Fochabers farmer Grant Anderson landed the prime cattle champion title for the third year in a row at Dingwall and Highland Mart’s Christmas show and sale yesterday.
Mr Anderson, who farms at Auchenhalrig, Spey Bay, took the title with a 13-month-old Limousin cross heifer weighing 565kg. She sold for £3.60 a kg, or £2,304 a head, to John M. Munro Butchers in Dingwall.
The reserve champion title, as judged by Richard Henderson of Woodhead Brothers, Turriff, was awarded to a 19-month-old Limousin cross heifer weighing 600kg.
Put forward by J. M. Fraser and Sons, Easter Clune, Lethen, she sold for £3 a kg, or £1,800 a head, to Fraser Brothers Butchers, High Street, Dingwall.
Other leading prices for cattle included £2.24 a kg – £1,579.20 a head – for a 20-month-old Limousin cross bullock from J. and J. Henderson, Udale, Poyntzfield.
The same consignors sold a 23-month-old Limousin cross heifer, weighing 790kg, for £2.01 a kg or £1,587.90.
In all, 38 prime bullocks averaged £2.143 a kg and sold to a top of £2.35 a kg.
Prime heifers averaged £2.281 a kg for 53 sold, with a top of £3.60 a kg.
Meanwhile, in the prime sheep sale 1,101 lots exchanged hands.
Judge Thomas Mackenzie, of Drumreach, Kirkhill, awarded his champion rosettes to a pen of three Beltex lambs from J.M. Sutherland, Borrowston Mains, Thurso. The trio sold weighing 48.5kg each for £160 a piece, or £3.299 a kg, to the judge.
The reserve champion title went to a pen of Beltex lambs from Conon Brae Farms, Torgorm, Conon Bridge. They sold for £130 a piece, or £2.857 a kg, to Messrs Fraser Brother Butchers, Dingwall.