heifers realise £1250, £1100 and £1050 with their consignment averaging £1143. Messrs BC & PM Cox of Callington sold a consignment of well-bred and well-reared 4-6mth old yearling heifers which topped at £650. A very smart, pedigree Aberdeen Angus Bull (born 2022) sold to £3250 on behalf of Mr I I G and Mrs MA James of Bodmin. Heifer calves saw a top of £180 on behalf of Nick and Kate Bowden of Highampton.