Trade reached £5,800 at the Thainstone Spectacular for a home-bred Limousin cross heifer from the Robertson family of Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry.
Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 30 of the 34 calves forward, with 19 heifers cashing in at £6.48p per kg or £2,671 and 11 steers levelling at £3.71 or £1,750.
While spring-born calves from Balfour Baillie on Orkney also proved popular, it was a 12-month-old heifer from John and Craig Robertson, which led the way.
Selling to an undisclosed buyer, she is by Glenrock Inferno, which has bred a number of top priced calves for the family, out of a Limousin cross British Blue dam.
She scaled 430kg and stood reserve champion in the 2022-born heifers when judged by Julie Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange Farm, Durham.
The Robertsons also received £4,200 for another similarly aged Limousin cross heifer by the same sire.
Weighing 448kg, she stood second in her class and sold to Kitson Butchers, Yorkshire.
Balfour Baillie from Sebay View, Tankerness, sold the second top price animal at £5,000 to Stewart and Lynsey Bett from Boquhan Farmhouse, Kippen, Stirling.
This was just an end of April born Limousin cross heifer scaling 204kg by Ronick Redhot, out of a British Blue cross cow.
The Betts also paid £2,000 for another spring-born calf from Balfour.
Another April-born Limousin cross heifer by the same sire made £2,700 to Finlay Hunter, West Cairnhill, Insch.
Balfour also received £2,200 for a 20-month-old Limousin cross heifer weighing 535kg and by the 14,000gns Redriver Powerful.
This one was bought by David and Neil Work, Mains of Dumbreck, Udny.
The journey down from Caithness for Kris Sutherland, who is stockman at Dunbeath Farms, was certainly worth it when his Limousin cross heifer She’s A Belter, sold for £4,000.
Bred by Gordon Cameron, Acharacle, this 14-month-old heifer stood overall cattle champion on her only outing at this year’s Caithness County Show.
Weighing 442kg, she also heads south with Kitson Butchers.
Barry Paterson from Cairndaie Croft, Sauchen, sold his 10-month-old home-bred Limousin cross heifer for £3,200 to David Blair, Little Insch, Balmerino, Fife.
This was Watermelon Sugar, a daughter of Elite Icecream, which stood second in her class and has been calf champion at numerous shows this summer.
Mark Munro and family from Invercharron, Ardgay, sold their calf champion from Latheron and reserve overall champion from Caithness, for £3,100 to an undisclosed buyer.
This was a 10-month-old British Blue cross heifer scaling 484kg.
Michael and Mark Robertson, Fodderletter Farms, Tomintoul, topped at £2,500 for a March-born calf which stood reserve overall in the 2023-born section.
Selling to J Porter, West Carrabus, Islay, was a Limousin cross heifer named Barbie, by Homebyres Nistleroy, which also sired the overall calf champion at Agri Expo last year.
The Robertsons also sold a March 2022-born British Blue cross heifer for £2,500 to Messrs Spence.
Jim Baillie’s overall champion, a seven-month-old Limousin cross bullock from Sebay, made £2,000 to the judge, Ms Sedgewick.
PRIZE LIST
Unhaltered heifers – 1 and unhaltered champion, Willie McLaren, Muirhouses, Kirriemuir, £2,200; 2, Maggie Lawrie, Muirhouses, Kirriemuir, £1,900; 3, Angus Greenlaw, Sheep Park Farms, Bridge of Marnoch, £2,000. Unhaltered bullocks is – 1, J Robertson & Co, Newton of Logierait, Pitlochry. Haltered heifers born on or after Dec 21 2022 – 1, Michael Robertson, Fodderletter Farm, Tomintoul, £2,500; 2, Balfour Baillie, Sebay View, Tankerness, £2,200.; 3, Michael Robertson, unsold. Haltered bullocks born on or after Dec 31 2022 – 1, Stuart Fotheringham, Ballinloan, Dunkeld, £1,900; 2, Balfour Baillie, £1,850; 3, Meikle Coull Farms, Tannadice, £2,200. Haltered heifers born on or after Dec 31 2022 – 1, heifer 2022 champion and overall 2022 champion, J Munro and Son, Invercharron, £3,100; 2, J Robertson & Co, £4,200; 3, K Sutherland, The Cottage, Achaverole, £4,000. Haltered bullocks born on or before Dec 31 2022 – 1, Marshall and Fraser, Little Croy, unsold; 2, Balfour Baillie, £1,850; 3, Michael Robertson, £1,400. Heifers born on or before Dec 31 2022 – 1, reserve heifer 2022 and reserve overall 2022, J Robertson & Co, £5,800; 2, Barry Paterson, Cairndaie Croft, Sauchen, £3,200; 3, I and C Grant, Seaview Cottage, Gairloch, unsold. Haltered bullocks on or before Dec 31 2022 – 1 and champion bullock, J Robertson & Co, £1,650; 2 and reserve bullock 2022, JS Baillie and Co, Tankerness, £1,900; 3, Balfour Baillie, £1,300. Heifers born on or after Jan 1 2023 – 1, champion heifer 2023 and reserve overall, Michael Robertson, £2,500; 2 and 3, reserve 2023, Balfour Baillie, £5,000 and £1,200.Bullocks born on or after Jan 1 2023 – 1, champion bullock 2023 and overall champion JS Baillie, £2,000; 2, J Munro and Son, £1,600.