Small entry only due to the bad weather and the national trade has dropped over the past week but a firm trade was still met.

Overall average of 320.5ppk to a top of £335 for 2 pens of 40kg £134 from C Drummond of Sunnymead, Inwardleigh. Terry Oreily of Rectory farm, Halwill saw his 38kgs at 330ppk £125.50 and 3 vendors at 329ppk.

Top per head on the day was £152 from Jim & Richard Hookway of Town Tennenment, Torrington which is inline with other markets in the Southwest and 5 other vendors realised £150.

There was also a handful of new season lambs today which topped at 318ppk for 44kgs at £144 from John Hockridge of Barnstaple.

Smaller entry with a mixed quality and a lot of lean and plain ewes on offer.

The few fleshed ewes on offer topped at £149 for Suffolk x from Graham & Hazel Butt of Ashbury and Texel x ewes to £141 from the Trewin family of Westacott, Bideford. Mules to £140.

A very fast trade from start to finish, several pens over £130 to a top of £143 from Graham & Hazel Butt of Ashbury followed by £139 from Mr Weeks of Torrington.

A consignment of Suffolk x march lambing ewes from Mike and Simon Dufty from Northlew saw several prospective buyers present and met a strong trade, top being £250 for 3 pens.

First couples for the season met with a lot of interest and a very strong trade.

The consignment from the Marshall family of Shebbear averaged over £113 per life with several Suffolk x doubles around £335 to a top of £355 and singles from the same vendor to £245.

Another good number of rearing calves forward, however quality would be more varied compared to previous weeks.

Another fierce trade witnessed for the majority and perhaps some of those poorer types saw less interest compared to the first two weeks of January.

A good run of weaned calves which witnessed a remarkable trade with best British Blue steers reaching an impressive £935 (5m) in from BH & AE Worth down from Ilfracombe, who sold British Blue heifers well to £820 (5m).

Other British Blue steers to £820 for D & T Wildern, Newton St Petrock who sold another pair to £710. Herefords from the same farm saw £740 (4m) and Aberdeen Angus heifers to £770 for CS Nankervis up from St Ives.

Another week of some sky high prices with a top price of £820 and £815 (x2) for some outstanding Limousin bulls presented by Henscott Barton of Bradford, who sold more to £790, £780 and £760 other Limousin bulls to £805 for PH Collins Partnership, Holsworthy.

Best Charolais bulls to £800, £750, £680 for FW Dymond & Sons, Shebbear, with more to £670 for Wrangworthy Dairy, Bradworthy, £620 for Martin Dairy Ltd, Bodmin.

British Blue bulls also reaching £800, £710 for FK M & SK Kendall, Bodmin, £695 for Bradley Farm Partnership, Hallworthy, £688 for SEJ Tapp & Son, Tiverton and £685 for SG & MR Ley, Sutcombe with heaps of other strong Blue bulls over £600.

Aberdeen Angus bulls to £640 (x4) for CR & JM Carr, Cheriton, £622, £608 for FK M & SK Kendall, again, more for the Carr family to £600 (x2).

Strong Hereford bulls attained £620 (x2), £600 for WA Raffe & Sons, Bradworthy, others to £490 for CL Stevens, Woolsery, £460 Bradley Farm Partnership, £450 Cory Farm Ltd and £402 for GD & KE Kitto, Lamellion.

Heifers another powerful trade reaching £760 for a standout Charolais heifer in from FW Dymond, who sold a pair at £745 and others to £710 more Charolais heifers to £650 and £600 (x2) for D Philp & Son and £600 for BD & DG Andrew, Shebbear strong British Blue heifers up to £750 for FW Dymond & Sons, further British Blue heifers to £645 for Stephen & Karen Kendall, £610 for Baulch Partnership, £605 & £590 for Bradley Farm Partnership, £590 for Westcott Farm Partnership and £572 for SG & MR Ley, Sutcombe.

Well farmed Limousin to £725 for Henscott Barton who sold others well to £700 & £660 other Limousin heifers to £700 FW Dymond and £600 (x2), £590 & £550 for PH Collins. Only the one Simmental heifers which achieved £560 for Stephen & Karen Kendall.

Aberdeen Angus heifers to £570 for RA Ayre & Sons, Barnstaple, £500 Stephen & Karen Kendall, £500 (x2) Baulch Partnership, £490 Bradley Farm Partnership and £490 also for CR & JM Carr down from Crediton.

Good Hereford heifers to £545 for WA Raffe & Sons more to £520 for RWH Dilling, Highampton. Beef Shorthorn heifers reached £438 and £310 for IJ & EC Dawkins, Hartland.

A reared Friesian topped this section at £590 for a strong sort in from Henscott Barton others to £360 for CR & JM Carr, £220 for RG & VJ Griffin, Launceston, £200 for BD & DG Andrew, £165 for RW & JR Finnimore & Son and £142 for Bradley Farm Partnership.

Small entry and a packed ring with all steers averaging £1630 and heifers to £1560.

Top was £2060 for a 14mth Charolais from Messrs CT Banbury & Sons of Broadwood who sold 17mth British Blues to £1990 & Limousins to £1920(5).

Single suckled cattle from Messrs CT Banbury & Sons to £2060 (19mth) and younger 16mth old British Blues to £1880 for 3 from Mr SW Graham of Bude. Other 16mth British Blues from Mr AW Pomeroy of Bradworthy to £1780.

Heifers with flesh sold well this week at £2000 for a 20mth Charolais from Mr R Nancekivell of Okehampton who also had 4 others to £1840.

South Devon heifers from Messrs DJ & ML Challacombe of Winkleigh to £1940 and British Blues to £1890. Young 17mth Limousin heifers from CT Banbury & Sons at £1840 and 17mth British Blue heifers from Messrs R Wood & Partners to £1680.

What a trade, 12-13mth Hereford steers from Messrs J&J Irish from Newton St Petrock to £1680 & £1650 and young British Blue steers from Mr I Watson of Pyworthy to £1630(3) & £1600(7).

Younger 8 and 11mth Dairy x British Blue steers from JP & NJ Hobbs of Bude to £1410 & £1020 and heifers from the same farm to £1190 & £1040.

8mth old Aberdeen Angus & Hereford steers from Messrs Holland Farmers of Tavistock to £1080(6).

The sale sale saw a very selective trade throughout with freshly calved cows and heifers looking good value in comparison to the cull cow and beef trade prices seen of late.

Topping the sale at £3,000 was ‘Newrock Kalinko Pandora GP83 SP1’ a super 2nd calving cow yielding 51Kgs on behalf of Messrs RAS Johns & Partners of Shebbear. The same vendor also saw other 2nd calving cows to £2200 and £2000.

M & S Powell of Tiverton topped at £2250 with P & S Harris Ltd of Bodmin realising £2050 for ‘Racewood Fuel Lorna’ and £2000 for ‘Racewood History Starbell’.

British Friesian and Crossbred Cows from DP & CE Martin of Bude topped at £1700 for a 5th calving Brown Swiss X Cow with a British Friesian 3rd calver selling to £1550.

A short entry of in calf heifers topped at £1380 for a heifer due in March to AA from Moreton Pound Ltd of Bude.