averages:

Three bulls, £4550.

IT was the reserve champion bull that went on to secure the top price at a society sale of British Blondes at Harrison and Hetherington's Borderway centre when Norman and Colin McKnight's Silverwood Nico was knocked down for 7000gns.

Landing the best price to date for the father and son duo, who run 18 Blondes on Belfast Road, Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, was a son of the 5800gns Ardmore Gargoyle, the 2017 NI Bull of the Year whose daughters have been retained. Born in January, 2017, Nico is a heifer's calf out of Silverwood Joy, an Aneto daughter, and stood junior bull champion at the NI Beef Expo last November. Forking out the cash was CW Shenton, Bridge Farm, Handforth, Cheshire.