Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 25th September 2025. Forward were 164 cattle and 2331 sheep.
58 Prime Bulls sold to 406ppk or £3397
34 Prime Steers sold to 447ppk or £3124
72 Prime Heifers sold to 478ppk or £3080
2241 Prime Lambs sold to 400ppk or £215
90 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £291
Anniversary Show
As this week signifies five fabulous years at our new location, we held our annual celebratory show of prime cattle and lambs; thanks go to our judges Mr Alan Mullaney who took good care of the cattle and to Keith Tallentire for presiding over the lambs.
Chosen as the champion in the cattle section was an excellent British Blue heifer from regular vendors John and Nick Hodgson of The Grange Summerhouse whilst taking the reserve championship was another long-standing DfAM customer, Brian Walker of Birch Springs with his smart Limousin steer.
The lamb show was completely dominated by the Ramsay family of Blakeley Hill Farm, Station Town as they scooped all three rosettes, unsurprisingly these absolute superstar Beltex lambs also went on to claim the top spots in the sale that followed.
Results as follows:
Cattle
Champion – JV&JA Hodgson, The Grange – British Blue (567kg) sold to 466ppk & £2642 purchased by John Penny & Sons, Rawdon.
Reserve Champion – B Walker, Birch Springs – Limousin (655kg) sold to 424ppk & £2777, purchased by John Penny & Sons, Rawdon.
Class 1 – Steer:
1st B Walker, Birch Springs – Limousin (655kg) sold to 424ppk & £2777, purchased by John Penny & Sons, Rawdon.
2nd Messrs R Miller Ltd, Arkleby Hall – Limousin (717kg) sold to 416ppk & £2982, purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
3rd A Swinbank & Son. Springwell House – Limousin (545kg) sold to 444ppk & £2419, purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
Class 2 – Heifer:
1st JV&JA Hodgson, The Grange – British Blue (567kg) sold to 466ppk & £2642 purchased by John Penny & Sons, Rawdon.
2nd R Hirst, Neasham Grange – Limousin (585kg) sold to 476ppk & £2784 purchased by H Taylor & Sons, Darlington.
3rd B Walker, Birch Springs – Limousin (590kg) sold to 465ppk & £2743 purchased by John Penny & Sons, Rawdon.
Class 3 – Bull:
1st Renton Highlaws Ltd, High Highlaws – British Blue (693kg) sold to 406ppk & £2813 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
2nd WM Fleming, Moss Tower – British Blue (782kg) sold to 400ppk & £3128 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
3rd Renton Highlaws Ltd, High Highlaws – Limousin (665kg) sold to 404ppk & £2686 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
Lambs (pens of five) –
1st– W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill- 55kg Beltex, £215 or 390ppk
2nd– W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill- 52kg Beltex, £208 or 400ppk
3rd– W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill- 46kg Beltex, £184 or 400ppk
Prime Bulls (58) – The bull bubble hasn’t burst by any means but it certainly isn’t flying just as freely as it was. A heavy show with some super sorts at the top end still though averaged 368ppk and £2744. Four pound per kilo is becoming harder to attain, just the five bulls made it today as WM Fleming, Moss Tower and JA & M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House joined a top trio from the Renton’s of High Highlaws; pick of them all at 406 pence was a lovely 693kg homebred British Blue from the Renton Highlaws team. More than a quarter of the bulls sold over £3000, top of them all at an impressive £3397 was a thumping Limousin from RW & R Henry, Holme Farm, he was followed by a fine pair from AG Watson & Sons, Nunstainton Grange which both surpassed £3200. Native and dairy breeds were forward in smaller numbers, the pick of them were an Aberdeen Angus from R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall at 364ppk and £2424 and a Friesian from MA & PD Foster, Smithy House Farm at 308ppk and £2380.
Bulls Leading Gross Top Averages-
RW&R Henry sold 2 (892kg) Average £3228
AG Watson & Sons sold 6 (794kg) Average £3032
WM Fleming sold 4 (766kg) Average £3027
D Richardson & Co LTD sold 4 (813kg) Average £2917
Bulls PPK Top Averages-
J Norman sold 3 (693kg) Average 396ppk
WM Fleming sold 4 (766kg) Average 395ppk
JH&M&NW Brown sold 3 (730kg) Average 393ppk
GK KN&GJ Hird sold 3 (731kg) Average 389ppk
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 406 404 401 398×2 397 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 405 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 400 395×2 390 WM Fleming. 398 396 395 J Norman. 397×2 386 JH&M&NW Brown. 396 RW&R Henry. 396 393 390 AG Watson & sons. 393 391 384 GK KN & GJ Hird. 393 384 R hall & Son. 386 JK&CE Farming. 380 376 FW Hodgson & Son. 380 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 372 TW Clark. 370 366 SH Watson & Son.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £3397 £3059 RW&R Henry. £3227 £3213 £3116 £2959 £2906 AG Watson & Sons. £3164 TW Clark & Son. £3128 £3073 £2983 £2926 WM Fleming. £3108 £3032 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £3102 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £3050 £2851 SH Watson & Son. £3026 £2891 R Hall & Son. £3014 £2807 GK KN & GJ Hird. £3009 £2941 JH&M&NW Brown. £2973 £2890 £2813 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £2922 JK&CE Farming.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 308 292 280 MA&PD Foster. 298 GS Dowson.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £2380 £2371 £2140 MA&PD Foster. £1507 GS Dowson.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 364 R Hall & Son. 338 GS Dowson.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £2424 R Hall & Son. £1990 GS Dowson.
Clean Cattle (106) – The clean beef continue in super form, arguably the heavies and the superstars are down a penny or two on last weeks sensational trade but still appearing very healthy with the middle ground holding very firm to see the heifer average increase fivepence to 427ppk and £2565 and the steers 406ppk and £2740. The top twenty-three heifers sold over 450ppk, of these eleven sold in the 460’s and the top three in the 470’s. Pick of the pack was a Leicestershire lovely as M & G Chantrell Ltd, Flash Farm sold a sweet 519kg Limousin at 478ppk; following closely at 476ppk was an excellent 585kg Limousin from the consistent R Hirst, Neasham Grange with the Leicestershire feeder checking in next at 471ppk. The charging Chantrell’s aquired all three top spots on the steer list of prices per kilo when selling lovely Limousin’s twice at 447ppk and again at 445ppk, this terrific trio weighed 580-600kg. Some super gross values with five vendors breaking £3000; top of them all at £3124 was a 753kg Limousin steer from JA & M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House. Next at £3113 came Messrs R Miller Ltd, Arkleby Hall with a steer followed by our top female, a 774kg 4-year-old Limousin heifer from AC Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm. The other two vendors in the £3k club were from opposite ends of the catchment as WM Fleming, Moss Tower, Kelso sold a heifer at £3037 and RJ Mawby, Fields Farm, Rugby had a steer reach £3016.
Clean Leading Gross Top Averages-
JA&M Boyes LTD sold 2 (751kg) Average £3043
Messrs R Miller LTD sold 6 (773kg) Average £2945
AC Simpson & Son sold 3 (754kg) Average £2917
WM Fleming sold 4 (661kg) Average £2825
Clean PPK Top Averages-
R Hirst sold 6 (585kg) Average 455ppk
JV&JA Hodgson sold 10 (606kg) Average 446ppk
B Walker sold 2 (622kg) Average 443ppk
P&N Tattersall sold 4 (550kg) Average 442ppk
Steers – Top prices ppk 447×2 445 428×2 426423 412 407 400 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 444 A Swinbank & Son. 431 412 410 409 402 400 392 383 371 RJ Mawby. 424 B Walker. 416 407 392 366×2 352 Messrs R Miller Ltd. 415 395 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 408 407 380 Lawson & son. 407 JR Anderson & Son.
Lead Grossing Steers £3124 £2962 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £3113 £2982 £2964 £2960 £2928 £2720 Messrs R Miller Ltd. £3016 £2818 £2793 £2777 £2773 £2656 £2654 £2630 RJ Mawby. £2811 £2673 £2610 Lawson & Son. £2792 £2719 £2668 £2661 £2640 £2623 £2616 £2601 £2576 M&G Chantrell Ltd. £2777 B Walker. £2612 JR&B Anderson & Son.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 478 471 468×2 462 457 454 446 M&G Chantrell Ltd. 476 460 456 454 448 440 R Hirst. 469 431 425 WM Fleming. 467 465 425 423 420 Lawson & Son. 466 461 460 450 449 447 446 438 434 JV&JA Hodgson. 465 B Walker. 458 448 WF Hustwit. 456 455 440 P&N Tattersall. 450 438 428 RJ Mawby. 446 JR&B Anderson & Son. 442 428 P&JH Davison.
Lead Grossing Heifers £3080 £2860 £2810 AC Simpson & Son. £3037 £2767 £2766 £2729 WM Fleming. £2974 £2947 RJ Mawby. £2842 £2810 £2790 £2763 £2711 £2696 £2673 £2642 JV&JA Hodgson. £2826 £2762 £2758 £2727 £2683 Lawson & Son. £2804 £2784 £2732 £2649 £2605 R Hirst. £2743 B Walker. £2726 £2564 £2563 P&JH Davison. £2620 WF Hustwit. £2611 WE&CA Anderson. £2551 £2508 M&G Chantrell
Prime Lambs (2241) – More forward taking this week’s DfAM sheep tally over six-thousand, thanks to all the vendors, buyers and staff who keep the wheels turning. Despite a free-falling trade in places this week the averages remain positive here with a drop of just £1.26 per head to average 317ppk and £146.91 with an SQQ of 322ppk. The best thick fleshed heavy lambs were noticeably dearer, this certainly aided our brilliant prize winning Beltex from W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill as they sold the five 55kg first prize winners at £215 (390ppk) then their 52kg second prize pen at £208 (400ppk) and their 46kg third prize winners at £184 (400ppk). Outside of the show lambs the best end traded consistently 350-380ppk and over two-hundred traded beyond £170. Mentions must go to Anna Herbert, West Shaws with 50kg Texel’s at £193 and CK & D Muir Ltd, Grinkle Park with 48kg Beltex at £186. Leaner lambs are still harder to place, that is the case everywhere, but a competitive ring of nine buyers operating ensured appropriate prices for all classes.
Top Lamb Vendor Averages-
T Lawson & Son sold 20 (56kg) Average £180
Anna Herbert sold 7 (50kg) Average £179
W Ramsay & Sons sold 30 (47kg) Average £178
M&A Gaskin sold 50 (51kg) Average £176
Winsbury Farm Partners sold 6 (48kg) Average £173
Lambs – Top prices ppk 400×2 390 367 360 351 W Ramsay & Sons. 387 365 348 CK&D Muir Ltd. 386 352 343 Anna Herbert. 375 354 353 J Lovegreen. 370 346 JC Hope & Son. 368 345×2 344×2 R Atkinson. 368 JR Knox & Son. 366 344 RO Gilson. 365 W.K M.M Lamb. 363 I Kirk. 361 344 Winsbury Farm Partners. 360 354 344 Askwiths. 357 D&PH Brown. 357 346 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 353 J Pallister & Sons. 351 AWSM Farms. 351 JE Suddes & Son. 355 K&PM Lough.
Lead Grossing Lambs £215 £208 £184 £180 W Ramsay & Sons. £193 £180 £175 Anna Herbert. £189 £171 £170×2 M&A Gaskin. £187 JC Thwaite & Son. £187 £181 £180 Askwiths. £186 £179 CK&D Muir Ltd. £186 D&PH Brown. £184 £177 JR Knox & Son. £184 £178 £174 T Lawson & Son. £183 £169 AWSM Farms. £183 JG Hall. £179 £171 JE Suddes & Son. £179 £170 Winsbury Farm Partners. £179 K&PM Lough. £177 £169 R Atkinson. £177 HG Thompson.
Cast Ewes & Rams (90) – Ewes numbers tight again and trade excellent throughout to see them average £128.40. Top of the day at £291 was a terrific pure Texel ewe from JC Thwaite & Son, Crag Hill Farm; following at £245 were two Beltex ewes from the on-song W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill with tups topping at £205 for a Suffolk from W M Allison & Son Ltd, Quarry Works. Suffolk ewes sold to £175, also from Quarry Works and Mule ewes sold to a top of £145 from CK & D Muir Ltd, Grinkle Park.
Lead Grossing Cast Ewes-
£291 £195 JC Thwaite & Son. £245 £197 W Ramsay & Sons. £205 £175 £141 £123 x2 WM Allison & Son LTD. £199 JC Hope & Son. £189 £171 £147 A&PA Jopling. £175 x2 171 £151 JK&CE Farming. £169 £123 Anthony Tindale. £165 F Shield. £161 JR Knox & Son. £161 T&R Quinn & Son. £161 JJ Horn. £153 JH Johnson. £149 £145 CK&D Muir LTD. £135 JG Hall. £123 R Errington & Son.
