A GOOD show of bulls and heifers ensured a buoyant trade at a British Blue show and sale at Carlisle, where averages improved significantly on the year in both sections backed up by lead prices of 11,000gns and 4200gns, respectively.

Topping the trade was Greystone Kellogs, a 17-month-old bull from Graham Coates' 25-cow herd from Rainscar, Stainforth, Settle, who had a field day, selling three bulls to average £9205.

All of his bulls were sons of his 20,000gns stockbull Almeley Ginola, which has already produced two Genus sires, with the dearest being out of Greystone Weetabix, a 12-year-old cow by Adagio Du Stordeur, which regularly produces some of the best calves. Kellogs was knocked down to pedigree and commercial breeder, Richard Mowbray who owns the Droit herd, at Newtownstewart, Omagh, Northern Ireland.

Greystone King, a 21-month-old son of Ginola, also made the grade, selling for 9500gns to J Lee, Morley Hill, Whitfield, Hexham. Naturally born, this dark blue bull whose full brother sold to Denmark, is out of the Greystone Atomic daughter, Greystone Emeralde and is a grand-son of Greystone Olive which produced two Highland Show champions.

The second prize winner in his class to the champion, matched the 9500gns sale when purchased by Grantown on Spey commercial producer, James McDonald, who runs 300 cows at Mains of Dalvey. This was Pendle Jager Meister ET, a 27-month-old bull from Lancashire breeders, Mark and Elaine Hartley, son Thomas and daughter Izzy, from Roughley, Nelson. Bred from four generations of natural calving lines, Meister is by Newton Blues Chico ET and out of the Blue Stone Union Jack-sired Pendle Hocus Pocus ET, whose dam, Pendle Witch, has produced heifers to 6500gns.

Both the champion and reserve bulls came under the hammer for 8500gns. The champion, Top Side Joey ET, a similarly aged almost all black bull that was last year's male champion at the Great Yorkshire, was consigned by breed chairman, Ross Pattinson and his wife Elaine who run just six pedigree cows alongside a commercial beef and sheep unit at Temon Farm, Low Row, Brampton.

Joey is a half brother to Top Side Isla which is the herd's brood cow that stood female champion at the Highland in 2014, being sired by Fleuron De Maffe and out of the Heros Du Peroy daughter, Rathlyon Dinah ET, purchased here for 3500gns, as a bulling heifer after standing pre-sale champion. Willie McLaren, Muirhouses, Kirriemuir, forked out the cash for this bull selected champion by pre-sale judge, Garry Patterson, of the Aultmore herd from Keith.

Blair and Shona Comrie, Stonebyres, Biggar, also got in on the action, selling the reserve champion for the same money to JL Hartley, Holdgate Hall, Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Their two-year-old blue roan, Stonebyres Krona, which was the herd's show bull, last year, is by Kelowna Ferdinand and out of Tamhorn Enterprising ET daughter, Stonebyres Heidi.

Two bulls came under the hammer for 7500gns including Paul Walker's Crackley Bank Kent, a rising two-year-old from Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, Clitheroe, backed by home-bred genetics on both sides. He is by Crackley Bank Fanfare, a Crackley Bank Cannon ET son sold to Robert Neill for 12,000gns, and bred from the Three Ways Superstar ET daughter, Crackley Bank Fatal Fancypants. Commercial producers, George and Philip Brass, Bridge End, Kirkby Stephen, were the last men in on this black bull.

Bordley Kilnsey King, also made 7500gns for John Stephenson, Bordley Green, Hetton, Skipton, when selling to JM Townsend, Barnside Hall, Laneshawbridge, Lancs. This rising two-year-old dark blue roan which stood first in his class, is by the show calf breeder, Tanat Harlequin and out of Hawksbridge Fantasia, a Colos Van Daisel-sired female bought here as a calf for 4500gns.

Northern Ireland breeder, Richard Mowbray, who bought the 11,000gns bull, sold his sole entry, Droit Jimmy ET, for 7000gns. A full brother to the 7000gns Droit Highlander, sold here in 2015, Jimmy is by the 13,500gns Auchenlay Coll and bred from Droit Emma ET, which is bred from the foundation female, Springfield Ulanda. The buyer was TM Hill, Lingey Field, Riding Mill, Northumberland.

Campbell Graham, bought two Blue bulls at 7000gns and 6500gns for his commercial enterprise at Aucheneck Estates, Killearn. The former, Croftends Kingston ET, from JE Bellas and Son, Appleby, is by Imperial De L'Ecluse, and out of a home-bred cow by Totem De Chocquenee. The latter, Brownridge Blues Kingpin, a blue roan show bull from Daniel and Beth Spours, Twizzel Farm, Belford, is by Mountjoy Utopia and out of the privately purchased, College Valley Fifi, bought as a maiden heifer.

A cracking show of females, saw the reserve champion from the Border British Blue Club's calf show, staged earlier in the day and the reserve female at the pre-sale show, top the trade at 4200gns for Ian McGarva's Abington herd from Abington. His nine-month-old black heifer, Abington Liquorice, by Lennie Van Het Caloenhof, and out of Lukeroyal Guess, was purchased by AC Bentham, Fletcher Hill, Lambs Bank, Cockfield, Bishop Auckland.

The youngest heifer, Tipladys Lexi, a seven-month-old from Richard Tiplady, Langleydale, Barnard Castle, made 4000gns selling to SG Benson, Horrace Farm, Pennington, Ulverston. She is by Tweeddale Ironman and out of Bedgebury Glamourous, which was bought here in 2012 for 6800gns.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.