Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their Easter Show & Sale of Prime Stock in conjunction with their weekly sale on Thursday 30th March 2023. Forward were 241 Cattle, 2152 Sheep and 13 Pigs.
88 Prime Bulls sold to 359ppk or £2772
27 Prime Steers sold to 335ppk or £2302
125 Prime Heifers sold to 364ppk or £2148
1 Cull Cow sold for 178ppkl and £1254
30 New Season Lambs sold to 426ppk or £194
1624 Prime Hoggs sold to 325ppk or £158
498 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £200
13 Prime Pigs sold to 125ppk or £139
Show Cattle – Sincere thanks go to our clean cattle judge, Darlington Mart stalwart Paul Taylor Garthwaite of H Taylor & Sons Butchers, Skinnergate, Darlington; Taylors Butchers are extremely longstanding and regular DFAM customers who are now operating from nine quality outlets across the region. Twenty-three beasts were offered in the three classes with both the Champion and Reserve being British Blue’s which Paul’s expert eye drew from an outstanding class of Any Other Breed heifers. The tri-coloured sash was awarded to a superb sort from Barker Farming Partnership, Tancred Grange, Scorton, Richmond – interestingly she was bred in the same village at White Hills Farm before moving on to then return to the renowned Barker Farming finishing unit. Reserve Champion went to father and son team Wayne and Aaron Armstrong of Coxhoe who were just edged out of a second Easter success with the local feeders having scooped this title just two years ago. Specialist heifer feeders John and Nick Hodgson of Summerhouse rarely venture in to the steer world however it was they who claimed the top spot in the bullock class today with a shapely British Blue cross earning them a well-deserved red rosette.
Robert Matten was the man in charge of the bull judging this Easter and we offer thanks to him for his time and expertise. A fair show assembled however nothing could live with the sensational homebred Limousin’s of T N & J Hall, Ainstable Hall, Carlisle as our classy Cumbrian crusaders earned themselves a resounding one, two, three in the show.
Show Results
Champion – Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton sold for 359ppk & £1974 to H Taylor & Sons, Darlington
Reserve Champion – Aaron Armstrong, Coxhoe sold for 341ppk & £1749 to H Taylor & Sons, Darlington
Best Steer
1st – J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold for 338ppk & £1835 to J A Jewitt, Spennymoor
2nd – M F Hall, Ponteland sold for 332ppk & £1719 to Pipers Butchers, Houghton-le-Spring
3rd – Askwiths, Crook sold for 308ppk & £2199 to Worsley Wholesale, Briestfield
Best Limousin Heifer
1st – Aaron Armstrong, Coxhoe sold for 347ppk & £1901 to J Penny & Sons, Rawdon
2nd – T N & J Hall, Carlisle sold for 344ppk & £1802 to J Penny & Sons, Rawdon
3rd – M F Hall, Ponteland sold for 310ppk & £1515 to G Bolam Foods, Sedgefield
Best AOB Heifer
1st – Barker Farming Partnership, Scorton sold for 359ppk & £1974 to H Taylor & Sons, Darlington
2nd – Aaron Armstrong, Coxhoe sold for 341ppk & £1749 to H Taylor & Sons, Darlington
3rd – J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse sold for 344ppk & £2101 to Worsley Wholesale, Briestfield
Best Bull
1st – T N & J Hall, Ainstable sold for 359ppk & £2538 to Bowland Foods, Preston
2nd – T N & J Hall, Ainstable sold for 331ppk & £2436 to Worsley Wholesale, Briestfield
3rd – T N & J Hall, Ainstable sold for 348ppk & £2554 to J A Jewitt, Spennymoor
Prime Bulls (88) – The beautiful bull trade bounds along brilliantly, not even a higher percentage of dairy breeds and crosses could hold the averages down as this week’s show levelled at 280ppk and £1866 per head. The incredible show winner from Ainstable Hall led the price per kilo race at 359 pence with a further 21 good sorts in the pursuing pack selling beyond 300ppk. The top gross values this week belonged to the excellent feeding of D Richardson & Co, Bracken House, Melsonby who produced a quality quintet to average over £2500 with the best a hefty British Blue weighing 906kg and reaching £2772. Thirty Holsteins, Friesians or Swedish Reds this week averaged between them 242ppk and very nearly £1600, the best per kilo hailed from the super-consistent R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall, Brotton at 258 pence however even these expert feeders couldn’t match our top gross value from G W Dobson & Son, Wood Close, South Wingate with a strong 802kg black and white bull selling for a whopping £1932. See below some of the day’s top performers.
T N & J Hall, Carlisle sold 4 to average 342ppk and £2442
W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge sold 3 to average 321ppk and £2007
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 5 to average 318ppk and £2166
S & J Dent & Son, Darlington sold 3 to average 314ppk and £2080
C Binks & Son, Walworth sold 2 to average 309ppk and £2180
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 5 to average 305ppk and £2552
Continental Bulls Top Price Per Kilo – 359 348 331 330 T N & J Hall. 334 324 309 W & M Knaggs & Son. 333 332 330 305 A G Watson & Sons. 328 325 S & J Dent & Son. 325 297 J K & C E Farming. 314 304 C Binks & Son. 312 308 306 304 298 D Richardson & Co. 312 299 J J Kemp & Son. 310 I R Appleton. 297 C W Gray. 297 T F Bothroyd & Son. 297 J R Tiplady.
Holstein Friesian Bulls Leading PPK – 258 255 251 R Hall & Son. 255 247 246 245 243 J M & S Walton. 250(x2) 248 245 244 243 236(x2) 235 230 J M Stuart & Son. 241 G W Dobson & Son. 240 C & M Atkinson.
Continental Bulls Leading Gross – £2772 £2605 £2580 £2467 £2337 D Richardson & Co. £2554 £2538 £2436 £2240 T N & J Hall. £2467 £2317 £2211 A G Watson & Sons. £2395 £2336 £2111 J E & B Morgan & Sons. £2331 I R Appleton. £2253 £2067 S & J Dent & Son. £2238 £2121 C Binks & Son. £2215 £2160 £2072 J J Kemp & Son. £2129 £2080 W & M Knaggs & Son. £2105 J R Tiplady. £2086 £2067 T F Bothroyd & Son. £2053 J K & C E Farming.
Holstein Friesian Bulls Leading Gross – £1932 G W Dobson & Son. £1803 £1782 £1774 R Hall & Son. £1737 £1683 £1671 £1623 £1612 £1605 £1543 £1491(x2) £1456 £1455 J M Stuart & Son. £1572 C & M Atkinson & Sons. £1550 £1467 £1458 J M & S Walton.
Clean Cattle (152) – The magical month of March ends on yet another superb trade with unbelievable averages seeing the heifer’s level at 308ppk and a varied offering of steers 287ppk resulting in the whole show average of an impressive £1790; as always in the live ring – age is irrelevant, farm assurance is really not beneficial and weight restrictions do not apply. The best 39 cattle sold over 330ppk, none kept pace with the brilliant Barker Farming of Scorton, it was they who led the way, even surpassing their own high-flying Champion today with a wonderful 590kg Limousin heifer selling for a staggering 364ppk, four other vendors joined the Scorton firm in the 350 pence club, hats off to the Hirst’s of Neasham, Heather Marks, Brian Walker and the in-form Hall’s of Ainstable Hall. Top steer per kilo was our classy class winner from the J V & J A Hodgson, Summerhouse at 338 pence with more success for Heather Marks and also a fine sort from Ricky Alder the closest chasers. The top 27 all sold over £2000, top heifer at £2148 was yet another cracker from Barker Farming however the top six steers all sailed beyond her, great efforts from the Askwiths of Crook, Watson’s of Rushyford plus L R Welsh & Co, Spennymoor but the day belonged to Richard Ridley of Dipton Foot Farm, Riding Mill with the pick of his exceptional run a fully fleshed 869kg Limousin selling for £2302. See below some super returns.
Heifers
J L Marks, Bishopton sold 3 to average 345ppk and £1958
T N & J Hall, Carlisle sold 6 to average 342ppk and £1814
Barker Farming, Scorton sold 12 to average 338ppk and £2014
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 to average 333ppk and £1901
R Hirst, Neasham sold 13 to average 326ppk and £1925
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 3 to average 321ppk and £1896
Steers
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 2 to average 312ppk and £2205
Askwiths, Crook sold 2 to average 310ppk and £2074
J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay Colliery sold 2 to average 300ppk and £1832
Show Lambs – Here come the springers as another year in the sheep farming calendar begins. The Charollais sheep society are always some of the earliest lambers and therefore often dominate our Easter show, this year was no exception. For the second year running it was a super pen of three from Tom and Judith Hunter who travelled all the way from Hunmanby, East Yorkshire and took the top prize; hunting the Hunter’s for the rosettes was fellow Charollais breeder and first-time prime lamb vendor Deborah Whitcher of Whenby. The heroics from Hunmanby saw the Hunters leave with 9 lambs at a pleasing £167 average whilst the delightful dozen from Foulrice chased them home levelling at £160.
Pens of 3
1st T & J Hunter, Hunmanby (50kg) sold for £194 (388ppk) to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
2nd D Whitcher, Foulrice (41kg) sold for £175 (426ppk) to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
3rd T & J Hunter, Hunmanby (48kg) sold for £165 (343ppk) to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
Spring Lambs – Top prices ppk 426 347 338 311 270 266 D Whitcher. 388 346 343 T&J Hunter. 321 R Tookey & Son. 313 282 AR Breeze. 310 R Todd. 216 A Swinbank & Son.
Lead Grossing Spring Lambs £194 £165 £142 T&J Hunter. £175 £165×2 £162 £160 £142 D Whitcher. £146 R Todd. £138 £130 AR Breeze. £130 A Swinbank & Son. £119 R Tookey & Son.
Prime Hoggs (1624) – The hogg trade has found the accelerator over the past few weeks and today was no exception as trade soared to new heights; handy weights in particular tick the buyers boxes which left a below average show of quality achieving a weighed straight sale average of 273ppk with an excellent SQQ of 289ppk. Top price per kilo at 325 pence went to a tidy 40kg Beltex hogg from local producers Alan and Betsy Kirk of Bullmire Farm, Barton; the chasing pack proved tight as a further 42 lots and over 300 hoggs sold beyond 300 pence. A fine pair of 50kg Texel’s from C Waters, Chilton, Ferryhill topped the gross values when achieving £158 with a host in hot pursuit including a trio of superstars from Nottinghamshire’s G W Whittington at 49kg (320ppk) and £157. The usual heavyweight run from A C Simpson & Son didn’t disappoint as the fifty fine fellows from this good home averaged just over £150. Mule hoggs peaked at £117.50 when a pen of 37 from another Nottinghamshire raider Ian Kirk sold well whilst the hill gotten hogg trade was perhaps a PB for PB when Paul Brown of W H Brown, Swale Hall sold Swaledales to £110 and some excellently fed (and bred) Cheviots to £132.50.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 325 309 W Kirk & Sons. 319 300 JA&B Nappey. 317 295 AS&G Donaldson. 130 T Duckitt. 317 312 S&J Dent & Son. 316 298 P Bisby. 316 306 JH&D Wise. 316 297 WA Richardson Ltd. 316 C Waters. 312 D&PH Brown. 312 308 306 304 302 300 297PR&V Barlow & Son. 310 304 EA Martin & Son. 309 304 JR Knox & Son. 307 GP&A Carter. 307DG&PD Ayre. 307 JA Gilson. 307 304 297 CM Cameron. 307×2 304 DR Wise Ltd. 306 300 Ainsty Farms Direct. 304 SM Donaldson. 304 301 PJ Tindale. 300 WE Frank & Son. 300 JM&S Walton. 300 297 TW Clark & Son.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £158 C Waters. £155 £141 JH&D Wise. £155 £144 P Bisby. £155 £154×2 £152×3 £149 £148 £145 £144 AC Simpson & Son. £154 £151 J Bradley. £150 Ainsty Farms Direct. £150 £149 £147 £145 S&J Dent. £150 £145 W Wearmouth & Son. £149 £148 £145 £143×2 J&A Layfield. £147 £144 D&PH Brown. £146 £145 £143.50 £140 WA Richardson Ltd. £145 Olivia Dent. £145 Hugh Dent. £145 £140 C Binks & Son. £145 £144.50 £142 £141 A Crowder. £143 EA Martin & Son. £141 Ian Kirk. £140×2 PR&V Barlow. £140 DG&PD Ayre. £140 JK&CE Farming.
Cast Ewes & Rams (498) – Ewe trade continues to look strong however perhaps just a fraction easier on the week. No stopping the marauding Midlanders again as Ian Kirk produced some superb Texel ewes to top at £200. Charollais peaked at £170, Mule ewes to £116 and the best of the Swaledales £70 as the show averaged a healthy £101.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £200×2 £192 £185 £180 £140 £134 Ian Kirk. £175 AS&G Donaldson. £170 D Whitcher. £168 S&J Dent. £150 Julia Dent. £142 £140 £136 £125 £118 £113 £112×2 High Harbour Farms. £140 £139 £134 £120 £116 T Lawson & Son. £140 £118 K Raine. £140 JV Hodgson & Son. £138 £130 £114 GW Maw. £133 SM Donaldson. £130 Fletcher & Coates. £129 £122 £120 £107 L Dale & Sons. £128 £121 W Kirk & Sons. £120 JM&S Walton. £120 G Hodgson. £120 JA&B Nappey.
Prime Pigs (13) – There were no show classes for the pigs this Easter; subsequently there were no losers, everyone is therefore a winner.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 125 118 100×2 C Weightman.
Pigs Gross – £139 £103 £88 £53 C Weightman.
