The cattle judge, Ian Telfer of McDowall Butchers, Paisley, backed his decision and bought his choice of champion at Craig Wilson's Christmas primestock show and sale at Ayr.

Going all the way to lift the tri-colour was a home-bred Limousin cross heifer from Shona and Alan Stevenson, Carbello, Cumnock, which scaled 585kg and realised 405p per kg or £2369.

The sale of 40 prime cattle saw the reserve presented to the best amongst the Young Farmers, a Limousin cross bullock from the Allan sisters, Louise and Alice of Arnsow, Kirkmichael. It weighed in at 680kg and went on to sell for 290p per kg or £1972 to Messrs Hall buying for Frasers butchers' Stranraer.

The first prize unhaltered heifer, a Limousin cross from Messrs Cook, Glendoune, scaled 655kg and sold at 262p or £1716, to Messrs Webb, Tarelgin Farm Foods, Ochiltree.

Champion amongst the 180 cast cattle, was a home-bred Shorthorn from J McIntosh, Genoch Mains, Stranraer, which passed the weighbridge at 910kg and realised £1380 to S McGimpsey, Thorns, Brydekirk.

Reserve was a 900kg Simmental cross from J Young, Girvan Mains, that realised £1200 to Messrs Miller, Speyside.

The dairy section was led by a Holstein from the Wilsons, Carskerdo which scaled 995kg and sold for £1240 while the reserve, an 850kg entry from J Stevenson, Drumsuie, Drongan, made £1030.

On Monday, the firm sold 2435 sheep at it's Christmas show and sale judged by Jamie Scott of John Scott Meats, Paisley, who found his champion in a pen of three 46kg Beltex lambs from the Young Farmers' section won by Fraser Young, Tormitchell Farms, Pinmore. His winners scaled 46kg and went on to sell for £155 per head or 337p per kg to the judge.

The reserve lambs, 48kg Texels from John Lambie, Knockdaw, Lendalfoot, realised £132 per head of 275p per kg to Costley and Costley Hoteliers.

Overall, the 72 show lambs averaged £96.40 or 210.45p per kg.

Outwith the show lambs, prices peaked at £100 per head for a pen of Texels from A Templeton, Drumclog and 215.4p for seven Beltex from Dykes Farming, Auchinleck. Blackface lambs peaked at £90 or 195.7p from James Barr, Lochgoin. The whole sale averaged 188.4p with the SQQ at 197.4p SQQ.

Ewes sold to £172 for Texels from G Gatherer, Fairlynne with Blackfaces to £70 from J Young, Girvan Mains. Cast tups hit £110 for a Beltex from J Dykes, Percenton Way.

LEADING awards

Cattle – Haltered – Steers – 1 and 2, I Lammie, Longhouse, Cumnock, 740kg, 215p and 625kg, 242p; 3, Carbello, 600kg, 252p.

Heifers – 1 and champion, Carbello, 383kg, 405p; 2, Messrs Cook, Glendoune, Girvan 625kg, 232p.

YFC – 1 and reserve – Louise and Alice Allan, Arnsow, 680kg, 290p; 2 and reserve, Messrs Wyllie, Skeldon Drive, Dalrymple, 645kg, 260p.

Unhaltered – Steers – 1, J McLeish, Back O’Hill, Ochiltree 565kg, 238p; 2, C Smith, Burnockstone, Ochiltree 545kg, 250p; 3, Burnockstone, 585kg, 240p.

Heifers – 1, Glendoune 655kg, 262p; 2, High Gameshill, Stewarton 615kg, 248p; 3, Rowanston, Crosshill, 565kg, 250p.

Prime lambs – Belt – 1, Dustyhall Farming, 41kg, £94, 229p; 2, Tormitchell Farms, 51kg, £120, 235.2p; 3, Messrs McLellan, Mid Floak 41kg, £88, 214.6p. Tex – 1, Knockdaw, 48kg, £132, 275kg; 2, Drumsuie 48kg, £90, 187.5p; 3, Tormitchell Farms 48kg, £98, 204.1p. Pure BFL – 1 and 2, Messrs Barr, Lochgoin, 46kg, £90 195.6p and 48kg, £81, 168.75p; 3, Messrs Kerr, Middleton 45kg, £81, 180p. Any other breed – 1, Mid Floak 42kg, £83, 197.6p; 2 and 3, Messrs Kerr, Cundry Mains 49kg, £87, 177.5p and 46kg, £89, 193.4p . YFC – 1 and champion, Fraser Young, Tormitchell Farms, 46kg, £155, 336.9p; 2, James Hodge, Dykes, 40kg, £87, 217.5p.