BUTCHER Anthony Kitson has paid a record £9,200 for a commercial store cattle champion he now plans to take on the 2019 summer show circuit.

Mr Kitson, of Kitson & Sons Butchers, which has shops in North Yorkshire and Durham, fought off fierce competition to claim the title winner at Leyburn Auction Mart’s annual ‘Spring Spectacular’ for show potential cattle on Saturday (2).

It set a new mart record price for a store animal and is thought to be among the highest UK prices ever paid for a commercial beast.

Well known breeder and exhibitor John Smith-Jackson, who runs the Hightown herd near Haltwhistle, Hexham, said “I could not believe it. I am still in shock."

A home-bred red Limousin-cross, the winner is an April, 2018-born daughter of the herd’s main stock bull, Hightown Jacko, who is himself a son of Shire Apollo, acquired back in 1985. The herd still retains a few straws from the high performance bull.

Mr Smith-Jackson said: “Apollo was a real star, though Jacko is breeding as well as, if not better than his father, producing some really top quality, high price, multi award-winning progeny.”

Of his winner he said: “She has a lovely nature. We spent hours with her."

Buyer Mr Kitson said" “She is one of the best beasts I have ever set eyes on – at the leading edge of show cattle. Bidding at the ringside was frenzied and I had to battle tooth and nail to claim her."

The supreme champion heifer will now be paraded under her new name – ‘Kitsons Jewel’ – at local, regional and national shows this summer. An appearance at the Great Yorkshire Show is on the agenda, while Mr Kitson is also considering taking her over to Holland for the country’s premier Easter prime cattle highlight, Paasvee 2019, next month.

Two years ago, he became the first-ever English showman to compete at the famous open air cattle showpiece in Schagen.

He said: “Kitsons Jewel is fully halter-trained thanks to the hard work and dedication of Mr Smith-Jackson and his team. We have great expectations for her in the show arena this year. We are really looking forward to it."

Mr Kitson is known for buying high profile prime cattle champions from across the UK - and paying highly for the privilege. In the run-up to Christmas he invested more than £100,000 in 50 award-winning prime beef cattle including the supreme champions at the East of England Winter Stock Festival in Peterborough and both the English and Scottish Winter Fairs.

Aled Roberts of Anglesey judged the show. He made an excellent job choosing between the high quality entries when any number of cattle challenged for the overall championship.

Prior to the sale the mart welcomed back Andrew Dickinson from Ashbourne, Derbyshire, who at last year's show saw potential in a British Blue heifer from Bainbride Brothers of Marrick.

He secured the heifer and took her to the English Winter Fair where she won the overall championship and was bought by Anthony Kitson.

Having achieved this feat, and as a winner at one of the four major national primestock shows, Mr Dickinson was awarded £500 from Leyburn mart which was handed over by John Earle, of Scorton, representing Mr Kitson and the mart, who addressed the company, which included Syd and Andrew Bainbridge of Marrick.