SHEARLING rams from the Wight family at Midlock led today’s trade at Kelso Ram Sales when a Texel was knocked down for the overall top price of £23,000, and a Bluefaced Leicester sold for the second top price of £12,000.

It was a good sale all round as 5411 rams met a clearance rate of 82.28% and grossed more than £3m, resulting in an overall average of £709.63 for 4452 lambs sold, an increase of £24.15 on the year for 167 more.

Hitting the high note early on in the day was a Texel by the 18,000gns Sportsmans Unbeatable, out of a ewe by Douganhill Monarch, which was knocked down in a three-way split to John Elliot (Roxburgh Mains), Jonathan Watson (Brijon), and Mike and Melanie Alford (Foxhill Farm).

Their top Blue, which sold to Sheila and Jack Kay (Hartside), was by £34,000 Kirkby Redgate and is called Midlock Bronco.

The same sire was behind the £10,000 Hamildean Bluefaced Leicester from Dick family, which sold to Graham and Julie Loughrey and Jimmy Mills, both Northern Ireland.

Two Texels sold for £9000 apiece, including John Campbell’s Forkins Viagra-sired shearling which sold to Procters Farm. Matching that was a shearling son of Haddo Whisky Galore from Steven Renwick, with this one heading to Messrs Williams.

Suffolks peaked at £4800 for a lamb from Gary Beacom’s Lakeview flock. This one, by Rookery Rodeo, sold to Dai Harvey.

Two Beltex shearlings achieved £3200, with the Buckle family’s selling to Messrs Hay while John Guiry’s was sold to Messrs Jardine.

See the September 16 issue of The Scottish Farmer for the full report, pictures and averages.