Registered Texel shearlings met a strong demand at Kelso, with averages up by more than £90 per head – albeit for fewer sold – backed up by top prices of £8500 on two occasions.

While there was no out and out sale leader compared to previous years in which the Texel has led the trade, such was the demand that these big white shearling rams bagged 11 out of the top 14 highest prices at the event.

Texels also claimed five of the top seven prices amongst the lambs.

It was nevertheless the shearling trade that dominated, with the first of the £8500 bids given early in the day, for the pen leader from John Green, whose Greenall consignment from The Craggs, Melrose, was second in the ring.

His Greenall Billy Wizz, the second prize winner at the pre-sale show, is a son of Greenall Atticus out of a ewe by the £4000 Hightecs Ultimatum, and sold to Ken Hodge of the Greenarch flock.

Matching that £8500 price was a shearling from John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, who was selling his dearest here. His best, an ET bred from a flush from a ewe by Brackenridge Strongbow, is sired by the £23,000 Midlock You're The One, a tup bought here two years ago in partnership with Jonathan Watson, Bowsden Moor and the Alfords, Foxhill.

Another bred the same way realised £6600 for Mr Elliot, when purchased by J Winter, Clickem Farm, Appleby.

The champion winner in Ring 5 sold next at £8000 for Ian Murray of the Glenway flock selling to Jeff Teward, New View, Darlington. Glenway Billy The Kid, which stood inter-breed champion at Glendale Show last month, is a son of Glenway Ace of Diamonds, out of a Brackenridge Strongbow sired-ewe.

Matthew Seed, Home Farm, Auchry enjoyed his best ever trade selling a shearling at £7200 to Welsh breeder, Esmor Evans, Mold. He is sired by Boghouse Atlanta, and out of a Culter Allers Vulcan sired-ewe.

Four sold for £7000, to include the pen leader from Alex and Russell Gray's, Langside flock from Lesmahagow, chapped down in a two-way split to Northern Ireland breeders, Gary Beacom, Lakeview, Co Tyrone, and William and Liz McAllister, Parkgate, Ballymena. He is by the 23,000gns Peacehay Ya' Belter, which took reserve champion at the Great Yorkshire 2018 and out of a dam by Springhill Uppercut.

Another Peacehay Ya' Belter shearling from Langside made £6200 selling to Lilburn estate, Wooler. He is out of a home-bred ewe by Langside Va Bond.

Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside, Lamington, also received £7000 for Hartside Bronko which was knocked down to W Wearmouth and Son, Rosehill, Bishop Auckland. A son of Halbeath VIP, he out of a ewe by the 18,000gns Sportsman Unbeatable.

Hartside Big Boy from the same home realised £4800, when selling to RG and R Jones, Robleston Hall, Haverdfordwest. This shearling is a son of Pant Wolf and out of a dam by Scolton United – a 6800gns at Builth, Wales.

Jonathan Watson, Bowsden Moor, Berwick Upon Tweed, was another in the money, taking £7000 for a shearling. The first son of Duhonw Yager Bomb, bred from a ewe by Haymount Va Va Voom which has bred sons to £10,000, £7000 and £6500, he headed north with Jim Innes, buying for his Strathbogie flock from Dunscroft, Huntly.

Matching that bid was the best from the Quick brothers, Paul, Andrew and Mark's Loosebeare flock from Devon, purchased by Josh Greasley, buying for the Kedleston flock from Derby. A son of Brijon You're The Boy which was bought here for £5800 and has bred sons to 2600gns and 2000gns, he is out of a home-bred ewe by Lavenham Ronald.

Another from the same flock was chapped down to Will Case, Plumpton Cottage, Ulverston at £4800. A shearling son of Whitehart Ultimate, he is out of the boys' show ewe by Loosebeare Voomer.

Top price for Jack Arnott's Haymount flock from Kelso, was £6200 paid for a Milnbank Awesome son out of a ewe by Forkins Viagra. The buyer was Stuart Barclay, Harestone, Insch.

Not far behind on £5800 was a shearling from Peter and Lynn Gray, Cowgrove, Galston, purchased by Messrs Davies of the Canllefaes flock from Cardigan. A son of the 60,000gns Clinterty Yuga Khan, he is out of a ewe by Springhill Uppercut.

Next best at £5600 was a son of the high index ram, Craigfarm Wizard, from Ken Hodge's Greenarch flock from Upper Huntlywood, Earlston. He went home to Tom Oats ????.

Willie Dunlop's, Elmscleugh flock from Innerwick, Dunbar, produced a top of £5500 sold in a four-way split to Hugh Jackson, Wolfclyde, Thankerton; Jimmy Orr, Wester Walston, Biggar; Tom Cockburn, Kingside, Leadburn, and JW Gibb, Toftcombs also Biggar. A son of Plasucha All In One, he is out of a Minbank Wisconsin sired-ewe.

The Ingrams at Logie Durno bought Brian and William McAllister's, best at £5000 from Kells, Ballymena, Northern Ireland. A son of the Midlock Yohann, which was bought here for £5000, he is out of a dam that is sired by Langside Stiffler.

Lanarkshire breeder, Ted Fox, St John's Kirk, Symington, Biggar, also received £5000 for his best which sold in a two-way split to Bob and Becca Rennie, Sydenham, Kelso, and Robbie Wilson, Milnbank, Turriff. This shearling is by Duhonw Yogi Bear, which was purchased in Wales for £2800 and out of a home-bred College ewe.

Just behind on £4800 was the best from Douganhill Farms, Orchardton Mains, Castle Douglas, which went home to Floors Farming, Rawburn, Duns. This fourth prized shearling is a son of the 15,000gns Knock Yardsman and out of a ewe by Langlands What-A-Whopper.

Leading the way in the lamb trade at £4800 was Garngour Captain from the Clarks, Garngour, Lesmahagow, which sold to Angus Kennedy, Mitchellhill, Broughton. He is sired by Teiglum Braveheart and out of a Knock Yardsman sired ewe.

averages: 766 registered shearling rams, £975.20 (+£92.47 for 78 fewer); 164 registered ram lambs, £516.04 (-127.77 for 46 more); 598 unregistered shearling rams, £571.20 (-£7.22 for 55 fewer).