With entries up 100% on the year, only the best Belted Galloway and White Galloways were able to find new homes at a breed show and sale at Castle Douglas, where prices peaked at 5800gns for the male champion.

Some 100 animals were showcased for the judge, David Powell, who runs the largest pedigree herd of Belties at Shelseys Farm. He found his champion in Lomond Bunnahabain, a 21-month-old from Duncan Maxwell – the vendor of last year's sale leader – from his Lomond herd from Blairvockie, Drymen.

Bunnahabain is the first son sold by the 10,500gns bull, Speddoch Rocky, purchased here in 2014, out of the Ballamoar Kaiser daughter, Hallshill Gemini. He sold for the top price of 5800gns, to Carolyn Fletcher, of the Barwise herd, Appleby.

Mr Maxwell, who is better known for breeding black Galloways, only started breeding Belties some six years ago when he bought the bulling heifer Laggish Kelly, as a 25th wedding anniversary for his wife Vivien.

Second top price was 4500gns paid for Ian Bond's rising two-year-old bull, Glen Fabio, brought out by herd manager, Robert McTaggart and his wife Debbie, from Glen, Gatehouse. A half brother to the 5500gns Glen Barbosa, sold here in 2013, this second prize winner is by the privately purchased, Tobergill Minstrel and bred from Speddoch Kirsty, by Rockville Rocky. The buyers were Messrs Daley, Achray, Grange-over-Sands.

At 3800gns, Chester-based breeders, Hockenhull Hall Farms, Tarvin, sold their reserve champion bull, Hockenhull Horatio, to Hoscote Estate, Hawick. This 21/2-year-old is by Cairnsmore Domino and out of Offthewall Fanella – a Ballytweedy Stephen-sired red heifer purchased here in 2013.

Two heifers topped the female leader board at 3700gns each, with the first being Carolyn Fletcher's 21/2-year-old Barwise Maggie, from Appleby. Backed by some of the best genetics in the breed, Maggie is by Whitepool Kite Mark, which has been sold to new president, Liz Wilkinson having bred several show winners, while the dam is the show winning Mochrum Kestrel-sired Barwise Maggie May. Maggie sold AI’d in May to Castlemartin Den, to Messrs Rix, Wissington Grove farm, Essex.

Charlie and Jill Russel from Glenapp farm, Stranraer, bought six lots to include the champion female and second heifer at 3700gns. This was the two-year-old, Offthewall Cassandra 2 from immediate past chairman Tim Oliver, East Farm, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland.

Mr Oliver who runs pedigree herds of Belties, White Galloways and Beef Shorthorns, then bought the top priced White Galloway bull, Barlaes Snowman, from Robert McTurk, Barlaes, Dalry, at 2800gns. Snowman is a 20-month-old son of the 10,500gns black Galloway, Barack Obama of Fingland and out of Barlaes Ice Maiden, by New Era of Gall-Way.

On the income side, Mr Oliver sold the lead priced White Galloway female at 2400gns, in the 21/2-year-old Melkridge Risa 2, which sold to Paul Thomson, Wolsingham, County Durham. She is by Woodhead McCoy's Boy and bred from Melkridge Risa.

OTHERLEADINGprices

Heifers

3400gns –JR and CJ Ward's Whitstonehill Audrey (reserve female), by Lomond Tobermory, to D and I French, Little Row Water, Cornhill.

3200gns – Mrs C Fletcher's Barwise Miss Molly 830, by Whitepool Kite Mark, to Messrs Rix.

2900gns – H and N Sloan's Burnfoot Isa, by Cairnsmore Ewan, to Messrs Rix.

Averages: Belted Galloways – Nine bulls, £3325; 19 in-calf heifers, £2415; 37 heifer stirks,£1657.30. White Galloways – Four heifer stirks, £918.75

Auctioneers: Wallets Marts.