A quality line-up of primestock was on offer at Harrison and Hetherington's Christmas sale, where a solid entry of 70 prime steers and heifers was judged by John Mellin, Croppers Butchers and Deli, Accrington who awarded the championship title to Messrs Grainger, Kiln Close, Wigton with their Limousin cross heifer, later realising £2524.05 or 355p to R and JP Mulholland, Great Orton, Carlisle.

The reserve victor, a Charolais cross heifer from Messrs Dent, Elm House, Appleby was knocked down at £2328.25 or 335p and headed home with Steven Wilson Butchers Shop, Corby Hill, Carlisle.

Outwith the championship show, the sale of steers peaked at £2147.57 for a Limousin from Messrs Lawson, Hundith House, Wigton or to 309.5p for a British Blue from Elm House, while the 87 bulls were topped at a whopping £2246.52 and 289.5p in the form of a Limousin from Messrs Priestley, Cracrop Farm, Brampton.

Amongst the cast cow show classes, Messrs Watret, Muirfield claimed the red rosette and topped the trade with a British Blue cow which was sold for 209.5p or £2201 to Charles Kirkpatrick, while cast bulls attained a peak of 192.5ppk or £1817 for a Limousin stock bull from Messrs Pattinson, Bonshawside.

Read more: Aberdeen Christmas Classic and A-A calf show at Thainstone

The firm also had forward 170 lambs for it's annual Christmas show and sale, where judge Steven Wilson, Corby Hill tapped out his champions in the form of a pen of 50kg Beltex lambs from Messrs Sanderson, Swallowdene, Dearham. Sired by a Borderesk tup, the lambs were knocked down to top the trade at £450 or 900p to R Skelton.

The reserve honours were awarded to Messrs Batty, Flimby Hall, Maryport with the first prize pen of Texel lambs, which sold at £255 to the judge.

Dominating the single lamb class was Messrs Dickinson, High House, Wigton with a Dutch Texel, making £210 in the ring and again selling to the judge, with the trade levelling at 297p with an SQQ of 301p.

Cast ewes met a sharp sale, with prices peaking at £166 for a Texel ewe from Messrs Batty, Flimby Hall, while tups topped at £125 for Beltex from Seymour House.