Sheep breeders selling at the Kelso Ram Sales, enjoyed a record breaking trade with overall averages well up on the year, albeit for fewer sold.

By the end of a much shorter day than in previous years, just shy of £4m changed hands with 3254 cashing in at £1229.19 – up a colossal £186 on the year for 232 less sold. The clearance was 86%.

While Texel shearlings from Gordon and David Gray’s Ettrick flock from Selkirk, stole the show selling at £35,000 and £18,000, other breeds also reached £18,000.

The two top Texels, sons of Sadlerhead Fury, were purchased by Paul Slater, Whiteley Hey, Macclesfield and Michael James, Duhonw, Wales, respectively.

Bluefaced Leicesters and Beltex also sold to £18,000, with the former from Malcolm Thornborrow, son Gary and his fiancée Marion Porter’s Dawyck flock from Peebles, selling to Martin Allan, Knockhall. Appleby. Producing a personal best for this 50-strong ewe flock was a son of the £65,000 Riddings tup bought at Hawes.

Northern Ireland Beltex breeder, Gary Beacom, Lakeview, also took £18,000 for shearling son of the £45,000 Lurg Grandslam. The buyer was Anne Storey of the Borderesk flock, Longtown.

Cross-bred rams peaked at £6200 from C Mellor, Annstead Chathill, purchased by A Peart and Sons, Woodcroft, Bishop Auckland.

Suffolks sold to £5200 on two occasions for shearling rams from John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, and the Ingram family, Logie Durno, Inverurie, who sold no fewer than 113 rams to average a phenomenal £1988.

Texel shearlings secured the lead average at £1844.50 for 547 head, followed by Bluefaced Leicester shearlings which cashed in at £1557.65 for 347. Suffolk shearlings balanced out at £1330.48 for 250 and Beltex averaged £1042.95 for 200.

Unregistered rams also met a ready trade with 440 Suffolks cashing in at £1149.66 and 551 Texels at £1068.29. Cross-bred shearling rams averaged £1061.68 for 393.

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