IN PICTURES: Kelso ram sales total close to last year's £3m
While the sale didn’t quite break any records, it came very close to last year’s record turnover with a grand total of £2,991,860, the top shearling, from the Clark farm at North Garngour, near Lesmahagow, selling for £29,000.
Texels were by far the most popular breed, with shearling sales hitting £745,020 and lamb sales reaching £75,970, including the top-priced lamb at £5,000.
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Hide AdIn all, 4,390 rams were sold at an average price of £681.52.
The event also marked Mags Clark’s first stint as executive director at the sales.
She told us: “I was delighted with how the sale went. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
“From James Jeffrey starting the sale with the traditional ringing of the bell to the last drop of the hammer you could tell the Kelso ram sales are something special within the sheep industry.
“The atmosphere and buzz of the event was just wonderful.
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Hide Ad“The sale has survived within an ever-changing world, and it was fantastic to see it continue to grow and develop within the industry.
“This year, to accommodate the changes in entry numbers across the breeds, we moved some of the rings around, which proved to be a success.
“Last year’s sale targets were a Kelso ram sales record and were always going to be hard to beat, but to exceed both of last year’s top prices and come so close to hitting the £3m turnover figure, in the current climate is a testament to the sale’s reputation and position in the calendar.
“I can’t thank the sponsors, auctioneers, trade stands, buyers, sellers, volunteer helpers and staff team around me enough for helping deliver another successful sale.”