A new centre record was set at Kelso Ram Sales, when a Texel shearling sold at £65,000, surpassing the event’s previous top of £35,000.
The weather played its part in what was a successful open-air sale, luckily remaining dry throughout.
Overall, 3,536 rams sold to average £970.09 – this is up 39% on the 2019 sale.
Texels secured the majority of top prices, including the day’s top price, which came from the last lot in Ring 9, the Campsie consignment from Jimmy and Donald MacGregor, Dyke Farm, Milton of Campsie.
Beating the father and son’s previous top price of £5,800, Campsie Drambuie, a son of Ettrick Cockney Rebel, sold in a two-way split to John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, and Ken Hodge’s Greenarch flock at Earlston.
From the same pen, Robert Rennie, Sydenham, Kelso, paid £8,000 for another son of Cockney Rebel.
Two Texels hit £20,000, with the first being Andrew Clark’s Teiglum Dirty Harry, from his Lanarkshire-based flock.
A son of Knock Yardsman, he sold to large-scale commercial producer, Paul Slater, Whiteley Hey, Cheshire.
At the same money was one from Angus Kennedy, Mitchellhill, Biggar – a son of Canllefaes Bright Spark – which sold in a three-way split to James Gibb, Toftcombs, Biggar; Iain Minto, Townhead, Dolphinton and Jimmy Orr, West Walston, Carnwath.
On the other side of the coin, Iain Minto received £8,200 for the best from his Townhead consignment. That one, a son of a home-bred sire, went to Ian Hunter, Dalchirla, Crieff.
Neil Harvey, Blackadder Mains, Duns, sold his best Texel shearling at £15,000. That son of Walston Batman, sold to the McAllisters’ Artnagullion flock in Northern Ireland.
The Gray family had a successful day with tups from their Ettrick flock at Lindean, Selkirk.
They sold a son of Ettrick Cockney Rebel at £7,500, to Messrs Jones, Gwynedd, and a son of Ettrick Cockey Bob at £7500, to Messrs Robson, Yatesfield and Messrs McKay, Westhills.
Other breeds
Bluefaced Leicesters sold to a top price of £9,500 for a home-bred traditional-type shearling from Northumberland breeders Peter and Alan Forster’s Lowes Fell flock sold to County Durham breeder Frank Johnson for his Ashes flock.
The Forsters run a 30-ewe flock of Bluefaced Leicesters and this was their best price at Kelso.
Next best in that breed at £7,000 was a traditional-type shearling from Selkirkshire breeder Alan McClymont’s Kirkstead flock.
The first entry in his ring, he is by a £2,000 Burndale sire and sold to Lancashire breeder Wayne Burrow.
Crossing-type Bluefaced Leicesters topped at £5,200 for a shearling from Alec and Anders Brown’s Macqueston flock based near Thornhill, Dumfries.
By a £3,000 Midlock, he sold to Biggar breeder Douglas Fleming for his Elvan flock.
Meanwhile, Suffolks topped at £6,000 for a shearling from Messrs Alexander Gray & Son’s Langside flock based near Lanark.
By Rowandale Reality, and out of a dam by Muirton Premier, he sold in a two-way split to Wales.
Other leading Suffolk prices included £3,000 for a shearling from the Hawick-based Skelfhill flock. He sold to Messrs Sutherland, Caithness.
Crosses topped at £5,800 for a Beltex cross Texel shearling, by Beltex ram Buckles Dark Dawn, from the Taylor family at Heatheryhall Farm, Lanark. He sold to Messrs Roots, Kilnford Croft, Dumfries.
In the Charollais ring, a top price of £3,800 was paid for a shearling from the Wales family’s Thackwood flock, based near Carlisle. By Loanhead Pavarotti, he sold to the Yarr family at Witton Mains, Edzell.
The top price in the Beltex section was £3,600 for a shearling named Thacka Fiddlesticks from the Pyman family’s Thacka flock based near Penrith. By Rathbone Champion, he sold to Messrs Wigham, Hargill House, Haltwshitle, Northumberland.
Border Leicesters sold to £2,000 for a shearling from Selkirk breeder Tom Tennant’s West Forth flock. By Alticane Thistle Crack, he sold to Messrs Duncan, East Lediken, Insch.
Averages
SHEARLINGS registered – Beltex – 211, £1,045.12; Berrichon – 23, £487.39; Blue Texel – 23, £495.65; Bluefaced Leicester – 424, £1,247.03; Border Leicester – 36, £805.56; Charmoise – 5, £320; Charollais – 100, £657.50; Dutch Texel – 14, £1,047.14; Hampshire Down – 14, £438.57; Lleyn – 77, £448.57; North Country Cheviot – 34, £731.47; Suffolk – 190, £999.11; Texel, 657, £1,412.72; Vendeen, three, £400; Crosses, 480, £777.18.
SHEARLINGS non-registered – Dutch Texel: three, £816.67; Hampshire Down, one, £320; Lleyn: 11, £360.91; Millennium Bleu, six, £408.33; Roussin, four, £462.50; Suffolks, 363, £942.20; Texel, 531, £777.40; Whitefaced Woodlands: three, £60.
LAMBS registered – Berrichon: one, £600; Blue Texel: two, £275; Bluefaced Leicester: 32, £885.94; Charmoise: one, £300; Charollais: 21, £509.05; Suffolk: 146, £646.51; Texel: 115, £756.70; Crosses, four, £340.
LAMBS non-registered – Hampshire Down: one, £280.