DUTCH buyers made a beeline for a Whitland farmer at a brisk NSA Wales & Border Ram Sale, held at the Royal Welsh Showground.

Harry deVliegher made a 48-hour trip to buy Arwyn Thomas’s Charollais ram lamb, this year’s Royal Welsh winner, for 1700 guineas.

Harry, who was accompanied by his father, Cor, has been making the trip for eight years and ‘thoroughly enjoys’ the sale.

But 1700 guineas was small beer compared to a record price of 18,000 guineas for a Texel at the sale. There were smiles all round with turnover up on last year at £2.2 million, with 85% of sheep forward sold. The average prices paid held up or increased across the breeds.

The 18,000 guineas eclipsed the previous 17,000 guinea price for a Blue Faced Leicester in 2008. The price was also well ahead of other headline prices: 7,800 guineas for a Blue Faced Leicester, 5,500 guineas for another Texel, 5, 200 guineas for a Welsh Mountain ram, 3,400 guineas for a Blue Faced Leicester and 4,400 guineas for another Blue Faced Leicester.