Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held a special sale of breeding sheep and their annual ‘Hill of a Day’ sale of hill bred sheep on Tuesday 7th October 2025. Forward were 727 head.
Show of Mule Gimmer Lambs
Taking charge of the Mule gimmer lamb class at our second offering of the season were the father and son team of Andrew and Tommy Smith of Stockshome House and Thorsgill Farms respectively. The red rosette went the same way as it did at our Great Annual sale as the terrific breeding of TE Dobson, Unthank Farm, Stanhope led the way. Rosettes were also won by OM Wearmouth & Son, Mossville, Mickleton and GM & V Bayles, Haithwaite Farm, Barningham. Congratulations to the winners and huge thanks to our judges, see the prices below.
1st TE Dobson sold for £185 to JG Walton & Son, Rockliffe Farm
2nd OM Wearmouth & Son sold for £160 to WL Robinson & Partners, Prospect House
3rd GM & V Bayles sold for £145 to B&J Bainbridge, Cockfield Hall
Gimmer Lambs
The sharp trade from our main sale spilled over to today as the two hundred Mule running lambs kept pace with 12-months ago and averaged £137.55. The delicious Dobson lambs led the way with their show winners at £185, the forty-five crackers from Unthank averaged £166.04. Plenty of the other well-bred Mule lambs sold £140 to £160, once again a trade equal, if not better than anywhere else in the region. Elsewhere the gimmer lambs topped at £300 for an excellent single Bluefaced Leicester from J & MJ Walton, West Shotton Farm, topping the continentals were a strong pair of black lambs from CA & JG Skidmore, Needless Hall at £185.
Gimmer Lambs-
Blue Faced Leicester- £300 J&MJ Walton.
Mule- £185 £165 x2 £162 £150 TE Dobson. £160 £152 £145 £120 OM Wearmouth & Son. £145 £140 £130 £120 Rochester & Murray. £145 £122 GM&V Bayles. £132 C&JC Stephenson.
Continental- £185 £178 £170 CA&JG Skidmore. £160 W Hanson.
Herdwick- £118 J Musgrave.
Ewes & Shearlings
The annual hill sale of Swaledale draft ewes saw them average £114.13 which was a pleasing £39.33 increase on the year. Top of the Swaledale’s at £140 were seven smart sorts from RW Ridley, Tongue Hill with a couple of pens of thumping ewes from TE Dobson, Unthank Farm in close attendance at £132. A pair of strong Texel’s from J & C Dent, Longdale Grove led the trade for lowland ewes at £210 whilst nine hefty Suffolk’s from P Foster, Guisborough followed closest at £200 and the same good run sold ten Texel’s at £195. A variable show of shearlings sold well with value for money if anywhere lying in the Mules on this occasion. Top of the day at £340 was a cracking North Country Cheviot from KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook, following her at £305 was a shapely continental from CA & JG Skidmore, Needless Hall at £305.
Shearlings-
Cheviot- £340 £300 KO Stones. £255 £205 Victoria Wilson. £200 CL I’Anson.
Continental- £305 CA&JG Skidmore. £155 J&C Dent.
Texel- £250 CA&JG Skidmore. £200 A Suddes.
Beltex- £245 £220 CA&JG Skidmore.
Mule- £225 RG Johnson & Son. £180 JR Mann. £150 S Straughan.
Suffolk- £200 CA&JG Skidmore.
Zwartbles – £198 £175 x2 T&HA Barrass.
Swaledale- £135 TE Dobson.
Herdwick- £95 Calladine.
Ewes-
Texel- £210 J&C Dent. £195 P Foster. £175 S Straughan. £160 S Coote.
Suffolk- £200 P Foster.
Charollais- £175 P Foster.
Blue Faced Leicester- £180 x2 £175 S Straughan.
Cheviot- £170 CL I’Anson.
Mule- £160 J&C Dent. £145 £125 P Foster. £130 £125 S Coote.
Continental- £150 J&C Dent.
Swaledale- £140 £130 £120 RW Ridley. £132 x2 TE Dobson. £130 PJ Tindale. £125 £102 DM&PM Nelson & Sons. £120 x4 £110 £100 RK & S Ridley.
Herdwick- £110 Calladine. £80 £60 J Musgrave.
Tups
Tup trade in good tune with an 86% clearance achieved, quality counts to be up in the top price bracket. Leading the way at £850 was an excellent North Country Cheviot shearling from KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook; the impressive ‘Park Type’ sold to Howe Estates, Howe Park. Following at £800 were two further tups, another from the on-song Stones pen and also the pick of a nice pen of Texel shearlings from J Ashbridge, Mount Grace. The Ashbridge pen went on to sell all five forward with an average of £750 per head. Texel’s topped the lambs when an impressive lad from regular supporters P & K Brannen, Scar Top sold for £680. A host of Bluefaced Leicester’s assembled on hill sale day, top of them all at £650 was a cracking crossing type lamb from S Straughan, High Wales Field.
Tups –
Cheviot- £850 £800 KO Stones.
Texel- £800 £780 £750 £720 £700 J Ashbridge. £680 £500 P&K Brannen. £550 J&C Dent. £550 EW Grieves. £520 £500 B&A Myers.
Blue Faced Leicester- £650 £220 S Straughan. £500 C&JC Stephenson. £450 J&MJ Walton. £350 £220 DG Sayers. £250 SMA&J Swinbank.
Suffolk- £350 £340 £300 NM Peacock.
