A range of quality cattle on offer at this year’s Red Ladies sale in Carlisle helped to boost a strong average, which was up by over £1,000 to £5,364. There were increases across the board with 37 animals finding new homes on the day, up by 12 from last year’s clearance. Topping the sale and setting the 2016 maiden heifer record was Grahams Lily, which sold for 32,000gns.

Earlier in the day, Grahams Lily was named supreme champion by judge Hariet Wilson, who runs the noted Haughton herd. She attracted a flurry of bids before the hammer finally fell to W Richardson & Son for their burgeoning Mystyle herd. Born in May 2015, Lily is an embryo-bred daughter of Claragh Franco out of a homebred Grahams Coffee, who is a Millington Vascular daughter. This cross has worked extremely well for the family, with Lily’s full brother Grahams Lorenzo selling for 40,000gns, this year’s top price, and her full sister Grahams Lizzie selling for 16,500gns at the sale of champions following the national show.

This marked a terrific day for the 50-cow Grahams herd, from which seven animals were sold for £75,600 in total. Other top prices attained included Grahams Lobelia at 10,000gns, the weaned calf Grahams Murphy at 9000gns and Grahams Lisette at 7000gns.

Taking the second top price of 12,000gns was the first prize winner Dinmore Lunar from Paul Dawes, Dinmore Manor, Herefordshire. This October 2015-born heifer is the first calf from the homebred sire Dinmore Immense who was male champion at the Royal Welsh Show in 2015. Her dam Dinmore Eclipse, by Haltcliffe Vermount, is a maternal sister to the well-known sire Wilodge Cerberus.

Northern Ireland breeders K&C Knox secured the reserve overall championship in the pre-sale show with Beachmount Lady. Meeting her reserve at 9,100gns, the February 2015-born Lady is sired by Lowerffrydd Empire and out of a Wilodge Vantastic-sired homebred dam. She was purchased by Aileen Ritchie who also purchased the champion and reserve at last year’s Red Ladies sale for 24,000gns and 8,000gns, respectively.

Longford breeder Martin Davis secured the youngest animal in the Red Ladies catalogue, Lomond Lexie from Andrew Orr, Kinross, for 6,500gns. Born in December 2015, she is sired by Ampertaine Elgin and out of Attila-bred daughter Lodge Femme.

Following the Red Ladies sale, the British Limousin Cattle Society held a sale of weaned calves born in 2016. The strong trade in the Red Ladies continued for the calves with a record top price, as well as averages and numbers sold well up on the 2015 year.

Setting that new record at 10,500gns was WP Hughes & Son with Pabo Mr Muscle. Sired by Lodge Hamlet and out of Jockey-sired dam Derosa Visa, Mr Muscle was judged the best homebred bull calf born in 2016 in the northwest midlands and north Wales herd competition this year. The Hughes, who run the Pabo herd, were also the purchasers of this year’s Roscrea champion, Derrygullinane King Bull, which sold for €11,300 in October.

In all, 59 weaned calves, both bulls and heifers, sold at the sale, which was 19 more than in 2015. The bull calves averaged £3,990, up by £1,139 on the previous year, while the 45 heifer calves averaged £2,330, up by £104.