Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held the ‘John Norwood Spedding’ show and sale of suckled calves in conjunction with their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock and their fortnightly sale of fodder. Forward were 495 cattle and 1993 sheep.
98 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 390ppk or £3493
8 Stock Bulls sold to 374ppk or £3203
10 Breeding Cattle sold to £2700
67 Young Bulls sold to £2220
146 Store Steers sold to £2320
166 Store Heifers sold to £2600
1705 Store Lambs sold to £171
288 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £190
The John Norwood Spedding Show
Sincere thanks go to longstanding Darlington customer Mr Sam Beachell, Beswick Hall who made the journey up from Driffield to expertly undertake the judging duties. Quality suckled calves from Darlington Mart have headed back to Beswick Hall every year since 2008 and we greatly appreciate the continued support from the Beachell family; as a matter of interest the first packet of steers bought seventeen years ago, almost to the day, averaged just £635 apiece.
The champion was found from the Limousin heifer’s, the classy January born winner also went on to top the days trading at £2600, this really super sort pleasingly went on to sell to a great supporter of the beef industry, Anthony Kitson of Five Houses Farm Shop, Crathorne. Reserve champion went to a superb British Blue steer from BR Lawson, Buddle House Farm, Richmond which also went on to impress in the sale ring and duly top the steer section, he was later to be bought by the judge. Other red rosettes headed back to Hexham with the Common family, plus to upper Teesdale with TW Hutchinson and to Easington with the regular supporting Wilson’s of Calf Close. Well done to all competitors and thanks to our sponsors who are displayed at ringside all year round.
Results
Champion – NG Beveridge (Limousin Heifer)
Reserve Champion – BR Lawson (AOB Steer)
Class 1 – Best Young Bull
1st – T Common & Son, Low Ardley sold for £2220 to ER Hyde & Sons, Leeds
2nd – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £2040 to S Beachell, Driffield
3rd – Walbank Farms, Keighley sold for £2280 to S Beachell, Driffield
Class 2 – Best Limousin Steer
1st – TW Hutchinson, Bail Hill sold for £1720 to S Beachell, Driffield
2nd – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1800 to S Beachell, Driffield
3rd – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1880 to PJ & MP Gilhespy, Ponteland
Class 3 – AOB Steer
1st – BR Lawson, Buddle House sold for £2320 to S Beachell, Driffield
2nd – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1700 to S Beachell, Driffield
3rd – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1490 to P&S Lofthouse, Ripon
Class 4 – Limousin Heifer
1st – NG Beveridge, Low West House sold for £2600 to Five Houses
2nd – RA&S Wearmouth, Middletown sold for £2020 to Five Houses
3rd – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1540 to TN Callender, Stockton
Class 5 – AOB Heifer
1st – A Wilson, Calf Close sold for £2000 to Five Houses
2nd – T&C Smith, Thorsgill sold for £2250 to G&A Gibson & Son, B/Auckland
3rd – RA&S Wearmouth, Middletown sold for £1400 to CR Horner, Thirsk
Sale of Store Cattle
Whilst the second offering of our Autumn suckled calves did not reach the mesmerising averages of the October sale trade remained excellent across the board, some packets of cattle showing noticeable signs of that the back end is very much upon us. In particular today the young bulls enjoyed an absolute flyer today, numbers on offer almost identical saw increases all round on the year with the young bulls averaging £1460 (+£280) the steers averaging £1579 (+£449) and the heifers levelling up at £1397 (+£338).
Beginning with the bulls and an absolutely hum-dinging trade for all shapes and sizes; first time vendors Walbank Farms made a successful jaunt up from Keighley and topped the trade on the day. A stunning 7-month-old British Blue bull from the Keighley firm led the way at £2280, the same good breeding followed at £2220 with another the same age joining T Common & Son, Low Ardley, Hexhamshire who also reached £2220 with a smart Limousin. The store cattle echoed the words used in the store lamb report below, the smaller they are the dearer they look. The champion and reserve mentioned above rightly went away with the day’s top prices; challenging closest was a beautiful 10-month-old Limousin steer from KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook at £2280 and a fine run of Aberdeen Angus steers from E Taylor & Son, Wallish Walls Farm which topped at £2270. Other vendors selling Aberdeen Angus steers over £2200 included both Rose A Farms Ltd, Low Houselop and K Buckle, Brooklyn Farm whilst in the heifers some stretch and style from E Parsons, Newstead Farm sold a trio between £2300 and £2460 and T & C Smith, Thorsgill produced a lovely 8-month-old British Blue heifer calf which made £2250.
Breeding Cattle:
Cows & Calves £2700 F Grieves. £2420 G Hall. £1820 C Harle & Sons.
Bulling Heifers £1680×2 £1520×2 C Harle & Sons.
Store Bulls £2280 £2200 £1900 Walbank Farms. £2200 T Common & Son. £2040 KO Stones. £2040 £1970 £1960 £1820 £1580 £1460 £1370×2 £1320 SG Horn. £1920 £1820 £1640 £1520×3 £1440 £1400×5 A Wilson. £1910 BR Lawson. £1900 £1770 £1740 £1730 £1390 RJ&R Greenbank. £1800 Josh Henry. £1790 £1750 £1720×2 D Dixon. £1750 C Bell. £1620 £1580 A Gregg. £1560 DJ Mallon. £1420 SC Barron.
Store Steers £2320 BR Lawson. £2280 £1880×2 £1800×4 KO Stones. £2270 £2220 £2180 £2170 £1870 E Taylor. £2220×3 Rose A Farms. £2200×2 £1950 K Buckle. £2080 IW Cairns. £1980 £1900 T Common & Son. £1980 R Cairns. £1920 £1900 £1760×3 RA&SL Wearmouth. £1880×2 £1840×2 £1800×2 SC Barron. £1860 B Watson. £1820 J Lowrie partnership. £1820 RE Bainbridge. £1800×2 W&J Herbert. £1780 NG Beveridge. £1740×2 Upsall Castle Farms
Store Heifers £2600 NG Beveridge. £2460 £2340 £2300 £2150×2 E Parsons. £2250 £1640 TC Smith. £2180 £2020 £1920 £1680 RA&SL Wearmouth. £2050 J Lowrie Partnership. £2020 £2000 £1740 A Wilson. £1980 £1900 £1700 IW Cairns. £1950×2 E Peacock. £1950 D&HM Hodgson. £1920×3 £1870×2 £1820×2 £1760 AR Marshall. £1900×2 K Buckle. £1700 £1650 W&J Herbert. £1680 GH Lister.
Cast Cattle – The cow trade continues its tremendous form of late, a two-tier offering included anything and everything imaginable saw all classes in high demand as the sale averaged 265ppk and £1726 per head. Top per kilo at 390 pence was an excellent 42-month-old Limousin heifer from I Marshall & Sons, Hope House Farm. Next in line at 380ppk was a stunning 900kg 6-year-old Limousin cow from WI Suddes & Son, South Farm; eighteen other cattle across the scale checked in over 300ppk. Top gross value went to a brilliant British Blonde cow from P Weightman &Sons, Hallfield Farm when the superb 12-year-old tipped the scales to 965kg and reached a whopping £3493. The aforementioned Limousin from South Farm followed at £3420 with the other female over £3000 being a topping 10-year-old Limousin cow from TN Callender, Ox Eye Farm at £3107. A handy 7-year-old Hereford from J Middlemiss (Farm), The Old Kennels headed up the native trade when she sold for 310ppk and £2492 whilst the finest Friesian’s hailed from Deerness Valley Dairy at 266ppk and G Thompson & Sons, Softley Farm at £1953. Bulls for all occasions with a complete bag of dolly mixtures on offer, the top pair at £3203 (321ppk) was a strong Limousin from Wilsons, Throstlenest and also an OTM Hereford from AP Taylor, Ox Close Farm at 374ppk and £3051.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading PPK – 390 I Marshall & Sons. 380 340 332 WI Suddes & Son. 372 302 Skelton Farming Ltd. 370 362 P Weightman & Son. 355 AC Bentham. 324 J & MJ Walton. 324 322 TN Callender. 312 RO Gilson. 310 J Middlemiss (Farm). 306 Wilsons. 302 KO Stones. 300 WM Reed & Sons.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 374 AP Taylor. 321 Wilsons. 302 GS Bainbridge. 288 C & I Watson & Sons. 228 C Harle & Sons. 228 L Ridley.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading Gross – £3493 £2516 P Weightman & Sons. £3420 £2577 £2493 £2376 WI Suddes & Son. £3107 £2070 TN Callender. £2864 AC Bentham. £2661 RO Gilson. £2492 J Middlemiss (Farm). £2296 W Wearmouth & Son. £2273 Wilsons. £2205 KO Stones. £2199 £2172 Skelton Farming Ltd. £2184 I Marshall & Sons. £2128 J & MJ Walton. £2079 DJ Mallon. £2071 T Common & Son.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £3203 Wilsons. £3051 AP Taylor. £3032 C & I Watson & Sons. £2492 C Harle & Sons.
Store Sheep – The supersonic store lambs march on relentlessly, a heavily hill influenced offering averaged £112.72; the smaller they are the dearer they look. An unbelievable Suffolk crossed lamb from B Cave, Whitehall Farm Cottage led proceeding when it sold for £171. Sticking with the Suffolks the same good home sold a further fifteen at £152.50 just ahead of six from NG Beveridge, Low West House at £150. The Beveridge’s also provided the best of the Beltex with eight at £160whilst Texel’s topped at £150 from M Gallon, High Crows Farm. More Mule’s this week saw over two hundred and fifty top at £126 from HS Hutchinson, White House and average £100. Of the hill lambs it was the Cheviot which came out on top at £118 from S Beeforth, High Crookleith; Blackface sold to £95 from A Kelly, Stonebeck Gate and Swaledale’s to £90 from the Hutchinson’s of White House.
Feeding ewes were an absolutely ferocious trade to see another hill breed heavy show average over £100. Texel’s from the aforementioned Low West House led the way at £190 with any amount of the heavier lowland breeds £150 plus. Top of the Mule ewes at £154 was RRC Andrew, Home Farm with the breed averaging a stunning £115.36. Swaledale ewes hit £100 for half a dozen from D Rutter, Low Farm and the ninety-five forward averaged a marvellous £66.06.
Leading Prices – Store Lambs
Suffolk – £171 £152.50 £134 £131.50 £114 B Cave. £150 NG Beveridge. £145 £143 M Johnson & Son. £138 £135 JR & J Crowe. £134 £122 RA Patterson & Son. £129 £116 E Anderson. £127 C Readshaw. £124 S Beeforth. £119 GW Dobson & Son. £117 D Alderson. £116 Hudgill Rigg. £116 CG Barraclough.
Beltex – £160 £146 £136 £131 NG Beveridge. £149 £131 CA & JG Skidmore. £139 Messrs Beckwith. £130 £128 S Beeforth. £130 EMS Engineering.
Texel – £150 £140 £137 M Gallon. £146 £142 £134 £130 A Lowson. £146 £134 DE Stones. £142 £131 ME Bell. £140 B & J Bainbridge. £139 £137 JR & J Crowe. £138 £133 GD & AF Adamson. £135 Messrs Beckwith. £132 HS Hutchinson. £130 K Sayer. £130 GM & V Bayles.
Continental – £144 £132 RRC Andrew. £142 £138 £136 NG Beveridge. £138 £125 KA & V Armstrong. £137 B Lawson. £135 £124 £120 JD & MS Mortimer. £132 £131 C Readshaw. £130 P Turnbull. £128 £122 S Beeforth. £125 M Johnson & Son. £125 R Dresser. £124.50 £120.50 GT & M Tweddle. £120(x2) Messrs Beckwith.
Mule – £126 £109.50 HS Hutchinson. £121.50 GM & V Bayles. £120 £105 £89 K Sayer. £115 £101 P Turnbull. £110 RA Patterson & Son. £98 GS Dixon. £94 Hudgill Rigg Farm Ltd. £89 E Anderson.
Cheviot – £119 S Beeforth. £109 GS Dixon.
Blackface – £95 A Kelly.
Swaledale – £90 HS Hutchinson. £84 TE Dobson. £74 BR Lawson. £59 £48 K Sayer. £58 Hudgill Rigg Farm Ltd.
Leading Prices – Feeding ewes/Rams
Continental £190 £182 £178 £140 NG Beveridge. £178 IW Cairns. £175(x2) JD Featherstone. £172 £152 HT Davies & Partners. £165 £140 RRC Andrew. £152 D Rutter. £150 £148 £142 £140 FM Armstrong. £148 £140 £136 A Lowson. £140 JD & MS Mortimer. £138 GM & V Bayles. £138 LD Laws. £136 A & R Thompson.
Mule – £154 RRC Andrew. £148 FM Armstrong. £136 F Ward. £135 JD & MS Mortimer. £132 £112 D Rutter. £126 A Kelly. £126 LD Laws. £126 Scown. £118 F Ward. £116 TE Dobson.
Blueface Leicester – £148 TE Dobson.
Cheviot – £145 B & J Bainbridge.
Swaledale – £100 £56 D Rutter. £92 F Ward. £92 GM & V Bayles. £86 Scown. £85 Hudgill Rigg Farm Ltd. £70 £68 S Fenwick. £62 MC Rutter. £60 B Iceton. £58 T Bean & Sons.
Herdwick – £85 Hudgill Rigg Farm Ltd.
Fodder- Yet again the trade for fodder remains highly in demand, shortage of feed keeps prices strong. Entries for the next sale are wanted.
2025 round haylage, 50 bales at £47
Over year hay, 19 bales at £100 per ton
2025 4 string silage, 30 bales at £40
Fodder beet up to £35 per ton
