British Blue breeders enjoyed the best of day's trading at an Autumn pedigree beef cattle sale at Carlisle, producing most of the top priced bulls at 6600gns, 6200gns and 6000gns.

Dearest was the mostly black two-year-old bull, Blue Stone Noel from Dylan Rees, Llwynihirion, Crymych, purchased by Messrs Stevenson, Dailly, Girvan. A son of the AI sire, Tenace De La Praule, he is bred from Blue Stone Heiress, a Dragon Blues Dorian-sired cow.

On the other side of the coin, Mr Rees went to 5800gns for Graham Morgan's Almeley Novak, a June 2018-born black and white ET-bred bull from The Cider Mill, Tillington. Bred from a flush from the Giga Du Bois De Remont daughter Rosemount Faith, which also bred the 20,000gns Almeley Lightning and the stock bull Pinnacle Hero, Novak is sired by Almeley Arlequin.

Another from the Almeley stable, made 6000gns selling to Messrs Baillie, Kirkcowan, Newton Stewart. This was Almeley Nut-Cracker, a similarly aged bull by Pinnacle Hero, out of Almeley Goldilocks, a Drybarrows Cawdale daughter

Selling at 6200gns was Littlebank Ned from H and S Maudsley, Littlebank Bungalow, Settle. Bred from a flush from the Heros Du Peroy daughter, Littlebank Kimberley, this July 2018-born ET bull is sired by Farouk De St Amand, and sold to Messrs Boyren, Colton, Ulverston.

Top price for Blair and Shona Comrie's Stonebyres herd from Biggar was 5200gns paid for the 25-month-old Stonebyres Nevis, a naturally born black and white son of Lukeroyal Kracker bred from Stonebyres Imogen. He headed home to Hexham with Messrs Dixon, Tarset.

Charolais bulls peaked at 3500gns for Wissington Primo, an 18-month-old bull from Essex-based breeders, J and J Rix, Wissington Grove, Colchester, purchased by Ritchie Strawhorn and Sons, Lockerbie. He is by Gretnahouse Juror and out of Wissington Luscious

Aberdeen-Angus bulls sold to 3000gns for Crook Hill Mr Bishampton, from William and Margaret Taylor, Crook Hill Farm, Stocksfield, Northumberland. An 18-month-old son got by semen from the Australian-bred Te Mania Berkley, he sold down to Clwyd with Messrs Pugh, Ruabon, Wrexham.

Top price amongst the Herefords was 2600gns paid for the polled bull, Moorside 1 Status Quo from G and MC Shepherd, Moorside House, Preston, purchased by Messrs Williams, Ravenstonedale, Kirkby Stephen. The breeding behind this similarly aged bull includes Hoghton View 1 Gold Mine, onto the former Hereford Female of the Year, Romany 1 Jane.

Averages: Nine British Blue bulls, £5518.33; Four Charolais bulls, £3018.75; Four Hereford bulls, £2310.00; Nine Laverock Charolais females, £1461.66.

Auctioneers: Harrison and Hetherington.