Kelso – Crossing Type – 8th September 2023

Kelso Ram Sales – Friday 8th September, 2023

Show and Sale Kindly Sponsored by Davidsons Animal Feeds

Amidst the September heatwave the tup sale season kicked off in style up at Kelso. Early in the day low lying fog helped keep the temperature down in the marquees, but once the sun burnt through the thermometer shot up and reflected the red-hot trade for the day, which saw averages for the shearlings jump overall by just over 100 for 14 less sold on the year, due to a lighter entry, to level at £1282.51 across both rings.

Topping the trade in the crossing section was a monster shearling from the Ridley family, Shitlington, Northumberland. He was by the P21 Dawyck, which they picked up for a bargain basement price at Carlisle two years ago, laying out 1000gns for him, and has already produced sons to £40,000 at Hawes last year. They held this boy back and used him on a few ewes last year, and he left them some great lambs, with three in the champion pen at Hexham and 8 in their top 100 lambs. His mother is a ewe they showed by the G24 Marriforth and has bred well. Two noted North of England mule breeders battled it out on opposite sides of the sale ring to bring in the bloodlines, with Neil and Mary Marston, Highberries, outbidding their rivals and paying £13,000 for the services of “Super Kev” as he is now christened. The family enjoyed a great trade with the rest of the pen, getting a bid of £5500 for a son of G34 Midlock out of a ewe by the old G1 Midlock, which has done so well for them. Messrs Macaskill from Woodhall were the bidders for this powerful tup and helped the pen to level out at £4000 for their six shearlings.

Next highest in the crossing ring came early in the sale, where there was a purple patch of breeders near the start. Setting the trade was a strong shearling from father and son team, Alec and Anders Brown, who enjoy a great reputation in the Scotch Mule circles, never far away from the top honours with their mules on sale days. Their pen leader, which sold for £6500, was used as a lamb and done well for them, with 5 lambs in their sale topping pen at Castle Douglas, selling for £212 and 4 in the second pen which sold at £205. He also sired two in the winning  pen of three at Dumfries show. He is by the £3800 Forebraes tup purchased out of Castle Douglas and his dam is a big powerful ewe by the £12,000 Carryhouse K1, which was the full brother to Jackpot. He was knocked down to Campbells of Overburns Farm. Their second tup fetched £3000 too, this one a son of the M1 Highberries which has done well for the flock and sold to Messrs Dunlop, Pinvalley, and helped the pen to average a level £2900 for their 5 tups.

A brace of tups hit £6200 during the sale, the first was out of the renowned Midlock pen, who followed the Macqueston pen into the ring. Their pen leader was by the £23,000 P2 Riddings bought out of Hawes a couple of years back and out of a ewe by the M1 Riddings, which has done well for them. He was knocked down to Fergusons of Dyke Neuk. Midlocks pen also saw a bid of £3000 for a powerful shearling by the N24 Marriforth and out of the great breeding ewe, F70 Midlock, which was by the E1 Hewgill. It was knocked down to Lancashire breeder and auctioneer, Ian Atkinson, who will be seen gracing the rostrum at the Hawes sale later this autumn. Midlock enjoyed a good trade throughout their consignment and finished with figures of £1925 for 12.

The other at £6200 came a lot later in the sale, when Obie Sharp went through the ring with her outstanding pen  of tups, full of power and breeding. Her topper was by the record breaking Riddings tup, which was bought out of Hawes for £65,000 in a four way split two years back, and is certainly putting his stamp on his flocks. He is out of one of the Newbigging Walls top breeding ewes, M33, which was by the Midlock L37. The hammer fell with a trio of Aberdeen buyers taking him home, with David Cowie, Chris Milligan and Ross & Kirsty Williams joining forces to land him. The 10 tups from the Newbiggings Walls flock leveled out at £2080, reflecting a great trade for these sought after sheep.

Jamie Pirie, Blarnavaid, enjoyed a canny trade early in the day, with his consignment topping at £4200 for a powerful son of the Highberries P2, a son of the noted Highberries Golden Boy, and out of a Midlock bred ewe by the Asby Hall M2.

The Pre-sale show champion, judged by Stevie Guild, New Cumnock, was won by Colin Cambell, Happrew, with a son of Midlock P7 out of a Duhonw sired ewe. It sold for £2600, selling to Messrs Kerr, Sauchie Mains. The Happrew flock also saw their 3rd prized shearling make £3800 for another son of the P1 Riddings. This was out of a daughter of the old L37 Midlock, very similar breeding to the Newbigging Wells tups.