MELKRIDGE farmer John Smith-Jackson has landed his fourth consecutive Overall Champion at Hexham and Northern Marts' Special March Show.

Limousin cross heifer Hightown Nikita did the honours this year, following in the footsteps of her three sibling winners - they all share the same prize winning genes.

"They have all been by our old bull Shire Apollo," said John. "We bought him in the 1980s and took semen off him, so it's very old breeding.

"We have a lot of good female lines now, thanks to Apollo.

"To be honest, I don't think we've ever really replaced him, although we do have his son Hightown Jacko.

"He's only three years old though, so it's too early to say if he will replicate his father's success."

A superb catalogue of more than 30 calves were presented to father and son judges Gwyn and Dion Edwards, from Denbighshire in North Wales.

The hard fought preliminary classes produced very worthy Male, Female and Reserve Champions to fight it out for the ultimate accolade and the accompanying £1000 cash prize.

But the impressive Nikita, at little more than eight months of age, simply had the meat in all the right places, the Edwards said.

She was subsequently knocked down to Jennifer Hislop, from Ayrshire, for £2,300.

A sleek black Limousin heifer fielded by show ring stalwart Julie Sedgewick, of Ricknall Grange, Aycliffe, was anointed Overall Reserve Champion.