Kelso hits 23,000gns to set new record average
Averages lifted £24.15 on the year at Kelso on Friday (8 September) to break two records as 4,452 lots levelled at £709.63 and turned over £3,159,290.
A tremendous trade even surpassed the bumper 2014 sale, with 35 lambs making four figures and 17 shearlings making £5,000 and more at a 82% clearance (2016, £658.48 – 83.65%).
The two records were helped along by a stronger top price on the year and 214 more lots put through the rings, Border Union agriculture society secretary Ronald Wilson told Farmers Weekly.
See also: Read up on last year’s sale
“Commercial bids were going up to £5,000, £6,000 and around £7,000 on a tremendous day of trading,” said Mr Wilson, in his last year in the role. “There could have been over 9,000 people here – we needed to reprint catalogues.”
Shearlings hit £23,000
Topping the trade at £23,000 was a son of the 18,000gns Sportsmans Unbeatable from Karen and Allan Wight, Midlock, Crawford. He was out of a ewe by Douganhill Monarch and claimed second place in the Scottish club show in July.
A great day was had by the Midlock flocks, seeing £23,000 for their shearing Texel and topping Bluefaced Leicester trade. © Tim Scrivener
He sold in a three-way share to John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, Jonathan Watson, Bowsden Moor, Berwick Upon Tweed, and Mike, Melanie and Charlotte Alford, Foxhill Farm, Cullompton, Devon, as Texels shearlings were £38 up on the year.
The Wights also topped the Bluefaced Leicester ring at £12,000 with Midlock J21, a ram by B4 Tanhouse Farm and out of the dam of Midlock Mustang.
A winning bid from the Hartside flock took this B4 Tanhouse Farm son home © Tim Scrivener
He knocked down to the Hartside Flock of J Kay, Lammermuir as Midlock sold 22 shearlings to average £2,125.
Third highest at £10,000 was J7 Hamildean, from T Dick, Hamildean, who was by the same sire and was selling to Northern Irish bidder Graham and Julie Loughery’s Temain flock, with Jimmy Mills, Ballytober, taking a share.
A Hamildean shearling was the third highest price on the day © Tim Scrivener
Two Texels then made £9,000, with the Capmbells of Rosebrough, Chathill, Alnwick, sealing their price in 39 years’ selling at Kelso, thanks to a bid from Jeff Aitken, Proctors flock, Tatham Hall, Lancaster.
He is a Forkins Viagra son out of a ewe by the £10,000 Scrogtonhead Powerhouse.
Also at £9,000 was a Haddo Whisky Galore son out of a ewe by Sportsmans Unbeatable from Steven Renwick, Glenrath, Peeble, from his Craig Douglas consignment. This sire went home with AE Williams and Son, Folley Bank, Clun.
Lambs to £4,800
Gary Beacom’s Suffolk lambs from Lakeview made the headlines, hitting £4,800 and £3,000. The leader was sold to DJ Harvey, Powys and was a Rookery Rodeo son with Cairness Cyclone as a grand sire.
Gary Beacom, Lakeview, topped ram lamb trade with a Rookery Rodeo son. © Alfie Shaw
Second highest lamb at £4,400 was a son of the 7,500gns Ballynahone Yorkie son from Allan Campbell, Strawfrank, Carstairs. This was out of a ewe by Tima Valentino.
He was knocked down to Russell and Gill Watkins’ Millend flock, Hertfordshire.
Robbie Wilson, North Dorlaithers, Turriff, followed at £4,000 with a Strathbogie Yes Sir son out of a Strathbogie Untouchable ewe. This one knocked down to Danny Devlin, Quarryhill, Donegal.
At £3,000 was another from Gary Beacom. This time the grand sire was Strathbogie Jackpot, for another Rookery Rodeo son, which was knocked down to R and S Neil, Stonebridge.
Suffolk lamb trade was dominated by Gary Beacom, who also saw a £3,000 from the Neils of Stonebridge. © Alfie Shaw
Averages: Berrichon: 21 shearlings, £528.57; 15 lambs, £380.67; Blue Texel: 24 shearlings, £372.92; Registered Bluefaced Leicester: 493 shearlings, £1,008.95; 41 lambs, £737.32; 62 Border Leicester shearlings, £313.39; Charollais: 185 shearlings, £490.59; 23 lambs, £380.43: 4 Dutch Texel shearlings, £887.50; 9 Hampshire Down shearlings, £396.67; 86 Lleyn shearlings, £425.23; 49 Cheviot Shearlings, £458.37; 6 Roussin shearlings, £420; Suffolk: 290 shearlings, £813.41; 232 lambs, £473.32; Texel: 857 shearlings, £916.43; 145 lambs, £586.62: 9 Vendeen shearlings, £622.22. Clearance 82.31% (Border Union Agricultural Society)