RECORDS were smashed last Friday when a Limousin bull made a breed world record price of 55,000gns at the spring sale of bulls in Carlisle.

Grahams Samson also hit an all-breeds beef record for Borderway Mart, came from Rob-ert Graham, of Bridge of Allan, Stirling. The bull was shown by farm manager Brian Wills.

The 18-month-old had taken the supreme championship at the pre-sale show, when the judge was Ian Callion, of Bolfornought, Stirling.

Ten other bulls sold for 10,000gns or more and averages and numbers of bulls were also up. The sale met a 75pc clearance of the 172 bulls forward, with 39 more bulls selling than at the spring 2002 sale, with the average up by £123.

First bid for Samson, which was much tipped to make a high price, was 20,000gns. The crowded ringside was silent as Harrison & Hetherington auctioneer David Thomlinson rapidly took bids up to 55,000gns, with Penrith breeder Doug Edgar ultimately writing the cheque.

Mr Edgar and his wife, Carol, from Fellside, Ousby, near Penrith, have been breeding pedigree Limousins since 1979 and have 60 cows in their Shire herd.

"I liked previous bulls that Samson's mother Lisette has bred and he has excellent figures with a beef value of LM+32,"said Mr Edgar. "The bull also has a tremendous growth rate for his age."

Breeder Robert Graham said: "It is the best animal we have bred and out of an exceptional breeding cow."

The Grahams' herd, formed in 1979, has 50 pedigree Limousin cows. Mr Graham has retained 200 of the 300 straws of semen taken from Samson and Mr Edgar said he would make semen available for sale.

Auctioneer David Thomlinson described the sale as unbelievable. "This is one of the best shows of bulls we have ever seen at Carlisle and quality was particularly evident among the intermediate and junior bulls," he said.

The previous UK record for a Limousin bull was 21,000gns for Culbeg Andromedes, sold by Mr Graham's son, also called Robert. The record price for a UK Limousin was 29,000gns for a cow, Druk Larissa.

Sale averages: 22 senior bulls, £2,955.52 (down £737.62); 58 intermediate bulls, £3,794.48 (down £11.02); 54 junior bulls, £4,777.50 (up £429.05); 134 bulls, £4,052.89 (up £123.83).

Prices for pedigree Limousin females peaked at 3,300gns in the small female entry for the heifer Ardbrack Ruth, with her first calf at foot, from Mark Phillips, of Broad Oak, Ivegill, Carlisle.

Bred by Martin Gethin, of Havorfordwest, Ruth went to Lowther Park Farms, Lowther, near Penrith. She is by the 11,000gns Spage Master with her pedigree going back to Shire Cyclone and Rusee, and sold with her four-month heifer calf, Mardoneen Tialusso by Lino