The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Biggar the better as flock is in demand
Wight family pull in top prices for Texel shearling tup and Bluefaced Leicester
Midlock was the flock name on everyone’s lips at yesterday’s Kelso Ram Sales.
The Wight family from Biggar swept the boards at the sheep industry’s flagship event in the Borders, selling the day’s most expensive tup, a Texel shearling, at £23,000 and the highestpriced Bluefaced Leicester at £12,000.
Making the big money was a shearling ram by a home-bred son of the 18,000gns Sportsmans Unbeatable, out of a ewe by Douganhill Monarch.
A second-prize winner at the Scottish Texel Club show in July, he sold in a three-way split, to John Elliot, Roxburgh Mains, Kelso, Jonathan Watson, Bowsden Moor, Berwick Upon Tweed, and Mike and Melanie Alford, Foxhill Farm, Blackborough, Cullompton, Devon.
The Wights also received £5,000, for a son of the 19,000gn Deveronvale Warrior, out of a ewe by Teiglum Thunder. He went to Brian McAllister, Parkgate Road, Kells, Ballymena.
Over in the crowded Bluefaced Leicester ring, a Midlock ram named Bronco made £12,000 to Jack Kay, Hartside Farm, Lauder.
This tup is by a Redgate sire which cost £34,000 two years ago and his dam is also the mother of Midlock Mustang which has bred sheep that have grossed at least £200,000.
The Midlock flocks are based near Crawford, Biggar, where the Wights run 4,500 ewes including Suffolks, Texels, Bluefaced Leicesters, Charollais and 2,500 Blackfaces.
Allan Wight left the ring and walked past pens crowded with shepherds and farmers all shaking his hand and offering congratulations on his outstanding day’s trade.
The £12,000 top price in the Bluefaced Leicester ring was followed by £10,000 for a shearling from T Dick and Son, Hamildean, Peebles, which was bought by Messrs Lauchry and Mills from Northern Ireland.
At £7,000 M&C Drummond, Cassington Farms, Maybole, sold a shearling to Barry Nichols, Devon; at £5,000 G McDonald, The Harrow, Stobo Home Farm, sold to S McClymont and Sons, Tinnis, Yarrow; and W Sharp and Son, Longcroft, Lauder, sold to Auchingrey and Burnton; at £4,500 J&W Bell, Highfield, Carnwath, sold to Guild, Ashmark & Nisbet, Orchardton; at £4,200 Jas Cunningham, Blueacres, Parkgatestone, Biggar, sold to R McTurk, Barlaes; and at £3,600 T Dick and Son sold to Shott, Whitfield, Hexham.