Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held the junior handlers super single show and sale of prime lambs in conjunction with their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday 29th August 2024. Forward were 169 cattle and 2237 sheep including…
73 Prime Bulls sold to 328ppk or £2724
10 Prime Steers sold to 338ppk or £2015
83 Prime Heifers sold to 358ppk or £2113
3 Cast Cows sold to 126ppk or £849
1843 Prime Lambs sold to 646ppk or £420
394 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £270
Junior Handlers Super Single Lamb Show – Our industry lies in safe hands as our young handlers once again produced a staggering display of both quality lamb and sheep husbandry skills, credit must go to each and every one of them. Thanks go to our company Chairman Mark Dent for carrying out the judging duties, thanks also go to our sponsors and special mention is offered to Dot’s Café for kindly providing the fuel to keep our young shepherds and shepherdesses going throughout the day.
Following his maiden victory last year young Oliver Walton of The Meadow, Hurworth successfully retained his champion status; at the grand old age of four, Oliver becomes the first ever champion to defend the Super Singles title in DfAM. The marvellous black lamb sired by a Dutch Spotted tup weighed a thumping 65kg, he went on to sell for a brilliant £420 to the judge on behalf of JA Jewitt, Spennymoor. The reserve champion rosette was deservedly won by eight-year-old William Gilson of Old Park Hall Farm, Byers Green with his winning entry from the Texel class, this cracking 48kg lamb sold for £300 to Michael Jewitt, Spennymoor.
Whilst this is always a lamb show judged on the butcher’s quality of the sheep two awards are given annually with cash incentives to encourage presentation and showmanship. Winner of the best turned out lamb was our champion handler’s older sister, eight-year-old Katie Walton who presented all her sheep to an outstanding standard, none more so than her chosen lamb a Dutch Spotted cross which weighed 65kg and went on to sell to Daniel Speed of SS Meats, West Auckland for £228. The showmanship award is given for the young handler who shows ability and skill beyond their years, winning today was Harriet Gilson of Old Park Hall Farm who handled her two sheep like a seasoned professional, an amazing performance at just six-years-old.
Final thanks must go to the parents who share our enthusiasm for this event and to generous buyers who support our next generation at every opportunity; the twenty-seven lambs this year averaged a record breaking £200 which is an increase of £31 on last year.
Show Results:
Class 1- Beltex
1st prize- Oliver Walton, The Meadow, 55kg sold for £218 to Lancashire Direct Halal Meat LTD.
2nd prize- Katie Walton, The Meadow, 48kg sold for £248 to SS Wholesale Meat LTD.
3rd prize- Anna Herbert, West Shaws, 48kg sold for £188 to Roots Farm Shop.
4th prize- Harriet Harrop, North Farm, 45kg sold for £160 to Lancashire Direct Halal Meat LTD.
Class 2- Texel
1st prize- William Gilson, Old Park Hall Farm, 45kg sold for £300 to JA Jewitt Meat LTD.
2nd prize- Katie Walton, The Meadow, 59kg sold for £242 to SS Wholesale Meat LTD.
3rd prize- Oliver Walton, The Meadow, 50kg sold for £206 to Lancashire Direct Halal Meat LTD.
4th prize- Anna Herbert, West Shaws, 54kg sold for £200 to Roots Farm Shop.
Class 3- Suffolk
1st prize- Anna Herbert, West Shaws, 74kg sold for £204 to SS Wholesale Meat LTD.
2nd prize- Harriet Gilson, Old Park Hall Farm, 49kg sold for £190 to Lancashire Direct Halal Meat LTD.
3rd prize- Emma Gilson, Old Park Hall Farm, 54kg sold for £176 to Country Valley Foods.
4th Prize- Oliver Walton, The Meadow, 49kg sold for £189 to Roots Farm Shop.
Class 4- Any Other Breed
1st prize- Oliver Walton, The Meadow, 65kg sold for £420 to JA Jewitt Meat LTD.
2nd prize- Katie Walton, The Meadow, 65kg sold for £228 to SS Wholesale Meat LTD.
3rd prize- Harriet Gilson, Old Park Hall Farm, 53kg sold for £198 to JA Jewitt Meat LTD.
4th prize- Bridget Gilson, Old Park Hall Farm, 48kg sold for £180 to JA Jewitt Meat LTD.
Champion- Oliver Walton, The Meadow, 65kg sold for £420 to JA Jewitt Meat LTD.
Reserve Champion- William Gilson, Old Park Hall Farm 45kg sold for £300 to JA Jewitt Meat LTD.
Best Turned Out- Katie Walton, The Meadow
Showmanship- Harriet Gilson, Old Park Hall Farm.
Prime Bulls (73) – Bull trade rolls along very nicely to average this week 285ppk and £1918 per head; arguably a penny (no more) off the top end however the dairy crosses enjoyed probably the sharpest trade for many a week so one with another the bulls would be dearer again. Topping the trade per kilo at 328 pence was a marvellous Limousin from S Wilde, Spite Winter House, Sheffield; five other vendors reached at least 320ppk in a very close race for the top. Another renowned Limousin breeder led the gross values as a stunner from W Barron, Morrow Edge Farm reached £2724; four others sold over £2500 including another from S Wilde, one for T W Clark & Son, Durham and a pair from Jedburgh based Robert Neill & Partners, Upper Nisbet. Few Friesians’ forward amongst a host of first crosses, of the pure-bred ones it was the consistent R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall topping at 246ppk and F S Sturrock & Sons, Elwick at £1538. Some super leading pen averages are listed below.
S Wilde, Sheffield sold 2 to average 323ppk and £2399
JH & M & NW Brown, Darlington sold 2 to average 319ppk and £1968
Renton Highlaws, Morpeth sold 10 to average 314ppk and £2139
T W Clark & Son, Durham sold 3 to average 313ppk and £2280
C Binks & Son, Walworth sold 2 to average 310ppk and £2335
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 328 319 S Wilde. 324 314 JH&M&NW Brown. 324 W Barron. 324 293 M Robinson & Sons. 322 319×2 318 317 316×3 305 298 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 320 313 306 TW Clark & Son. 314 300 294 R Neil & Partners. 312 305×2 301 LR Welsh & Co. 310×2 C Binks & Son. 305 GH Farms Ltd. 302 JJ Kemp & Son. 299 297 CH&SE Armstrong. 292 JA&A Herbert. 291 290 J&K Woodward.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2724 W Barron. £2588 £2190 £2062 TW Clark & Son. £2551 £2538 £2066 R Neill & Partners. £2516 £2282 S Wilde. £2430 £2241 C Binks & Son. £2350 £2246 £2220 £2209 £2177 £2172 £2101 £2051 £1990 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £2243 £1992 JJ Kemp & Son. £2242 £2182 £2114 £2111 £2086 CH&SE Armstrong. £2113 £2081 LR Welsh & Co. £2090 Allison Devereux Farms. £2083 M Robinson & Sons.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 246 R Hall & Son. 229 FS Sturrock & Sons.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1538 FS Sturrock & Sons. £1512 R Hall & Son.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 261 248 CH&ES Armstrong. 252 R Hall & Son. 234 225 FS Sturrock & Sons. 230 JC&P Tallentire.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £1738 £1346 CH&SE Armstrong. £1711 JC&P Tallentire. £1640 R Hall & Son. £1598 £1359 FS Sturrock & Sons.
Clean Cattle (93) – The clean beef buyers remain in fine spirit, granted not quite maintaining the barnstorming prices of last week but still way out in front of most other centres to see heifers average 320ppk and steers 306ppk. Top per kilo at 358 pence were regular selling J V & J A Hodgson, The Grange, Summerhouse with a stylish 569kg Limousin heifer; the next three on the leader board between 349ppk and 352ppk all hailed from the super weekly run of R Hirst, Neasham Grange. A handy weighted show of steers was led per kilo by a marvellous 595kg Limousin from M Barker, Middle Bank End, Appleby when he sold for 338ppk; best of the rest per kilo came from York based P & N Tattersall, Town Farm at 330ppk. Some great gross values with the top twenty-two over £2000, pick of the bunch at £2113 was a superbly finished 613kg Limousin heifer from N E Dyson, Gebdykes Farm, Masham; just a pound behind came local feeder B Walker, Birch Springs at £2112 with the hot Hirst’s finding themselves just a fiver away in third place. Top gross valued steer of the week belonged to G G Stevenson & Son, Trout Hall, Skelton with a 644kg Limousin at £2015 edging out the aforementioned steer from Appleby by a whisker. See below some of the day’s top pen averages.
Heifers
JV & JA Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 10 to average 337ppk and £1991
PJ & MP Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 5 to average 335ppk and £1929
R Hirst, Neasham sold 14 to average 334ppk and £1937
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 to average 332ppk and £1952
NE Dyson, Masham sold 4 to average 331ppk and £2006
HW & J Birkbeck, Kirkby Stephen sold 2 to average 327ppk and £1894
W Swinbank & Sons, Caldwell sold 5 to average 326ppk and £2009
Steers – Top prices ppk 338 M Barker. 330 P&N Tattersall. 326 318 312 Taylor Bros. 313 GG Stevenson & Son. 310 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 308 JR Spink. 274 LW Martin.
Lead Grossing Steers £2015 GG Stevenson & Son. £2011 M Barker. £1974 JR Spink. £1914 P&N Tattersall. £1860 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1802 £1783 £1747 Taylor Bros. £1652 LW Martin.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 358 344×3 337 335 332 330 328 327 JV&JA Hodgson. 352 350 349 343 341 336 330 329 328 326 R Hirst. 348 342 335×2 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 345 338 P&N Tattersall. 345 328 B Walker. 342 336 NE Dyson. 337 333 W Swinbank & Sons. 335 LW Martin. 335 JR Spink. 334 329 325×3 WF Hustwit. 332 GG Stevenson & Son. 330 HW&J Birkbeck. 329 PJ&ES Rogerson.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2113 £2083 £1988 NE Dyson. £2112 £1914 B Walker. £2108 £2069 £2053 £2044 £2018 £1951 R Hirst. £2098 £2069 £2064 £2037 £2029 £2001 £1981 £1968 JV&JA Hodgson. £2075 £2041 £2001 £1992 £1937 W Swinbank & Sons. £2025 P&N Tattersall. £2013 JR Spink. £2010 £1965 £1962 FW Hustwit. £1976 £1949 £1946 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1960 PJ&ES Rogerson. £1956 HW&J Birkbeck. £1932 GG Stevenson & Son.
Prime Lambs (1843) – The biggest show of the season so far, fully fleshed and heavy weighted lambs remain very easy to sell, some runs of leaner meat reduced the weighed straight sale average to 297ppk and £134.88 per head but all things considered prices remain excellent for the end of August. The aforementioned junior handlers quite rightly dominated the top prices, out with the show our leading prices went to R O Gilson, Byers Green reaching 387 pence and £190, a fine effort but not quite matching his super successful grandchildren or many of our other young entrepreneurs for that matter.
Lambs – Top prices ppk 646 412 396 385 Oliver Walton. 625 William Gilson. 516 410 350 342 Katie Walton. 391 370 354 350 Anna Herbert. 387 316 RO Gilson. 375 B Gilson. 373 Harriet Gilson. 368 Edward Marley. 364 317 G&E Walton. 356 C Moralee & Sons. 355 K Hall. 354 Robert Raw. 344 342 336 334 JV&JA Hodgson. 343 CH Tindale. 337 DR Smith. 334 321 D&PH Brown. 333 George Marley. 333 M&A Gaskin. 333 AWSM Farms. 331 320 DG&PD Ayre. 330 WA Wardman Ltd. 329 Mel Whitfield-Stout. 327 Ava Wilson. 325 Emma Gilson. 325 A&EJ Dobinson. 323×2 P&CM Graham. 322 JJ Horn.
Lead Grossing Lambs £420 £218 £206 £189 Oliver Walton. £300 William Gilson. £248 £242 £228 Katie Walton. £204 £200 £188×2 £168 Anna Herbert. £200 George Marley. £198 Harriet Gilson. £192 Katie Walton. £190 RO Gilson. £184 Edward Marley. £182 C Moralee & Sons. £180 B Gilson. £180 Ava Wilson. £177 £174 £164 D&PH Brown. £176 Emma Gilson. £175 G&E Walton. £174 £163 M Pickering. £170 Robert Raw. £169 A&EJ Dobinson. £167 S Coote. £166 CH Tindale. £164 Mel Whitfield-Stout. £161 JV&JA Hodgson. £161 AWSM Farms. £160 K Hall. £160 M&A Gaskin.
Cast Ewes & Rams (394) – Another marvellous ewe trade saw them level at £100 throughout, heavy ewes incredibly well bid for with numerous ringside accounts creating a very competitive trade. Two tremendous pure Texel ewes from B Needham, Woolhouse Farm, Marwood led proceedings when they sold for a whopping £270 per head, plenty of other heavy lowland ewes sold £170 to £240. Mule ewes sold as high as £136 for a quintet from Messrs Bell, Cold Kirby, Thirsk with over 60% of the breed reaching three figures this week. Many more ewes could have sold to vendor advantage.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep- £270 B Needham. £240 £140 A&R Breeze. £236 £152 SM Donaldson. £230 £170 £169 £136 £129 JV&JA Hodgson. £230 £160 F Myers & Sons. £207 £180 Anthony Tindale. £189 £178 JC Simpson. £179 £134 A Kelly. £176 £150 DG&PD Ayre. £170 RO Gilson. £169 M&A Gaskin. £168 £148 £142 WA Wardman LTD. £165 £164 £160 £132 JE Suddes & Son. £161 £154 £140 £136 Messrs Bell. £160 £142 £122 WH&KL Wilson. £158 £139 JV Hodgson & Son. £153 P Cockburn. £148 £146 WB Mitchell & Sons. £146 D&PH Brown. £139 G Bolton. £138 £120 TN Callender. £134 A&EJ Dobinson. £132 P Kirk. £130 P&CM Graham. £129 J Milbank. £129 Carr & Smith.
