A new centre record for a Beltex ram was achieved at Kelso, when Northern Ireland breeder, Gary Beacom, Lakeview, sold his pre-sale champion winner, a shearling for £18,000.

Mr Beacom from Fivemiletown, Co Tyrone, sold his pen leader which is a son of the 45,000gns Lurg Grand Slam cashed at Carlisle in 2022, to Anne and Rachael Storey of the Borderesk flock from Longtown. The dam is the top breeding ewe, Aviemore Curie ET which is still going strong at eight years of age having produced daughters to 7000gns and sons to 7500gns.

Cameron Baillie (18), Carstairs Mains, Lanark, also had a good day selling Carstairs Jolly Giant, for 8000gns to Messrs Owen, Ceirn, Anglesey. The same way bred as his 5000gns Carstairs Jagerbomb sold at Carlisle, last month, he is bred from Callacrag Flare and sired by Callacrag Hot Shot, a son of Wannop’s Firecracker retained for breeding. Team Ingram, Logie Durno, Pitcaple, Inverurie, continued on their winning ways amongst the Beltex too, securing the reserve pre-sale championship with a shearling ram which went on to make £5000. Top breeding is also behind this lad which is a full brother to 20,000gns Logie Durno Jack Daniels lamb sold last year at Carlisle. His sire is the 11,000gns Buckles Fury while the dam is the 4200gns Belvoir View Fertility. The buyers were Messrs Hedges, Cinderbank, Robertsbridge, East Sussex.

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Home-bred rams were behind 4000gns and 3000gns shearlings from Grant Maxwell, Faughhill, Melrose. He sold his dearest, a son of Faughhill Hector, bred from Faughhill Cameo which has produced sons to 8000gns at Carlisle, to M Buchan, Torrax, Kirriemuir.

The 3000gns Faughhill ram, also by Hector, was purchased by Ben Radley, Loaningfoot, Dumfries.

Selling all the way up to Orkney with Charles Copeland, Harray, at £3800 was Andrew Wainwright’s No 2, Todhall Jigolo, from Todhall, Cupar. Full brother to a 6500gns ram sold at Carlisle last month, he is bred from Todhall Freya which bred a 5000gns ram in 2023, and sired by the 18,000gns Airyolland Goldmine.

Jim and Daniel Hodge, Dykes Farm, Auchinleck, were also in the money selling two full brothers at 3000gns each. Bred from Todhall Fran and sired by Broughton Enricher, the pen leader was knocked down to F Jones, Pen Cae, Llandyssil, Montgomery, while his ET mate sold two lots later to Rob Hamilton, Laigh Balernock, Shandon.

Dutch Texels sold to £3000 for a particularly popular black shearling from Stuart Wood’s Woodies flock from Broadwater Farm, Skene, Aberdeenshire. Another sired by the Arkle Free Spirit ram bought two years ago for 2000gns, he is out of a home-bred gimmer by Pyman 2445. The tup heads back up to Aberdeenshire with Lloyd Fowlie, Guise, Tough.

Averages: 200 shearling rams, £1042.95 (+£224.16).