A clearance rate of 97% for females and 81% for bulls was achieved at a pedigree Limousin sale at Darlington Farmers Auction Mart staged on behalf of the society in conjunction with the local breeders’ club, where prices peaked at 6000gns on two occasions.

Judge, John Wilson, found his male champion in Messrs Jenkinson’s Whinfellpark Panama from Penrith. A Withersdale Invader son out of a home-bred dam by the 140,000gns Trueman Jagger, he sold for 6000gns to Carpenters Hill Farm, Redditch, Worcestershire.

Matching that 6000gns top bid was the female champion and overall reserve, Dinmore Patience from Paul Dawes, Herefordshire. This 2019-born heifer sired by Dinmore Lionheart, was knocked down to Messrs Hutchinson, Newark, Nottinghamshire.

Second top price was 4500gns paid for the reserve male champion, Longhirst Roland from David Jordon. Taking this 2020-born Glenrock Justthejob son home was John Norman of Guisborough.

Auctioneer Paul Gentry’s dispersal of the pedigree Gentry herd peaked at 4200gns for the seven-year-old cow, Cockleshell Jazzy, which sold in calf to Gentrys Properjob and with Ampertaine Magnum-sired bull calf, Gentrys Redbull, to R and KM Teasdale of Helmsley, North Yorkshire.

The firm also conducted a commercial cattle dispersal and reduction sale for Will Bird, Tadcaster and Paul Brown, Grinton respectively.

Top price in this section was £3600 for a six-year-old Limousin cross British Blue cow with steer calf at foot from Mr Bird, purchased by JE and E Dobson of Frosterley.

LEADING prices

Pedigree Limousins – Bulls – 6000gns Whinfellpark; 4500gns Longhirst; 4000gns Cornsay; 4000gns Ketton.

Cows and calves – 4200gns, 3700gns, 3200gns, 2700gns, 2400gns Gentrys; 2100gns, 1750gns, 1700gns, 1600gns, 1450gns Carlospride.

In-calf cows – 2200gns, 1800gns Gentrys.

Maiden heifers – 6000gns Dinmore; 2300gns, 1800gns, 1400gns, 1350gns Thorninghurst; 2000gns, 1750gns Gentrys; 2000gns Gillyflatts; 1900gns, 1800gns, 1600gns, 1500gns, 1500gns, 1450gns, 1450gns, 1450gns, 1350gns, 1350gns, 1350gns, Gotham; 1800gns, 1650gns, 1500gns, 1350gns, 1300gns, 1300gns, 1300gns, 1250gns Cornsay; 1350gns Swale; 1300gns Carlospride.

Commercial breeding cattle – Bulls – £4400 E Wilson; £3100 WH Brown.

Bulling heifers – £3100, £3000 Thorninghurst; £1440 BJ Baker; £1280, £1280 AM Beadle.

In-calf cows – £2000, £1800, £1700 W Bird.

Cows and calves – £3600, £3400, £3000, £2700, £2600, £2500, £2500, £2500, £1920, £1700, £1400 W Bird; £3000, £2650, £2600, £2250, £2000, £2000, £2000,£2300, £1720, £1600 WH Brown; £2700, £1650 S and J Dent; £2500 PR Dawes; £2500 W Burton; £2200 P Tindale; £1500 C Moffett.