Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their ‘Anniversary Show & Sale of Gimmer Lambs and Breeding Sheep’ on Tuesday 20th September 2022. Forward were 2254 head.
968 Gimmer Lambs sold to £210
881 Shearling Ewes sold to £290
243 Breeding Ewes sold to £360
162 Breeding Rams sold to 1100 Guineas
Show Classes – Judges – Gordon & Julie Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange
A good show was presented before our judges who we sincerely thank for making such an excellent job throughout, the champion pen for the second-year running were the Mule gimmer lambs from longstanding Darlington customers Gary and Brian Luck of Milestone House, Bowes who produced ten absolute beauties. The Reserve Championship went to a super pen of Beltex crossed lambs from more Darlington regulars the Askwiths of Crook. More luck for the Luck’s brilliant sheep soon followed in the Mule shearling class as they gained another red rosette whilst Michael Hogg of Washington Village took the honours in the other breed shearling class with some excellent Texel crosses.
Many thanks to our sponsors Rickerby’s, James Middlemiss Machinery Ltd, G W Robson & Co, Watson Machinery, Mole Valley Farmers, Goodfellow Farming, R W Lynn Fencing Contractors, AgriSource, AGRi Insurance, Castle Farm Vets, Monty Wests, Paxtons, Vickers & Barrass.
Mule Gimmer Lambs Pens of 10
1st Prize J B Luck & Son, Milestone House sold for £210 to C Morris, Streatlam Parks
2nd Prize S Straughan, High Wales Field sold for £120 to A Spence, Low Brooms
3rd Prize T E Dobson, Unthank Farm sold for £152 to Melissa Donaldson, Little Langton
4th Prize P Dent, Moory Lea sold for £96 to A Spence, Low Brooms
Other Breed Gimmer Lambs Pens of 10
1st Prize Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows sold for £148 to R N Kirby & Son, Barstow Hall
2nd Prize T Common & Son, Low Ardley sold for £130 to E Scott & Son, Middridge Grange
3rd Prize T Common & Son, Low Ardley sold for £120 to W Hill, Stub Thorn Farm
4th Prize I & R A Watson, West Hinedon sold for £95 to P Tindale, Paradise Farm
Mule Shearling Ewes Pens of 10
1st Prize J B Luck & Son, Milestone House sold for £210 to W N Stockdale, Middleton Grange
2nd Prize P Dent, Moory Lea sold for £165 to G Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange
3rd Prize J Musgrave, Manor Farm sold for £170 to A Spalding, Hedgeholme
Other Breed Shearling Ewes Pens of 10
1st Prize M Hogg, The Brae sold for £190 to J Layfield, Nackshivan
2nd Prize J & A Moralee, Hardriding Farm sold for £180 to D Thackray, Prospect House
3rd Prize J & A Moralee, Hardriding Farm Unsold
4th Prize I R Appleton, Pudding Poke sold for £160 to M Whorlton, Shepherds House
Gimmer Lambs – The champion pen of lambs duly sold for the day’s top price when reaching an impressive £210; the Mule gimmer lamb trade proved impressive as 575 (+79) sold to average a wonderful £100, this figure is £13 behind last year’s flying trade however still above the levels set in 2020. Continental gimmer lambs enjoyed perhaps the trade of the day and peaked at £162 for Texel crossed Blue Faced Leicesters from R & F Longstaff, Barnard Castle with Texel’s from K Slack just behind at £160. Best of the other native breed lambs came from the annual consignment of North Country Cheviot crossed Lleyn lambs from W R Barron, Muggleswick with a top pen selling for £132.
Gimmer Lambs top prices
Mule: £210 JB Luck & Son. £152 £132 £130 £128 £125 TE Dobson. £135 I&RA Watson. £120 £118 £115×2 £112 £110×2 £100×2 S Straughan. £120 C&JC Stephenson. £112 J Burns. £110 JJM Lonsdale. £100 £98 S Beeforth.
Blue Face Leicester: £162 R&F Longstaff. £120 A I’Anson.
Texel: £160 K Slack. £135 JL Alderson. £130 £120 £110 T Common & Son. £100 £98 SJ Harrison. £97×3 JH Johnson.
Continental: £160 K Slack.
Beltex: £148 £140 £130 Askwiths. £132 £125 £102GW Dent. £120 JL Alderson.
Cheviot: £132 £115 £108 WR Barron.
Suffolk: £124 JH Johnson.
Breeding Shearlings & Ewes – The shearling trade was unpredictable, the Mules got away nicely with an average of £154, the top priced pen at £210 proved to be the class winners from Messrs Luck, Bowes with 15 from P Tindale, Shadforth close behind at £200. Continental shearling buyers were very selective, some stunning Beltex crosses from both J Featherstone, Tow Law and C A & J G Skidmore, Toronto were the only vendors enjoying prices north of £240 with the Tow Law firm highest at £290. Scoth Halfbred’s from Rebecca Appleton, Elwick impressed selling for £230 and £200 whilst some pure North Country Cheviots from Claire I’Anson also reached £200. Trade for commercial Texel shearlings was far from fast with some value for money available throughout, best of the Suffolk cross shearlings came from a nice pen out of Mule ewes shown by A E & F S Glaves, Brompton, Scarborough and selling for £170.
An eclectic mix of breeding ewes were similarly to the shearlings in demand if the quality was high enough, top price of a whopping £360 went to a strong pedigree Blue Faced Leicester from Andrew I’Anson, Marrick which could have practically hopped the fence to her new home with Neil White, Marrick. A fabulous run of correct Mule ewes from P R E Marwood, Huller Bush grabbed perhaps the most attention and duly sold well peaking at a wonderful £158.
Shearlings top prices
Beltex: £290 £180 J Featherstone. £180 J&A Moralee.
Texel: £280 £265×2 £255 CA&JG Skidmore. £240 J Featherstone. £200 P Tindale. £200 £190 Fletcher & Coates. £190 £170 I Spedding. £190 IR Appleton. £190 M Hogg. £180 £170 £160×2 T Wilson. £160 IR Appleton. £160 W&C Iceton.
Half Bred: £230 £200 Rebecca Appleton.
Mule: £210 JB Luck & Son. £200 PJ Tindale. £180 J Sunter. £180 £170×2 DH Dick & Sons. £170 J Musgrave. £165 P Dent. £160 J Holliday. £155 JM Sayer.
Cheviot: £200×2 C I’Anson.
Continental: £190 £180 £165 R Hall & Son. £180 Rebecca Appleton.
Suffolk: £170 £165×3 AE&FS Glaves.
Blue Face Leicester: £160 A I’Anson.
Breeding Ewes top prices
Blue Face Leicester: £360 £170 £100 A I’Anson. £160 £135 R&F Longstaff.
Mule: £158 £155 £145 £125 £108 PRE Marwood. £120 £98 £95 P Dent. £90×3 W&C Iceton. £85 £80 W Emerson. £78×3 TD Easterby.
Cheviot: £150 A I’Anson. £95 £82 TD Easterby.
Continental: £140 W&C Iceton. £100 PRE Marwood.
Texel: £115 £110 PRE Marwood. £108 P Suddes. £95 P Dent.
Pedigree Sheep – Both the Beltex and Blue Texel Sheep Societies were in attendance today, some genuine signs of encouragement that a future lies between Darlington and the Beltex brigade however sadly no encouragement whatsoever was forthcoming from the Blue Texel side of the fence. The top priced Beltex was a cracking shearling tup from R Mortimer, New House Farm, Glaisdale when he sold to O S Laws, Rots Farm, Northallerton for 750 Guineas. Beltex females also impressed with just the six forward from R G & R G Findlay, Quarry Farm, Westerdale seeing shearling ewes up to 380 Guineas and ewe lambs to 220 Guineas.
Leading Prices
Pedigree Beltex (In Guineas)
Aged Ram – 420 R Mortimer
Shearling Rams – 750 580 R Mortimer. 550 J R Wilkinson.
Ram Lambs – 400 L Van Geffen. 380 R G & R G Findlay.
Shearling Ewes – 380 360 280 R G & R G Findlay.
Ewe Lambs 220 200 200 R G & R G Findlay.
Breeding Rams – No repeats of our previous tup sale bonanza, buyers were certainly more vigilant today although the best tups remained a solid trade. Top at 1100 Guineas was a brilliant pure Texel from P Dawson, Bishop Auckland, close behind him came a superb pair from B Layfield, Crook at 1050 and 900 Guineas. Ram lambs peaked at 450 Guineas for a sharp Texel from P Brannen, Scar Top, Penrith ahead of a host selling for 400 Guineas.
Leading Prices (in Guineas)
Aged Ram – Texel – 420 A & R Thompson.
Ram Lambs – Texel – 450 400×2 P Brannen. 200 EW Grieves.
Charollais – 400×2 CW Marwood & Son. 400 D Whitcher.
Suffolk – 350 D Whitcher. 325 W Hill.
Shearling Rams – Texel – 1100 700 600 P Dawson. 1050 900 650 600 B Layfield. 750 500×4 I Spedding. 680 SJ Harrison. 580 550 500 D Barron. 500×4 TJ Carr. 500 TH Richardson & Sons. 500×2 A&R Thompson. 500 T Common & Son.
Charollais – 750 T&J Hunter.
Cross Bred – 650 JR Todd. 650 600 T&J Hunter. 550 500 JR Todd. 520 C Moralee & Sons. 500 AE&FS Glaves.
