Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their ‘Growing Season’ Show and Sale of Store Cattle incorporating a special show of Limousin’s in conjunction with their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store and Breeding stock on Monday 16th May 2022. Forward were 490 Cattle and 576 Sheep.
105 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 234ppk or £1802
6 Stock Bulls sold to 246ppk or £2602
19 Breeding Cattle sold to £1380
64 Young Bulls sold to £1265
114 Store Steers sold to £1540
183 Store Heifers sold to £1840
115 Ewes & Lambs sold to £305
95 Hoggs & Lambs sold to £320
62 Store Sheep sold to £124
Cast Cattle – The cow trade seems to have just boiled over somewhat in the past couple of weeks, it has to be said having enjoyed a glorious purple patch of late, still though prices are indeed quite remarkable as 19 cattle sold beyond 200ppk and 21 the top side of £1500. All in all, a fair show of quality saw the sale average just north of 175ppk and £1200. This week in DFAM we are showcasing all things Limousin as we build up to the pedigree sale on Saturday 21st May, today included a show for Limousin cast cows and the vendors certainly didn’t disappoint with our top 9 prices per kilo all carrying the Lim lettering upon their passports. Top price per kilo at 234 pence went to the 2nd prize winner a fabulous 43-month-old from T Wilson, Thostlenest Farm, Lanchester whilst the classy class winner proved to be a 5-year-old from J E Jordon & Son, Longhirst following closely (along with several others) in the chasing pack. Top gross valued cow on the day was a remarkable 10-year-old Limousin all the way from J T Gilchrist of Dunbar when she sold for a whopping £1802, five other great cows sold beyond £1700. Native breeds peaked at 192ppk (Shorthorn) and £1541 (Aberdeen Angus) whilst the best fleshed Friesians sold as high as 192ppk with the best grossing black and white checking in at £1359. Finally, to the bull beef and it remains in massive demand, half a dozen offered averaged 211ppk and over £2000 with the best a stunning 7-year-old British Blue selling for 246ppk and £2602.
Limousin Cow Show Results
1st J E Jordon & Son, Longhirst sold for 224ppk and £1778
2nd T Wilson, Lanchester sold for 234ppk and £1666
3rd C W Jackson, Etherley Bank sold for 214ppk and £1658
Leading Prices
Cast Cows & OTM – 234 T Wilson. 226 220 G K, K N & G J Hird. 224 216 J E Jordon & Son. 220 J & M J Walton. 218 204 200 196 J T Gilchrist. 218 Foxton Livestock. 214 198 190 C W Jackson. 210 M Gascoigne. 200 G & J H Tomlinson & Son. 200 M Gallon. 200 196 192 W A Wardman Ltd. 196 Dromonby Bridge Farm. 192 N & A Hunter. 192(x2) 188 G A Rogerson & Son. 192 B Watson. 192 J J Dowson & Son. 192 S H Watson & Son.
Cast Bulls Leading PPK – 246 192 W O Whalton. 212 J T Gilchrist. 212 B J Thomas. 208 G H Farms Ltd. 190 A P Taylor.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading Gross – £1802 £1709 £1618 J T Gilchrist. £1793 Dromonby Bridge Farm. £1778 £1717 J E Jordon & Son. £1700 £1658 C W Jackson. £1686 £1541 M Gallon. £1666 T Wilson. £1541 P D Shepherd. £1513 C Harle & Sons. £1510 £1501 Skelton Farming Ltd. £1506 Foxton Livestock. £1497 T W Clark & Son. £1495 C & R Metcalf. £1492 G & J H Tomlinson & Son.
Cast Bulls Leading Gross – £2602 £1691 W O Whalton. £2575 J T Gilchrist. £2169 G H Farms Ltd. £1623 B J Thomas. £1474 A P Taylor.
Show Cattle – We welcomed regular DFAM supporter Ian Maughan, New Hall Farm, Hamsterley this morning who expertly judged the show classes for us and certainly made an exceptional job of his duties. A healthy recently acquired habit of claiming the Championship continued for W A Wardman of Thrushwood Farm, Yearby when a superb 14 month old Charolais somewhat dampened the ongoing Limousin party, the fantastic heifer however proved her worth when she sold for a staggering £1840. Reserve champion went away with another of our regular winners the Stones Family, Nun Cote Nook, Marrick and on this occasion, it was aptly a Limousin winning on Limousin week, not the biggest steer but nonetheless perfectly formed the 11-month-old impressed our judge so much he now heads home to New Hall Farm. An excellent day for both the Wardman and Stones pens during our show with strong competition coming from A & R Thompson, Dimmingdale Farm who so often find their quality cattle there or thereabouts on show day. Best of the young bulls in the show were all from R Simpson & Sons, Temperance Farm; all quality young Limousin’s, what they lacked in age they certainly made up for in quality.
Show Results
Limousin Heifer
1st K O Stones, Marrick sold for £1230 to B Elsworth & Sons, Raskelf
2nd A & R Thompson, Moorsholm sold for £1175 to I Marshall & Sons, Ferryhill
3rd W A Wardman, Yearby sold for £1460 to I M Maughan, Hamsterley
Other Breed Heifer
1st W A Wardman, Yearby sold for £1840 to M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop
2nd K O Stones, Marrick sold for £1250 to I M Maughan, Hamsterley
Limousin Steer
1st K O Stones, Marrick sold for £1190 to I M Maughan, Hamsterley
2nd A & R Thompson, Moorsholm sold for £1140 to I Marshall & Sons, Ferryhill
3rd A & R Thompson, Moorsholm sold for £1140 to I Marshall & Sons, Ferryhill
Other Breed Steer
1st W A Wardman, Yearby sold for £1140 to S Wildman & Son, North Duffield
2nd W A Wardman, Yearby sold for £1350 to M F Hall, Ponteland
3rd W A Wardman, Yearby sold for £1360 to S Wildman & Son, North Duffield
Best Young Bull
1st R Simpson & Sons, Marske sold for £960 to A S & S M Kemp, Sherburn
2nd R Simpson & Sons, Marske sold for £1000 to J K & C E Farming, Piercebridge
3rd R Simpson & Sons, Marske sold for £1050 to A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford
Champion – W A Wardman, Yearby sold for £1840 to M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop
Reserve – K O Stones, Marrick sold for £1190 to I M Maughan, Hamsterley
Store & Breeding Cattle – It really is quite the testament to the recent beef boom when the trade looks marginally easier yet on closer examination the steer average climbed +£43 on the year, heifers +£83 and young bulls +£111, numbers forward were very similar (+ 20 cattle sold).
Proceedings began with a light offering of breeding cattle, many of which were certainly due a vote of thanks as they reach the end of their most commendable and long service to the beef industry. Young bulls followed and sold well however perhaps not quite reaching the extremely high values we have seen lately, topping the sale was a smart 11-month-old Limousin from F Bainbridge, Baldersdale when he sold for £1265, plenty of others sold in the £1100 to £1260 as a minimum price of £100 per month of age remains very much the going rate for the suckler bred bulls. No mistaking our top store as the Champion won by a distance when she sold for £1840, good yearling heifers from the same home followed her in to the winner’s enclosure selling for £1460, £1320 and £1315. An army of steers this week sold beyond £1200 which included a remarkable trio of Friesians from R & W Todd, Toft Hill, of the aforementioned army 11 sold in the £1300’s whilst just 2 bettered it, the wonderful Wardman run with another super Charolais sold at £1440 however the top steer today proved to be a sizeable 22-month-old Aberdeen Angus from J F Harland, Old Lodge which sold for £1540.
Leading Prices
Cows In Calf – £1120 £980 J J M Lonsdale.
Cows & Calves – £1380 R C Raper & Daughters. £1280 £1180 £1100(x3) £1080 £1000 Wolsingham Park Farm.
Young Bulls – £1265 £1180(x2) £1165 F Bainbridge. £1260 £1190 £1170 £1145(x2) £1100 £1090 £900 R White. £1230 T Hill & R Wright. £1230(x2) £1220 £1070 £900 G M Elstob. £1190(x2) W R Barron. £1050 £1000 £960 R Simpson & Sons. £920 R A Patterson & Son. £900(x2) £895(x2) £870 D W Humphrey. £895 G & W Jackson. £890 R L Walker. £870(x4) J T Forster & Son.
Store Steers – £1540 J F Harland. £1440 £1360 £1350 £1300 £1200 £1175 W A Wardman Ltd. £1390 £1320 £1270 £1230 £1225 G S Bainbridge. £1375(x3) £1300 £1280 £1270(x2) £1250 £1200 £1180 R M Reed & Son. £1340 W B Rutter & Sons. £1330 F Hickson & Sons. £1245 M V, N & D Cutler. £1240 C T Gibson. £1225(x4) R & W Todd. £1190 K O Stones. £1180 T T Hall & Son. £1165 J T Parkin. £1160 S J Love. £1155 Y Robinson.
Store Heifers – £1840 £1460 £1320 £1315 £1300 £1200 W A Wardman Ltd. £1270 £1225 I W Cairns. £1260 D Lynn. £1260 M Gascoigne. £1250 £1230 K O Stones. £1225 R N Foord & Son. £1225 £1200 £1175 F Hickson & Sons. £1190 £1170(x3) R L Walker. £1190 £1180 C T Gibson. £1185(x2) J G Wall & Sons. £1180 R M Reed & Son. £1175(x6) A & R Thompson. £1170(x2) W B Rutter & Sons. £1165 A J Lawson.
Store & Breeding Sheep – A relatively warm rain and so it seems that the sheep trade gained a shot in the arm and was indeed in super form, particularly the hoggs and lambs this week exceeded expectations. No doubting our stand out pair of performers as a straight duel between the excellent hoggs of D Carr & Son, High Wood Farm, Hexham and C & E Gaskin, Hillingdon Farm, Marwood shared the limelight; twice the Hexham raiders sold pens of Texel’s with single lambs for £320 with other pens reaching £315 and £305 whilst the Marwood based family just lost out in the photo finish selling between £300 and £318. Mule hoggs and lambs sold to £230 from J B Luck, Bowes and the warranted ewe and lamb section was a landslide victory for more sublime quality from Colin and Liz Gaskin, Marwood topping at £305 for Aberfield ewes with Beltex twins at foot.
Leading Prices
Hoggs & Lambs – £320(x2) £315 £305 D Carr & Son. £318 £310 £305 £300 C & E Gaskin. £285 £250 £230 J B Luck. £225 £210 M W Reed. £225 I Spedding. £220 £205 £200 £195 R A Patterson & Son. £210 G Williamson. £200 D Alderson.
Ewes & Lambs – £305 £275(x2) £230 C & E Gaskin. £215 £210 D Robson & Sons. £215 R Bell. £205 £150 G H & R G Stobbs. £198 £195 £180 £150 G Williamson. £160 S Sayer. £150 J Musgrave.
Store Hoggs – £100 O Conner. £100 £94 T & R Dent. £72 R Watson. £69 T Allanson & Son.
Feeding Ewes – £ 124 £112 S Sayer. £109 A & R Thompson. £102 I W Cairns. £100 £96 £89 T Allanson & Son. £80 R Watson.
