A Limousin cross bullock from Steven Smith, The Byre, Sunnyhill, took the championship in the show of store cattle at Thainstone which was part of the mart's sale of 1540 store cattle.

Bred by George Macarthur, Mid Fleenas, Nairn, this 512kg bullock was bought at Thainstone, last October, and sold for £1350 to the judge, Bill Allison, Ovenstone Farm, Forfar.

The reserve honours went to the champion heifer, an August 2017-born Limousin cross from Owen Young, Nether Drumallochie, Glenkindie. Bred by the Stuarts of Belnoe, Glenlivet, this 472kg heifer sold for the top price of £1460 to Moir Livestock, Fraserburgh.

Neil Meldrum of Shenval, Ballindalloch, stood reserve bullock champion with a 432kg Limousin cross yearling which later sold for £1110 to Backmuir Livestock, while the reserve heifer champion from Gavin and Jenna Greenlaw, Balgairn Farm, Ballater, also sold to Backmuir for £1200. This August, 2018-born heifer weighing 310kg, is by Lodge Dannyboy, out of a home-bred British Blue cross cow.

Winning the pairs were May-born Limousin cross bullocks from the McConachies at Lethendry, Cromdale, Grantown-on-Spey. They sold for £1150 apiece to Jim Matthews, Whitelums, Gartly, Huntly.

LEADINGawards:

Single light bullock – 1, AC Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld, 414kg £1110; 2, S and D Smith, The Byre, Sunnyhill, 422kg, £1020; 3, G and J Greenlaw, Balgairn, Ballater, 350kg, £950. Single heavy bullock – 1 and champion, S and D Smith, 512kg £1350; 2, N Meldrum Shenval Ballindalloch, 416kg, £1060; 3, N Meldrum, Shenval, 406kg, £1100. Single light heifer – 1, G and J Greenlaw, Balgairn, 310kg, £1200; 2, J McConachie and Son, Lethendry, Cromdale, 372kg, £1010; 3, N Meldrum, Shenval, 324kg, £870. Single heavy heifer – 1 and reserve, O Young, Nether Drumallochie, Glenkindie, 472kg, £1460; 2, AC Fotheringham, Ballinloan, 470kg, £1210; 3, AC Fotheringham, 432kg, £1060. Pair of bullocks – 1, J McConachie and Son, Lethendry, 452kg, £1150; 2, A and A Wright, Lagavaich, Glenlivet, 426kg, £1125; 3, AC Fotheringham, Ballinloan, 374kg, £1070. Pair of heifers – 1, AC Fotheringham, Ballinloan, 460kg, £1100; 2, J McConachie and Son, 388kg, £1240; 3, S and D Smith, 462kg, £1080.