Noted stockman, Fred Murray, East Horton, Wooler, bowed out in style for his final calf sale at Hexham and Northern Mart’s annual Limousin calf show, having produced both the champion and top priced lot at £1640.

Mr Murray, who is hanging up his cattle clippers to enjoy a well-earned retirement, led the way with a 14-month-old red Limousin cross heifer, that later sold to Messrs Thorpe, Hawes.

Judge Ricky Alder, Ponteland, found his reserve in a black Limousin cross steer from Michael Reed, West Biggins, Frosterley in Weardale, which made £1200 to Messrs Clark, Paxton.

Limousin cross cattle from the Richard Thornton and son Christopher, Cornhills, Kirkwhelpington dominated the awards in the pens of four; scooping both the steer and heifer titles. They sold 24 steers and the same number of heifers to average £1285.

Furthest travelled, Tom and Blair Cockburn, Kingside, Peebles, sold heifers and steers to £1290 and £1135, respectively to average £1107 for seven.

The entry of 771 top quality Limousin cross cattle saw 18-24 month cattle peak at £1475 for a pen of pen of five Limousin bullocks from Ian Scott and Sons, Corneyside.

LEADING prices

Cattle – 23-30months – Steers – Lim X – £1250, £1245 Highwood

Cattle – 17-22months – Steers – Lim X – £1500 East Wrangham; £1490, £1480 Cornhills; £1475 Corneyside; £1400, £1385 Wingates South; £1360 Highwood; £1350 Elrington Hall and Cornhills; £1335 Highwood; £1320 Lunns House and Elrington Hall; £1310 Lunns House and Cornhills; £1300 Corneyside, Elrington Hall and Low Ardley (x2).

Heifers – Lim X – £1450, £1360 Corneyside; £1350 Wall Town Farm; £1330 Low Middleton; £1320 Cornhills; £1310 Little Swinburne; £1290 Cornhills; £1280 Wall Town Farm; £1270 Cornhills; £1260 Old Deanham; £1240 Wall Town Farm; £1230 Old Deanham; £1200 Little Swinburne. BB X – £1080, £990 Old Deanham. A-A X – £1100 Wall Town Farm.

Cattle 11-16months – Steers – Lim X – £1560 East Wrangham; £1470 Cornhills; £1450 Lands Farm; £1320, £1275, £1255 Cornhills; £1250 Burntongues; Low Ardley and Cornhills; £1240 Low Ardley; £1220 Cornhills; £1215 Burntongues; £1205 Warksfield Head and Agars Hill; £1200 Elrington Hall, Old Deanham (x2) and West Biggens. Char X – £1080 Thrunton Lowfield. BB – £1380 Rusheylaw; £1170 Old Deanham; £1140 Warksfield Head.

Heifers – Lim X – £1640, £1560, £1520 East Wrangham; £1510 Cornhills; £1400 East Wrangham; £1340 Cornhills; £1330 Allenshields; £1320 East Wrangham and Cornhills; £1310 Springwell Cottage and Cornhills; £1300 Cornhills; £1290 Agars Hill; £1250, £1240 Springwell Cottage; £1220 Low Ardley, Cornhills and Allenshields; £1200 Agars Hill and Rusheylaw. BB – £1310 Cornhills; £1290 Kingside and Rusheylaw; £1250 Rusheylaw.

Cattle 10months and under – Steers – Lim X – £1050 East Loanend (x2); £1000 Agars Hill; £925 East Flass; £910 Birtleyshield.

Heifers – Lim X – £1250 Low Ardley; £1120 Rusheylaw; £1060, £1030 (x2), £935 East Loanend.