GISBURN Auction Marts' recent anniversary rearing calf show and sale saw the champion calf sell for £555.

The eight-week-old British Blue bull calf, from John Shuttleworth, of Rylstone, won the best British Blue bull calf before picking up the champion rosette from pre-sale judge John Swann.

Brian Blezard, of Ribchester, picked up the reserve champion award with his seven-week-old British Blue bull calf which had earlier in the day won second prize in the British Blue bull class, which sold for £535 to Mr Swann.

The same purchaser took home the third prize bull calf from David and Pauline Newbould, of Clitheroe, at £535.

Neil Edmondson, of Holcombe, won the first prize British Blue heifer class and his calf went on to sell for a respectable £418 to Messrs Pilkingtons, of Scarisbrick, Ormskirk.

However, topping the day’s sale prices was Alan Bowker, of Cowling, with his impressive pen of five British Blue bull calves which sold for £560 each to Andrew Baxter, of Garforth, Leeds, and Doug Graves, of Carlisle, with a British Blue heifer which sold at £480 to Messrs Pilkingtons.

In the other heifer class, Alec Simpson, of Bolton-by-Bowland, picked up the first prize rosette with his Simmental heifer calf which sold for £408.

A Charolais heifer from Pete Dakin, of Sawley, won the second prize rosette and sold for £410.

Averages were: British Blue bulls £431; Charolais bulls £430; Simmental bulls £397; British Blue heifers £381; Charolais heifers £410; and Simmental heifers £364.