Beef calves from John and Ben Richardson, Ghyll House, Appleby, again led the way a special show and sale of haltered cattle at Penrith, securing both the champion and reserve honours, as well as the majority of lead prices.

The father and son team, who run a large suckler cow unit of mostly Limousin cross British Blue cows alongside a successful Swaledale breeding ewe flock, sold 24 calves to a top of £9200 to average a whopping £3100.

Tops was Double The Trouble, a seven-month-old Limousin cross heifer out of a Limousin cross British Blue cow bought from Elgin Jones, Wales. The calf which stood first in its class, sold to Elgin Jones.

The Richardsons then received £8000 for Miss Mimoni, a nine-month-old British Blue cross heifer by the 21,000gns Auchenlay Vagabond, out of a home-bred seven-eighths Limousin. She was knocked down to Phil and Sharon Sellars, Derby.

Next best was a £7500 sale for the reserve champion, Doddlebug. This seven-month-old Charolais cross heifer is by Castell Mawr Victor, a bull bought privately from Andrew Anderson, sold to Neil Slack.