A cracking line-up of show potential calves saw prices peak at £5800 and averages up on the year at Harrison and Hetherington’s Kirkby Classic sale at Kirkby Stephen, which attracted an overall entry of 585 stores.

The sale of 31 calves with future show potential averaged £1805.18, with heifers cashing in at £1088.90 (+£147.61 on the year) and steers at £1009.13 (+£47.78).

Sale leader – for the second year in succession – was the overall champion from John Smith-Jackson, Hightown, Haltwhistle. His show stopper this time was a 10-month-old Limousin cross heifer bought by Andrew Ewing, Annan, on behalf of a client. She is by the home-bred sire, Hightown Jacko, a son of Shire Apollo retained for breeding that has bred numerous show calves for the farm, while the dam is a home-bred British Blue cross cow by Tweeddale Guinness.

Second top price was £5000 achieved for the an eight-month-old Plumtree Fantastic-sired black Limousin heifer from D and CE Marston, Easegill Head, which sold down to Derbyshire with Andrew Dickinson, Ashbourne. She stood second in her class.

Ayrshire-based showman, James Nisbet, Sorn Mains, Mauchline, forked out £3500 for a similarly aged Limousin heifer from D and V Hill, Whitewall Farm, Great Asby.

Judge Alistair Twell, Kettering, Northants, bought his choice of reserve winner, a nine-month-old Limousin cross steer from WA and GR Sedgley, Low Bank House, Barbon, at £1500.

Leading averages (four or more )

Lintre House (6) 1402.00

Easegill Head (14) 1401.43

Low Bank House (10) 1305

Whitewall (14) 1260.71

Miller Hill (12) 1176.67

Upper Brydekirk (6) 1090.83 Croft End (5) 1089.00

Balgray Hill (10) 1081.00

Oaktree (6) 1079.17

Bleathgill (8) 1060.00

Killarwick Grange (5) 1054.00

East Unthank (5) 1053.00

Bull and Cave (8) 1042.14