.

Mr Slack’s title winner is by Volcano, also bred in Cumbria by Appleby’s John Richardson, out of a Limousin-cross cow.

The pre-sale show judge, former British Limousin Cattle Society chairman, Peter Kirton, of Bewdley in Worcestershire’s Severn Valley, said it had been a close run thing between his two principals, with the heifer just getting the nod.

He said there had been a tremendous show of cattle, with the early season show-only highlight for 2014-born halter-led pedigree and cross-bred Limousin youngsters, most entering the show ring for the first time, attracting a record entry of 75 head.

Mr Slack, who breeds commercial Limousins only, picked up a second red rosette when also presenting the first prize Limousin-sired commercial bullock, known as The Real McCoy, by Melbreak Hero, now also standing with John Richardson, out of a British Blue-cross cow.

The Brontemoor herd of the Priestley family - Michael, Steven and Ruth, and their son Richard – picked up the male and overall reserve championships with their March-born home-bred bull, Brontemoor Junglebook, by the French sire Bahut, out of their own Brontemoor Buttonmoon.

The same class was also responsible for the reserve male and reserve pedigree champion, Tancredgrange Jericho, from the Barker Farming Partnership, who run their Tancred Grange herd in Scorton, Richmond.

Shown by 18-yearold William Barker, the February-born son of the Genus sire, Fieldson Ally, is out of Bankdale Avril, bred in Cumbria by Gordon Wilson. The Barkers also won the reserve pedigree championship with a heifer on their NLE debut last year.

The 2015 female championship fell to another Cumbrian pedigree breeder, Thor Atkinson, who runs Arradfoot Limousins in Newlands, Ulverston, with his first prize January-born heifer, the Central Dart daughter, Saunders Japonica, a 2,000gns purchase last year who went on to become reserve Limousin champion at the Welsh Winter Fair.

Mr Atkinson was also responsible for the first prize January-born pedigree bull, Melbreak Jester, acquired last year for 1,700gns and by the well-known French-bred Limousin sire, Nenuphar.

The reserve female championship was awarded to a new, young, up-and-coming north-east pedigree Limousin breeder, 22-year-old Kate Sutcliffe, of Church Farm, Carlton-in-Cleveland, near Middlesborough, with her first prize Wilodge Fantastic-sired February-born heifer, Burnbank Julie, purchased for 1,750gns last year as a foundation heifer.

While Kate is from farming stock, her family has not been involved with Limousins, but she has developed a strong interest in the breed and currently has four pedigree heifers, which she plans to cross with British Blue sires in the hope of producing some top-notch beef cattle. Making her first appearance in the pedigree show arena, she said she was “over the moon” with her debut success.

In the third heifer show class, both first and second prizes fell to home-bred May-born entries from the West Yorkshire Broadhead pedigree herd of Turner Farms, run by father and son Andrew and Josh Turner at Oldfield Road Farm, Honley, Holmfirth.

Their red rosette winner was Broadhead Jesse, a daughter of the French sire, Etudiant. The Turners, who sell all their commercial bulls at Skipton, later returned to the show arena with their two prize-winning heifers to pick up the red rosette in the pedigree pairs class.

The third show class for Limousin bulls fell to Dylan Townsend, who runs the Clifftown pedigree herd at Quarry Farm, Broughton, just outside Malton, with his April-born Rocky son, Millstone Jaffa, bought with his mother at Newark last year for a price-topping 6,200gns. The dam is in calf again to Acajou.

Back with the commercial entries, the reserve championship was awarded to the first prize April-born heifer, Red Hot Honey, from Mark Harryman and his partner Sarah Warriner, who run the Hot Shot pedigree herd at Swainsea Barn Farm, Pickering, breeding both pure and commercial stock.

Bred by Kevin Spark in Hexham, Honey, out of a Limousin-cross cow, is by Keskadale Eyeful, who was himself bred by Mark and his father Keith Harryman, before the former moved to his current North Yorkshire holding.

The NLE – full results are posted at www.ccmauctions.com – carried prize money of £1,500, courtesy of sponsors I’Ansons, Vetsonic, Ripon Land Rover, Ripon Select Foods, Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Limousin Society, North East Limousin Breeders Club, Intervet/Schering Plough, LEBC Group, Elite Beef Semen, Bishopton Veterinary Group and David H Cox.

It again formed part of Skipton’s high-status Limousin double-header, ahead of the following day’s annual Spring show and sale of pedigree Limousin bulls and females, which remains the mart’s premier breed highlight of the year and continues to grow in popularity and stature among both vendors and buyers. This, too, is supported by NELBC.