A PAIR of British Blues from the Stones family, Nun Cote Nook, ruled supreme at the back-end show and sale of suckled calves at Darlington when they secured both the champion and reserve tickets.

Tapped in to the top spot was an eight-month-old heifer which the judge, Rickey Alder, from Ponteland, later bought for £1000. Mr Alder also bought the reserve, a seven-month-old bullock, for £1180 to top the show calves. 

All classes of cattle proved strong throughout as stores peaked at £1335 for a Limousin heifer from S and A Greaves, Standing Stones, Eggleston, with bullocks to £1230 for a Limousin from Crooks House Farming, Daddry Shield. Young bulls reached £1220 for a Charolais from J Sisterton, and averages saw 143 bullocks level at £863 with 184 heifers at £807 and 76 bulls at £876.

Cast cows (90) averaged 123p per kg having peaked at 203p and 201p from N Swinbank, Cold Comfort, as well as £1621 from JB Luck, Milestone House. 

LEADING awards:

Heifer – Lim – 1, NG Beveridge, Low West House, to £1150 to R Marwood, Long Green; 2, G Dent, The Bungalow, £980 to R Marwood; 3, KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook, £860 to R Marwood. BB – 1 and champion, Nun Cote Nook, £1000 to MF Hall, Woodhill; 2 and 3, Nun Cote Nook, £970 to K Percival, The Cottage, and £990 to B Cowton, Low West House. Cont – 1, Low West House, £890 to B Walker, Birch Springs; 2, Low West House,£800 to IC Swallow, Pidgeon Cote Farm. 
Bullock – Lim – 1, Swinbank, Cold Comfort, £1100 to K Percival; 2 and 3, Nuncote Nook, £930 to DR Jackson, Carnaby House Farm, and £1010 to C and J Donnelly, Bank Flow Farm. BB – 1 and reserve, Nun Cote Nook, £1180 to MF Hall, Woodhill; 2 and 3, Low West House, £1030 to K Percival, and £895 to RS Hall, Ivy House Farm. Cont – 1 and 2, Low West House, £960 to TN Callender, Ox Eye Close, and £960 to TN Callender. 
Bull – 1, BR Lawson, Buddle House, £965 to J and A Layfield, New Row Farm; 2, AC Bentham, Fletcher Hill Farm, £1070 to JA and M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House; 3, J Musgrave, Pawton Hill, £840 to JA & M Boyes Ltd.

LEADING prices:

Bulls – £1220, £1210 (x2), £1130, £1020 J Sisterson; £1140, £1040, £1030, £970, £920 C Binks and Son; £1070, £930, £925 AC Bentham; £1050, £990, £920, £910, £900, £875, £865, £830 (x2) SG Horn; £965 (x2), £935 (x2), £895 (x2) BR Lawson; £960, £870, £840 J Musgrave; £940, £935, £925, £920 (x2) PT Makin; £940, £850 W and M Knaggs and Son; £900 B Watson; £890 Barker Farming Partnership; £865 AW Sanderson.
Bullocks – £1230, £1160, £1150 Crooks Altar Farming; £1180, £1010 KO Stones; £1180, £1175, £1145 D and PH Brown; £1170, £1130, £1040 D and HM Hodgson; £1125 (x2), £1090, £1060 WB Rutter and Sons; £1100 (x2) JR and M Richardson; £1100 DM and I Brown; £1100, £960 GW Lee and Sons; £1100 N Swinbank; £1055 J and MJ Walton; £1050, £990 J Dixon; £1040, £1030, £975, £960 NG Beveridge; £1040, £995 G and L Wood; £1040 WS Thompson and Partners; £1030, £980 TH Vickers and Son; £1020 (x2) RG and G Rutter. 
Heifers – £1335 S and A Greaves; £1260, £1150, £1100, £1010, £980 NG Beveridge; £1240 (x2) JR and M Richardson; £1210, £1190, £1170 GW Lee and Sons; £1145, £1000 TA Hall; £1115, £1055, £1020(x2), £990 FK Fleming; £1105, £1080 RW Raper and Sons; £1100, £1000 N Swinbank; £1090, £1055, £1000 J and MJ Walton; £1075, £1055, £1050 SJ Love; £1045 D and PH Brown; £1030 (x2) RG and G Rutter; £1000 P Dent; £1000, £990, £970 KO Stones; £995 J Morrison; £980 GW Dent; £980(x2) DE Elstob; £960, £950 DR Smith; £945 J Dixon; £940 DM and I Brown.