averages:

16 Limousin bulls, £4184.38; 12 females, £2216.66

One of the best bred bulls in catalogue and from one of the youngest breeders attracted the lead price of £8000 at Harrison and Hetherington’s timed multi-breed online sale of pedigree cattle.

The bull, Eagleside Pronetheus, a 15-month-old Limousin from Thomas Illingworth’s up and coming herd from Lockerbie, is an ET bred from a flush from Glenrock Jewel, a Bremore Artist daughter that not only stood reserve female at the Highland in 2015 but also junior champion at the Great Yorkshire the same year.

Jewel is also a maternal sister to the record priced 125,000gns Glenrock Illusion, and a breeder into the bargain, with her first bull, Eagleside Mustang, selling for 10,000gns.

Pronetheus which was supreme junior champion at the Stars of the Future, and carries the easy calving F94L gene, is by Wilodge IJ, a bull that bred a 10,000gns sale in February at Carlisle. He sold to Stuart Perkins, buying for his Hartmoor herd from Radstoick, Bath.

Mr Illingworth also produced the top two highest priced females at £3300 and £3200. The dearest, Eaglesfield Lolita, a five-year-old cow by Greensons Howlett, out of Towler Cindy, sold with May-born heifer calf at foot by Mullary Maxime, to Angus Greenlaw, Aberchirder, Huntly, Aberdeenshire.

The sale which included no fewer than 12 beef breeds, was dominated by Limousins with 68 bull and 13 female entries. This was followed by the Charolais and Aberdeen-Angus breeds with 20 and 16 bull entries, respectively.

Limousin bulls also secured the next six highest prices. Second top was £6100 paid by Irish breeders, Messrs Gill, Bradox, Monaghan, for Tomschoice Oriflamme, an 18-month-old son of Mereside Leo, out of the Kaprico Eravelle-sired Tomschoice Lachic. Oriflamme, consigned by James and Sarah Cooper, North Yorkshire, boasts a double F94L gene in his pedigree.

Another from the Coopers, Tomschoice Phantom, a similarly aged bull, this time by Netherhall Jupiter, made £4700 selling to E Carse and Son, South Ord, Berwick upon Tweed.

Herefordshire-based Paul Dawes and stockman, Richard Bartle, also had a good sale, with Dinmore Ourson, making £6000 to P Barker and Son, Great Oxenbold, Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Again there were some first class genetics behind this 20-month-old bull with the dam being Dinmore Caprice, a Wilodge Vantastic daughter that has bred sons to 14,000gns and daughters to 22,000gns, while the sire is Ampertaine Elgin.

Alister and Liz Vance, Bridgehouse, Newton Stewart, bought Peter Kirton’s Ashledge Objat, for £4750. A 27-month-old son of Haltcliffe Iceman from Severn Lodge, Kinlet, Worcs, Objat is bred from a home-bred cow by Brontemoor Bog.

Nealford Overboard, a Whinfellpark Lomu son from JH Neale and Son, Boyton, Cornwall, made £4500 selling to Messrs Brown and Sons, Ullock, Workington. This 19-month-old is bred from a Nealford cow by Ampertaine Foreman.

Caithness beef producer, T Sinclair, Lyth, Wick, went to £4400 for Craig and Matt Ridley’s Haltcliffe Percy, a 15-month-old son of Dinmore Jacot, from Hesket New Market, Wigton, bred from the 12-year-old cow, Haltcliffe Dasher by Cloughhead Umpire.

Dearest amongst the remaining breeds was £4000 paid for a Charolais bull from the Barker family’s Caylers herd from Nuthampstead, Herts. Caylers Preston, a 17-month-old bull is by Rosanna Jupiter and out of a home-bred cow by Thrunton Dominator. He heads home with Messrs Fairhurst and Son, Austwick, Lancaster.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.