Bentham Auction’s annual Super Two Challenge attracted 21 pairs of tremendous quality hoggs.

An outstanding pair of dressed pure Beltex hoggs from Graeme Jackson, of Bentham, caught the eye of judge Harry Woods, who did not hesitate to give them champion honours.

They later attracted lively bidding in the sales ring, before being sold to George and Clare Cropper, for the top price of the evening, £225 or 562p/kg.

The hoggs will, in due course, be sold at Cropper’ Butchers in Accrington Market.

It was the second success for the Jackson family in recent weeks.

Graeme’s four-year-old daughter, Ellie, achieved champion honours at Bentham’s Young Farmers Show.

Graeme’s second pair of hoggs, a pair of trimmed Beltex weighing 42kgs, was placed third.

John and Jean Bradley from Giggleswick, took the reserve championship with a pair of 44kgs Beltex hoggs.

“All vendors with hoggs out for the show should be congratulated on the quality and presentation of their entries, with the show hoggs peaking at 562p/kg to average 271.3p/kg,” said a mart spokesman, Other hoggs, not forward for the show, saw all classes sharper on the week, with an active ringside of buyers keen to fulfil orders.

With an entry of 2,789, which included a large proportion of horned and lightweight lambs, an overall average of 188.4p/kg or £79.63 was achieved.