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Heifers led the way at Leyburn’s spring spectacular with Garrowby Farms, Bugthorpe, taking home the championship, under judge Elizabeth Vance, Newton Stewart, with a Limousin heifer.

Blackface females were in demand at the breed’s Farmers Guardian-supported show and sale of in-lamb ewes and gimmers at Lanark.

We take a look ahead at this year’s UK Dairy Expo, being held once again at Boderway Exhibition Centre, Carlisle.

Irthingelt Dairy Shorthorns added the breed championship at last year’s Dairy Expo to a respectable line-up of showring titles to date, but they make up only one arm of the farming business.

Charolais bulls topped at 25,000gns twice, with a clearance rate of 79 per cent and averages up 571 on the year at 6,633.

A call of 18,000gns led the Simmental section which averaged 5,039, up 64 on the year, with a clearance rate of 67 per cent.

Salers sold to a high of 8,000gns, to an average of 4,935, up 1,406 on the year, and finished with a clearance rate of 73 per cent for the 16 bulls sold.

The reserve senior champion led the Limousin trade at 13,500gns, which finished with an average up 130 on the year at 4,730.34 for 59 animals sold, and a clearance rate of 81 per cent.

A packed ringside saw Aberdeen-Angus bulls sell to a high of 25,000gns, matching last year’s top call.

Beef Shorthorn bulls sold to a high of 20,000gns twice, with averages up 104 on the year for 53 bulls sold at 4,780, and a clearance rate of 61 per cent.