Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their annual ‘New Year Prize Show & Sale’ of store cattle in conjunction with the weekly sale of cast cattle, store & breeding stock and the fortnightly sale of fodder. Forward were 555 cattle and 757 sheep.
81 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 366ppk or £3217
3 Stock Bulls sold to 322ppk or £2650
1 In Calf Cow sold for £1900
60 Young Bulls sold to £2360
161 Store Steers sold to £2420
249 Store Heifers sold to £2300
12 In Lamb Ewes sold to £270
540 Store Hoggs sold to £178
205 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £230
347 lots of fodder sold to £155
Show Cattle – Thanks go to Darlington stalwart Anthony Tindale of Paradise Farm for undertaking the judging duties, some smart sorts came out before him and the excellent job he made was certainly appreciated. There must be something good in the river Swale water to the west of Richmond as two North Yorkshire vendors from that neck of the woods claimed both the champion and reserve rosettes. The top honour was awarded to a cracking Limousin steer from WA Dinsdale & Son, Harkerside, Grinton whilst the reserve ticket went to KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook, Marrick with a shapely British Blue steer. A full break down of the show results as follows.
Champion – WA Dinsdale & Son, Harkerside sold for £2400 to M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop
Reserve Champion – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £2400 to Upper Coton Farms, Northampton
Limousin Steer
1st – WA Dinsdale & Son, Harkerside sold for £2400 to M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop
2nd – WA Dinsdale & Son, Harkerside sold for £2380 to JH & D Wise, Newton Aycliffe
3rd – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £2380 to Upper Coton Farms, Northampton
Limousin Heifer
1st – NG Beveridge, Low West House sold for £1880 to F & R Simpson, Durham
2nd C Peckitt & Son, College Farm sold for £1600 to RM Cornforth & Son, Tadcaster
3rd RA & S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm sold for £1740 to FW Penrose & Son, Ripon
British Blue Steer
1st – KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £2400 to Upper Coton Farms, Northampton
British Blue Heifer
1st – RA & S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm sold for £1740 to RM Cornforth & Son, Tadcaster
Aberdeen Angus Steer
1st – E Taylor & Son, Wallish Walls sold for £1980 to DG Atkinson & Sons, Northallerton
2nd – E Taylor & Son, Wallish Walls sold for £1940 to GG Stevenson & Son, Saltburn
3rd – W Wearmouth & Son, Rose Hill sold for £1600 to P Armitage, York
Aberdeen Angus Heifer
1st – W Wearmouth & Son, Rose Hill sold for £1900 to P Armitage, York
2nd – W Wearmouth & Son, Rose Hill sold for £1680 to JP Coatsworth & Son, Hamsterley
3rd RA & S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm sold for £1280 to SJ Saville & Sons, Driffield
Store Cattle – Business is booming in the store cattle ring as the low grain prices continue to ensure some simply staggering returns; vendors from far and wide found fifty buyers all fit to travel, this sale saw a huge increase in numbers last year and all but maintained those levels today, it is fast becoming a statement sale in the DfAM calendar, thanks to everyone who supported. The brilliant young bulls averaged £1686 (+£371) whilst the super steers averaged £1879 (+241) and the hot heifers averaged £1656 (+£141).
Young bulls began proceedings and trade appeared in good order as the top fourteen passed £2000 and the same amount again sold between £1800 and £2000. Top of the day at £2360 was a superb 14-month-old Limousin from GC & KJ White & Son, Rigg Farm. Further Limousin’s followed at £2320 from JJ Kemp & Son, Elstob Hill plus two at £2300 from J & F Hartley & Sons, Low Shipley and a nice 9-month-old from S Waggott, Hollin Hall at £2280.
Sailing to the top of the scintillating store cattle trade was a delicious 9-month-old Limousin steer from RA & S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm when he sold for £2420. Following at £2400 were two more steers as both our champion and reserve went under the hammer, sticking with steers and checking in at £2380 were the same two vendors as the Dinsdale and Stones pens impressed enormously. Next in line at £2360 was a cracking Limousin steer from F Ward, Rogerley Hall ahead of further steer success with Rose A Farms Ltd and GL & M Steel both selling at £2340, JC Thwaite & Son at £2320 and JS Foster & Son at £2310. Heading up the heifer trade at £2300 was a fabulous Limousin from the fine Cumbrian run of DJ Lister, Woodend Farm, Irton; she was followed at £2220 by a Limousin from T Coulthard & Son, Smith House Farm at £2220 with an Aberdeen Angus from B & B Kitching & Son joining a Limousin from F Ward in a tie for third at £2180. Some leading averages are listed below followed by the top prices. Many, many great runs have, on a busy day, thus far somehow escaped mention. An excellent packet of thirty-seven Aberdeen Angus stores from the Dent family, Brough topped at £2110 whilst forty-two terrific Limousin and Charolais youngsters from Frank Peckitt, Thirsk impressed with March 2025 born heifers selling to £1630 with six more at £1600. All these were joined by some super consignments from Cumbria, Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland, Cleveland, Lincolnshire and as far south as Essex.
Leading Averages
WA Dinsdale & Son sold 2 averaged £2390
JC Thwaite & Son sold 3 averaged £2286
Rose A Farms sold 4 averaged £2205
B & B Kitching & Son sold 3 averaged £2190
JS Foster & Son sold 4 averaged £2172
GL & M Steel sold 2 averaged £2145
T Coulthard & Son sold 8 averaged £2078
J & F Hartley & Sons sold 4 averaged £2070
JG Wilkinson & Son sold 5 averaged £2068
DM McClurg sold 3 averaged £2046
KO Stones sold 7 averaged £2028
GW & L Marsay sold 2 averaged £2010
DJ Lister sold 17 averaged £2008
Leading Prices
In Calf Cow – £1900 JW & GP Furness.
Young Bulls – £2360 GC & KJ White & Son. £2320 JJ Kemp & Son. £2300(x2) £1840(x2) J & F Hartley & Sons. £2280 £2170 £1970 £1880 £1860(x3) £1820 S Waggott. £2090 £1920 B Watson. £2040(x3) £1920(x2) E Parsons. £2020 GA Swinbank. £2010(x2) £1830 RA Patterson & Son. £2000 £1980 M Lebreton. £1840 W Gagg.
Store Steers – £2420 RA & SL Wearmouth. £2400 £2380 WA Dinsdale & Son. £2400 £2380 £2100 £2020 KO Stones. £2360 £2100 £2020 F Ward. £2340 £2220 Rose A Farms Ltd. £2340 GL & M Steel. £2320 £2300 £2240 JC Thwaite & Son. £2310 £2200(x2) JS Foster & Son. £2300 W Wearmouth & Son. £2280 £2210(x4) DJ Lister. £2260 AP & E Procter. £2260 £2180 JG Wilkinson & Son. £2220 B & B Kitching & Son. £2130 L Claughan. £2130 K Sayer. £2120(x3) B Watson. £2110(x5) RL Dent. £2060 GT & MA Wearmouth. £2060 GW & L Marsay. £2060 HS Hutchinson. £2050(x2) E Taylor & Son. £2020 JC Hope & Son.
Store Heifers – £2300 £2100 £1940 £1920(x2) £1900 DJ Lister. £2220 £2140(x2) £2100(x2) £2000(x2) £1930 T Coulthard & Son. £2180 £2170 B & B Kitching & Son. £2180 F Ward. £2130(x2) Rose A Farms Ltd. £2080(x2) £1980 DM McClurg. £2070 £1940(x3) AP & E Procter. £2030 £1950 AC Walton. £2020 £1980 £1930 JC Hope & Son. £2000 £1980 £1920 JG Wilkinson & Son. £1980 JS Foster & Son. £1980 HS Hutchinson. £1960 GW & L Marsay. £1950 GL & M Steel. £1940 RA & SL Wearmouth. £1930 GT & MA Wearmouth. £1920 £1900 MH Hodgson. £1910 £1900 HE Jewitt. £1900 GA Swinbank.
Cast Cattle – A tidy offering of cows found a very fast trade with both the finished and needing feeding in fabulous form as the green market remains the only sensible surrounding to sell in. Averages returned the highest witnessed in recent months at 284ppk and £1926 per head. A blonde bombshell grabbed the limelight; a superb 10-year-old British Blonde cow from P Weightman & Sons, Hallfield Farm set the pace when she sold for 366ppk and an impressive £3217. A couple of cracking 4-year-old Charolais cows from C Peckitt & Son, College Farm impressed when they sold at 364ppk and 354ppk as did a second British Blonde from Hallfield, this one a remarkable 17-years-young sold at £2745. Some nice natives on offer this week, leading the way where a good run Aberdeen Angus from A & AG Moralee, Lowfield Farm to tops of 340ppk and £2657 and also a smart Beef Shorthorn from AP & E Procter, Hillcrest at 352ppk and £2668. More meat on the milkers today, top of the tree at £2297 was a magnificent Montbéliard from JE Holiday & Son, Woodland House Farm whilst the same good parlour produced another to top per kilo at 326 pence along with a good Friesian from R & W Todd, High Toft Hill.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading PPK – 366 328 P Weightman & Sons. 364 354 314 C Peckitt & Son. 352 AP & E Procter. 350 BJS Farms. 346 W & R Kemp & Son. 340 336 330 A & AG Moralee. 326 R & W Todd. 326 324 300 JE Holliday & Son. 324 J & C Barker. 318 J Fletcher. 314 Camphill Village Trust. 312 GW Dobson & Son. 312 308 GC & KJ White & Son. 306 JP & R Ward. 3047 BR Lawson.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 322 G Simpson. 288 JW Teward & Sons. 280 F Hare & Sons.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading Gross – £3217 £2745 P Weightman & Sons. £2669 £2657 £2628 A & AG Moralee. £2668 AP & E Procter. £2638 BR Lawson. £2631 £2518 C Peckitt & Son. £2630 J & C Barker. £2587 £2396 £2389 RL Walker. £2578 LR Welsh & Co. £2428 PJ Glass. £2379 A & D Heyes. £2352 W & R Kemp & Son. £2307 D Forrest. £2297 JE Holliday & Son. £2286 GW Dobson & Son.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £2650 G Simpson. £2422 F Hare & Sons. £2358 JW Teward & Sons.
Store Sheep – The feeding sheep continue in scintillating form, this week the hoggs averaged £113.34 and the ewes £126.09. A super single from James Burns, 10 Coquet Close led the way in the hot hoggs when it sold for a stunning £178, two toppers from EW Grieves, Oakdene followed at £171. The strong hoggs all continue to sell £130 plus, longer keep sorts £110 to £130 with great regularity. Feeding ewes were in top gear again, leading the way at £230 were a fine pair of Texel’s from C Jackson, The Grainery. Suffolk’s sold to £218 from RA Patterson & Son, White House, Cheviot Mules to £194 and North of England Mules to £171 for a pen of seventeen both from AJ & KM Foster & Son, Coquet Nook and horned ewes to a top of £110 from S Beeforth, High Crookleith.
A scattering of in lamb Zwartbles ewes from YL Simmons, Etherley House were keenly bid for and sold to a top of £270.
In Lamb Ewes – £270 £230 £215 £205 £200 YL Simmons.
Store Hoggs – £178 James Burns. £171 £134 EW Grieves. £152 £142 £137 £JC Hope & Son. £147 M Johnson & Son. £146 T & C Smith. £143 £138 £133 £129 C Jackson. £143 £142 AWSM Farms. £142 K Sayer. £140 £131 M Whorlton. £136(x2) £130 M Johnson & Son. £136 £128 G Bolton. £135 J & S Thompson. £129 M & G Hodgson. £128 D & HM Hodgson.
Feeding Ewes – £230 £182 £177 C Jackson. £218 £167 RA Patterson & Son. £194 £171 AJ & KM Foster & Son. £178 £150 DW Robinson. £174 EW Grieves. £170 A Swinbank. £166 £160 £156 A Hughes. £166 S Beeforth. £162 £161 £152 JR & J Crowe. £155 £150 CJM Hedley. £151 B Cowton. £150 D Alderson. £150 M Whorlton.
Fodder – Feed and bedding a flyer as we approach February when allegedly you should have half left. Fodder beet sold in large quantities at £44 per ton, 4 string Heston bales of seed hay sold for £60 each, round bale silage topped at £54, 6 string quadrants of wheat straw sold at £50 each. Rolled oats sold at £104 for 500kg bags and whole oats sold at £155 for 800kg bags. Lots more fodder can be sold fortnightly to vendor advantage.
