Kelso – 9th September, 2022 – Traditional

Kelso – Kindly Sponsored by Davidsons Animal Feeds & NFU (Mutual) Ltd (Lanark Branch)

The marquee’s were back at this year’s Kelso Tup sales and with the deluge that preceded and during the sale it was just as well, as otherwise it would have been a bit of a damp squib to say the least! The average for the sale slipped a bit on the year for less sheep forward, mainly due to the level of the top prices as opposed to a slack in demand, with demand throughout both sections strong.

Topping the day’s trade in the traditional section was a strong shearling from the noted Espley flock, which is based in Morpeth, Northumberland and runs to around 35 breeding ewes. Their sale topper is by a homebred tup, a son of K1 Kirkstead, which they have used a lot over the past few years and out of a ewe by the F2 Ashes, and sold to Messrs Joyce for £3500. The Espley flock had a strong pen which was in big demand and saw a further bid of £3000 for their first tup into the ring, a son of the F2 Ashes. He had stood 4^th at the Highland, won at Glendale Show and stood third at the pre-sale show here at Kelso. He sold to Messrs Jerman, Church Farm.

Close behind, selling to £3400 was a corking shearling from the Philliphaugh pen from Selkirk, who had a pen of well turned out shearlings, full of power and style. The penleader, brought out by shepherd Scott Bell, stood 3^rd at the Highland in June and 4^th at the pre-sale show, is by the £4000 Kirkstead bought back in 2018 out of a ewe by the old H16 Mendick which has had a massive influence on the flock. He raised a twin and used successfully as a lamb last year, and sold to Oliver Jones from the Y-Ddol flock.

Hazel Brown enjoyed a great sale day, taking the show championship ticket with her powerful shearling by the 12,000 K30 Bonvilston Tudor tup, which is proving to be some breeder. He was bought out of Builth in 2018 and his 10 sons in the Leadburnlea pen at Kelso this year averaged out at £1980. His mother, a cracking show ewe in her day, is by the old homebred E1 Leadburnlea which won the old tup class at the Highland show way back in 2014. He sold for £3200 to M/s McKenzie, Craiglands, with his full brother, P1 Leadburnlea, preceding the champion into the ring and selling for £2800 to Mervyn Roberts, Myfrian.

Kirkstead enjoyed a good trade, despite being the last vendors through the Hexham ring late in the day. They topped at £3000 with their first shearling, and strong son of the M3 Leadburnlea, a son of the aforementioned K30 Bonvilston and out of a ewe by the G1 Burndale, which is such a influence on the flock and within the breed. He sold to Messrs Davies, Caerason. The Kirkstead pen levelled at a very respectable £1425 for their 10 tups.

396  shearlings averaged £1,180.98