IT was a good day for Craig Malone when commercial cow and calf units secured the championship and reserve tickets at Aberdeen and Northern Marts' sale of breeding cattle, on Tuesday, as well as the top price of £5200.

Claiming the top titles, as judged by Brian and David Barclay, Tullo of Garvock, were Limousin cross heifers with calves from Craig and his wife, Katreen's Pitcairn Farm, near Cardenden.

The Scottish Farmer:

       The champion from Pitcairn made £3100

The champion, with a Limousin-sired bull calf at foot, realised £3100 when sold to the judges but it was the reserve champion, this time with a Limmy-sired heifer calf at foot, that hit the high note to sell to Gordon Cameron, Newton Cottage, Acharacle, for £5200.

Winning the Simmental-sired heifer championship was an entry with male calf at foot from Ardhuncart Farms, Kildrummy, which sold to B Mackie and Son, Milton of Noth, Rhynie, for £3000, while the best heifer suckling a calf by a registered Simmental bull was awarded the a Simmental cross heifer from C and G Gordon, Lost, which also sold to the Mackies, this time for £2700.

Cows with calves sold to £2900 for a Simmental with autumn-born bull calf from North Redhill, Rothiemay.

LEADING awards:

Simmental-sired heifer – Male calf – 1 and 3, Ardhuncart Farms, Ardhuncart, £3000 and £2850; 2, S McDonald, Cranna, £2550. Female calf – 1, 2 and 3, WJ Morrison and Sons, Fairburn, £2200, £2600 and £2150.

Limousin-sired heifer – Male calf – 1 and champion, C Malone, Pitcairn, £3100; 2, Fairburn, £2650; 3, C and E Ogg, Buchaam, £3900. Female calf – 1 and reserve, Pitcairn £5200; 2, Buchaam £3900; 3, C and G Gordon, Lost, £2950.

British Blue-sired heifer – Female calf – 1, Lost, £2650; 2, PJ and I Stuart, Ledmacoy, £2450.

Any other breed – Male calf – 1, and 3, I and M Keith, Auchtygall, £2650, £2800 and £2900. Female calf – 1 and 2, Auchtygall, £2700, £2450; 3, S McDonald, Cranna, £1950.

LEADING prices:

Heifers with calves – Bull calf – Pure Lim – Buchaam, Strathdon £3900. Sim – East Cruichie, Drumblade £3050. Sim X – Ardhuncart £3000 (x2). Sho – Auchtygall, Peterhead £2900. Lim X – Sheep Park, Bridge of Marnoch £2900. Lim – Buchaam, Ardhuncart £2850. Sho X – Auchtygall £2800. Sal – Cranna, Rothienorman £2650. Heifer calf – Pure Lim – Buchaam £3900. Lim – Buchaam £3000. Lim X – Lost £2950. Sim – Pitcairn £2950. Sim X – Lost, Ardhuncart, Auchtygall £2900. Sho – Cranna £2700. Sal – Ledmacoy, Strathdon £2550. Sho X – Auchtygall £2450. BB – West Cruichie, Drumblade, Ledmacoy £2450.

Cows with autumn-born calves – Bull calf – Sim – North Redhill, Rothiemay £2900. Sim X – North Redhill £2550. Heifer calf – Lim – North Redhill £2750. Char – North Redhill £2450. Sim – North Redhill £2350.

Cows with spring-born calves – Bull calf – Sim – North Redhill £2200. BB – Percylieu, Clatt £2150. BB X – Percylieu £2000. Lim X – Coleburn, Longmorn £1900. Lim – Coleburn £1750. Char – Percylieu £1700. Sim X – Percylieu £1700. Her X – Percylieu £1580. Heifer calf – Sim – North Redhill £2800. Sim X – North Redhill £2350 (x2). Lim X – Percylieu £2050. Char – Percylieu £1850. Lim – Coleburn £1800. Her X – Percylieu £1720.

In-calf heifer – Sim X – North Redhill £1950.

Bulls – Sim – Percylieu £2900. Sho – Meikle Kirkhill, Maud £1800. Cha – Whiteside, Lonmay £1620.