IT was a good day at United Auctions' Huntly Mart for David Moir, of Cairness Home Farm, when he first secured the championship in the overwintered competition before claiming the top price of the day as well as the best return on purchase price.

His champion, as picked out by David Sandham, was a 390kg bullock which he later sold for £2500, marking a £1660 gross marking, or 640p per kg.

In reserve was a 500kg heifer from Grant Stephen, Hatton, Cottage, which sold for £1240 or 248p. This heifer also achieved the highest daily liveweight gain of 1.17kg per day.

At the April show and sale of store cattle, both the champion and reserve came from Ewan and Kevin Cruickshank, Coleburn, Elgin. The former was a 395kg Charolais heifer which sold for £1280 or 326.6p, while the reserve was a Limousin bullock weighing 450kg that realised £1240 or 275.6p.

Among the pens of four it was Limousins from George Carrol, Edendiack, that ruled supreme as the best pen of bullocks, weighing 385kg, sold for £1125 or 292.3p while the quad of 410kg heifers hit £1180 or 287.8p.

Outwith the shows, it was a pen of four Charolais cross bullocks from Mains of Collithie, Gartly, that topped at 333.3p with the 753 bullocks, which averaged 241p, also hitting £1450 for a Limousin cross from Millfield, Turriff.

It was Limousin heifers from Braehead, Drummuir, that topped the gross trade at £1530 with more of the same from Edendiack making 330p. The 705 heifers averaged 233p.

Braehead also headed up the cast cows at £1500 with a Charolais, while Barnyards of Badenyouchers, Cornhill, sold a Limousin cross for 176p. The 30 cows averaged 140.5p.

LEADING prices:

Bullocks – Up to 250kg – £660, 264p Glenrinnes, Dufftown. 251-300kg – £900, 333.3p Mains of Collithie, Gartly. 301-350kg – £1060, 307.2p Parrock, Rothiemay. 351-400kg – £1125 Edendiack, Gartly; 291.6p Mains of Collithie, Gartly. 401-450kg – £1240, 287.1p Coleburn, Elgin. 451-500kg – £1230 Kennieshillock; 253.6p Mains of Tarryblake, Rothiemay. 501-550kg – £1280 Upper Cook, Turriff; 241.6p Tullochleys, Clatt. 551-600kg – £1450, 254.4p Millfield, Turriff.

Heifers – Up to 250kg – £630 Glenrinnes, Dufftown; 263.2p Stonedyke, Rhynie. 251-300kg – £790, 267.8p Mains of Collithie, Gartly. 301-350kg – £1030 Coleburn, Elgin; 330p Edendiack, Gartly. 351-400kg – £1320, 285.7p Edendiack, Gartly. 401-450kg – £1180 Edendiack; 271.4p Sunside, Wardhouse. 451-500kg – £1330 Sunside, Wardhouse; 253.5p Cairnorrie, Methlick. 551-600kg – £1530, 257.1p Braehead Farm, Drummuir.

Cast cows – BB – £1350, 176p Barnyards of Badenyouchers, Cornhill. Sim X – £1170 Cairness Home Farm, Fraserburgh; 162.5p Kincraigie, Lumphanan. Lim X – £1110, 156.3p Kincraigie, Lumphanan. Sho X – £1090, 154.3p Kincraigie, Lumphanan.