Fenland pedigree cattle breeders Darren and Donna Knox sold a champion bull for 14,000 guineas at a breed society's sale.

Their 18-month-old Charolais bull, Culford Hector, which was the breed society champion at the Royal Norfolk Show was bought for £14,700 by Scots farmer, David Renwick, of Ross-shire.

The bull, which also won the intermediate and overall supreme championship at Stirling, was praised by the judge and former Scotland rugby player, Borders farmer John Jeffery, of Kelso.

'He is very correct, very long and well fleshed throughout, and he first caught my eye when he came in to his class. Hector was a clear winner in the intermediate section and without doubt, carried that through to the top,' he added.

For his exhibitors, Mr and Mrs Knox, White Fen Farm, White moor Road, March, winning the Stirling silverware came as a surprise despite Hector's success on this season's show ring including winning the Royal Norfolk and National Charolais Show at the National Exhibition Centre.

'A big thanks to all those who encouraged us to make this our first ever 700 mile round trip to Stirling, however we never expected he's take the supreme title. We're thoroughly delighted,' said Mr Knox, who is farm manager to a mixed arable beef finisher unit.

He established the couple's six cow Drumshane herd five years ago with a heifer from Donna as a 30th birthday present. Culford Cherry was introduced to the herd last year when she and the two-week-old Hector were secured as a cow and calf pair in Newark for 2,300gns from Suffolk farmer Stephen Flack, of Culford, near Bury St Edmunds.

Overall, British Charolais met a strong commercial demand from a packed ringside where prices peaked at 22,000gns and 92 entries sold through the ring to average £6,578. Charolais once again remained dominant during the week's multi-beef breed fixtures, by recording the highest number of bulls sold and highest average price.

'Bulls with length, quality conformation and good EBV data met a ready trade throughout with a further 14 lots booked through the final auctioneer's sale sheet bringing the total clearance to 75pc with 106 lots sold, a significant increase on the year,' said society's chairman, Alasdair Houston.

'Despite a further year on year reduction in suckler cow numbers, this week's trend provides further evidence of the momentum swing back to Charolais as the top terminal beef sire. More producers are recognising the higher values and faster growth of Charolais cross cattle than any other breed, combined with modern British Charolais improved calving genetics,' he added.

Averages: 92 bulls £6,578; 9 females £4,142. Auctioneers, United Auctions.