Kelso – Traditional – 8th September, 2023

Kelso Tup Sale – Friday 8th September, 2023

Show & 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 traditional ring was a smashing tup from the noted West Bolton flock, one of the founder members of the society. Their turn through the ring came late in the day, when they went through the Hexham & Northern ring. The anticipation had been building throughout the sale that there was going to be a cracker of a sale. Ian and his nephew, who run around 40 ewes, enjoyed their best-ever trade, with the hammer falling at £11,000 for this tidy tup, with great length and skin. He was by a Whinnyhall tup who was sired by the £12,000gns Bonvilston, which they snapped up at the Hexham Covid sale for a snip and has been one of the best-ever buys for them, doing a great job. His mother is by the 7800gns Espley bought out of Builth Wells several years ago. Forking out the readies was Martin Quinn from the Whinnyhall flock, who was keen to buy back into this great breeding line. The West Bolton flock averaged £2455 for their 9 tups, which included another M45 Whinnyhall son making £3000.

The next top of the day came for Aberdeen based breeder, Matthew Seed, who took the days championship with a cracking tup, full of style and length. He had previously been shown at the Black Isle, where he was placed reserve champion, but he has certainly filled out since then and fulfilled his potential. This boy was by the West Bolton N2 and out of a homebred ewe by Myfyrian H1, and sold to Messrs Kay, Hartside, who are establishing a new flock of Traditional sheep to run alongside their crossers, as he can see the popularity increasing for buyers producing the increasingly popular Cheviot Mule.

The Kirkstead flock brought out a great pen of sheep as per usual. Their pen topper, Kirkstead R16, is a son of the Bonvilston tup they have been showing so successfully over the last few years and out of the old show ewe, Kirkstead L22, who was twice the reserve female at the Royal Highland Show, sired by the Burndale G1, and has had a massive impact, not just on the Kirkstead flock, but throughout the Traditional bloodlines. He was sold for £4400 to Adam Carr, who bought a couple of gimmers from Alan in January.  The flock also took the Reserve championship ticket in the pre-sale show with another smart shearling. This one was a son of the £4000 Blackett House P1 tup and out of a ewe by the Ashes L1. This was knocked down to A & S J Forbes. For £2200. The Kirkstead pen finished up averaging £1775 for their 10 shearlings.

Philiphaugh have been producing some strong shearlings over the past few years and built up a great reputation for bringing out some great tups. This year was no exception and they enjoyed a good trade for dome good skinned tups which just oozed power and quality. They enjoyed a top bid of £3300 for a lovely tup by the Gefrin N10, which is doing well for them. He was knocked down to Messrs Fotheringham. They also saw a bid of £1800 for their first tup into the ring, with Welsh breeder, Dewi Parry, landing this smart shearling by the 6000gns P3 Towdy Potts they bought out of Carlisle a couple of years back.

A special mention must go to Hazel Brown of the Leadburnlea flock. Her run of 19 tups was not only the largest run in the breed, but also won her the Trevor Simpson trophy for the best run of tups, with Judge Alec Bisset, picking them out. They were a great bunch, turned out to perfection and she enjoyed a good trade, topping at £1900 and averaging £1092 for the pen, the majority sired by just two tups, Kirkstead M11 and Bonvilston K30.