Perthshire British Blue breeders, Robert and Maimie Paterson and son Robert, had a field day at a breed show and sale at Carlisle, producing the overall champion and equal highest priced bull at 10,000gns.

The family who run a select number of females at Upper Auchenlay, Dunblane, led the way with Auchenlay Nimrod, a rising two-year-old blue bull that secured numerous top show tickets to include the male championship and reserve overall at the Highland Show as well as being a member of the winning inter-breed team and bred pair at the Royal Welsh, last year, to name but a few. A son of Sandyvale Jagerbomb, the Highland Show champion in 2018, he is bred from the Mountjoy Utopia daughter, Auchenlay Hope which is of the same breeding as the 13,500gns 2009 Carlisle champion, Auchenlay Coll, that sold to Balfour Baillie, Orkney. Nimrod also headed home to Orkney with Keith Eunson, Braebuster, Orkney.

His stable mate, Auchenlay Noah, which regularly stood second in his class to Nimrod and made up part of the bred pair at the Welsh, by the same sire but out of Auchenlay Io, sold privately prior to the sale to commercial producer, Graeme Cameron, Wester Bonhard, Scone, Perthshire.

Matching the 10,000gns was the second prize senior bull, Brennand Nugget ET, a two-year-old black and white from Jeff Walker and sons John and Rob, Brennand Farm, Dunsop Bridge, Clitheroe. The result of a flush from the Boherard Cantona ET daughter, Brennand Icandy and sired by the Cogent bull, Tweeddale Ebony, a former reserve champion at the Highland Show in 2010, that has bred sons to 12,000gns, Nugget was knocked down to Messrs Carr, Gunnerton, Hexham.

In an all Scottish transaction, Blair and Shona Comrie, Stonebyres, Biggar, sold their reserve male champion for 9000gns to Aucheneck Estates, Killearn, Stirling. Their Stonebyres Navigator, a naturally born, rising two-year-old dark blue roan that was successfully shown last year, is by Kelowna Jimbo and out of Stonebyres Gem, a Norbreck Black Beauty daughter.

Cumbrian breeders, Ross and Elaine Pattinson, Temon Farm, Brampton, were also in the money with sales at 8000gns, 7500gns and 5200gns. The former, Top Side Noah ET, a similarly aged black and white bull bred from the best show winning family in the herd, is bred from a flush from Rathlyon Dinah, a Heros Du Peroy-sired cow and sired by Naby Golddust. Second in his class and a half brother to Top Side Isla, the 2019 Great Yorkshire Show champion, Noah sold to John Hyslop and Sons, Netherton, Abington.

Making 7500gns was Top Side Nik Nak ET, a two-year-old bred from the Tamhorn Sumo-sired cow, Stowbeck Edwina, and sired by the Fleuron De Maffe son, Top Side Joey that sold for 8500gns. Nik Nak, a mostly black bull that collected a red ticket, headed home with J Hall, Longnor, Buxton, Derbyshire.

And, selling up to Kirriemuir, with Donald Hood, Middlehill, Glen Clova, at 5200gns was Top Side Ninja ET, a two-year-old almost black bull by Kubitus De Bray, bred from Top Side Isla, by Strathearn Carvalho.

Paul Dawes' reserve male champion from the Great Yorkshire Show, Dinmore Nolimits (ET) from Kipperknowle, Dinmore, Herefordshire, made 7000gns selling to Messrs Brown, Ossington, Newark, Notts. The breeding behind this rising two-year-old that stood second in his class includes the dam, Paulern Carol, a Tamhorn Sumo daughter and the sire, Vales Van De Sluizenweg.

Top price amongst the females was 4500gns paid for the section champion, Foxhill Olala, a 10-month-old white ET heifer from Charlotte Alford, Foxhill Farm, Devon. Bred from the top show heifer, Rhymil Kylie, a former Highland Show champion, and sired by Affute Du Ry Ossogne, she was knocked down to Messrs Gill, Borrowdale, Keswick.

Pendle Nice Ice Baby (ET) from AM and E Hartley, Pendle Valley Farm, Roughlee, Nelson, sold next at 4000gns to TW Hunter, Brydekirk, Annan. This 15-month-old blue and white heifer which also bagged the reserve female championship, is the result of a flush from the Blue Stone Union Jack-sired cow, Pendle By Gum and sired by Heros Du Peroy.

Averages: 25 bulls, £5006.40 (+£337.18 for nine more sold); 13 maiden heifers, £2600.77 (-£587.73 for two less).

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington