Kelso Ram Sales

Kelso Ram Sales 2022

On the second Friday of September 1838, a sale of more than 120 Rams was held at The Knowes Kelso, the entries making £3 - £4 each. This was probably the first public auction sale of Rams in the world and was the forerunner of what was to become the Great Kelso Ram Sale.

By 1845 the numbers of entries had risen to 230 and as entry numbers grew the start time of 10am and annual date of the second Friday in September were fixed. They remain in place to this day. As does the annual ballot to determine the order in which the lots of Rams will be sold.

By the end of that decade the Ram Sales were firmly established on the Scottish Borders farming calendar. Sheep, in particulalr the Border Leicester breed, are such an important part of the Borders agricultural economy that it was quite natural the Border Union Agricultural Society should organise a sale of Rams, as it had been done in other

markets earlier. The coming of the railways in the next decade was to lift the Ram Sales to an event of National significance and to boost the reputation of the breeds of rams sold across the country and abroad.

In 1850, 500 Rams were presented for sale and as the event grew a two-ring sale was proposed and was a great success, even with some concerns that running two sale rings at once would be impossible. The sales International reputation was also growing including the sale of 30 Rams to go to Ireland. The multiple ring process enabled 700 Rams to be sold in 1851 and 1,000 in 1852. Increasingly, Kelso was becoming the epicentre of Ram sales in the UK. Encouraged by the easy access of rail visitor numbers, sales grew rapidly - outgrowing the historic Knowes site and moving to a larger field in Kelso.

Thus, the Great Kelso Ram sales grew and prospered balanced on the delivery of prime stock concentrated over one day in September. It has survived all manner of challenges in farming and global pressures including war, disease, flood and more recently pandemic. It has on occasion had to be cancelled.

The modern day annual sale procedure still operates in an almost identical way to years gone by, honed by years of practise. The event regularly commands entries in excess of 5000-6000 head of sheep and now requires 15 auctioneers rings, selling 20 breeds of sheep over the same single day. The sale, still on the second Friday of September, is conducted under the historic principal of balloted order and starts in time honoured fashion promptly at 10am, all this called to order at the sound of the bell rung by the Border Union Agricultural Society Secretary.

The Border Union Agricultural Society home is Springwood Park Showground in Kelso, where the annual Kelso Ram Sales auction takes place under the cover of marquees, excepting the unusual challenges in 2021 which left the event open to the elements for the first time since 1968. The showground is a registered agricultural market and carries its own farm holding number. It is not common elsewhere to see so many auctioneers selling at the same event, but this practise, like its many other idiosyncrasies, gives the sale its unique and global reputation.

The principal auctioneers at the early Kelso Ram Sales were Mr Donkin of Rothbury, Mr Embleton of Berwick, Mr Fairbairn of Kelso and Mr Oliver of Hawick. Mr Fairbairn being a legendary figure reputedly selling 800 Rams in one 9 hour stint without a break. The Kelso Ram Sales sales are now supported on the day by a number of local and national auctioneers including; Border Livestock Exchange Ltd, C&D Auctions, Harrison & Hetherington, Hexham & Northern Marts, Lawrie & Symington, North Eastern Livestock Sales and United Auctions.

The Kelso Ram Sales are without doubt one of the primary events in the Scottish Borders Calendar. Their commercial value to business, travel, hospitality and the accommodation and hotel trade is significant with many customers booking their rooms and restaurants year on year.

The sale attracts annually over 7,000 visitors and delivers a tremendous financial injection, driving well over a £1M into the local economy. In addition, it attracts customers from around the world and every section of

the UK, showcasing the Scottish Borders at what is undoubtedly a beautiful time of the year.

Many of our trade customers from Scotland, The Borders and North Northumberland support the event by taking space at the Kelso Ram Sales. With over 30 companies joining us here in 2021 there was even more reason to make a visit as experts in the agricultural, and specifically the sheep farming world, descended on Springwood Park to demonstrate and sell their new systems, machinery and feed solutions. Yet more confirmation of the importance of the event and its place in the sheep farming calendar.

The Kelso Ram Sales have been supported by Norbrook, a leading global provider of veterinary pharmaceuticals for some years. They were established in 1969, in Newry, Northern Ireland, by the late Lord Ballyedmond.

It is one of the largest, family owned, veterinary pharmaceutical companies in the world with a portfolio of trusted animal health products distributed in more than 100 countries. They aim to be the first to market with generic veterinary pharmaceutical products with differentiators or enhancements in comparison to pioneer products. They have a history of product innovation; and invest significantly in research and development.

The Kelso Ram Sales have benefited from a long relationship with Norbrook under the Closemectin banner and latterly the Solantel brand. Their marketing team are close companions on the day and are delighted with their ability to connect with the whole sheep industry in a professional environment where their clients are in one place at one time.

The Border Union Agricultural Society works closely with sponsor partners to deliver the event, planning the catalogue and marketing campaign cohesively to ensure a successful outcome. Costs in every industry are rising and it is essential to find robust partnerships to continue the event sustainably and demonstrate value for money to vendors and purchasers alike.

Whilst the history of the Kelso Ram Sales appears to many to have been built on the reputation and development of the Border Leicester breed there have been many others that have graced the pens of the Springwood Park site over the last 180 years. In 2021 amongst the 4285 Rams presented for sale on the day there were high numbers of Suffolks, Texels and Beltex amongst 20 breeds in all. That sale saw a new record high price when a Texel shearling sold at £65,000 beating the previous sales record of £35,000.

The Society is gearing up for the next sale on the 9th September 2022 when the canvas marquees will return as well as potentially more than 5000 quality rams from around the country and possibly from across the water. Interest is already growing and the town’s reputation for holding the finest sale of rams in the world is set to continue.

Border Union Chairman Peter Douglas of Ruletownhead said;

‘Kelso Ram Sales provide the single most effective one stop shop for purchasing quality stock of many different breeds. The sale is rightly renowned across the world for premium rams and generates considerable revenue for the community and commercial business in the Scottish Borders. We look forward to another fantastic day continuing the tradition and enjoying the excitement of the Kelso Ram Sales in full flow.’

The 2022 Kelso Ram Sales are free to enter and commence at 10am Friday 9th September info at www.borderunion.co.uk