Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their Christmas Cracker show and sale of store cattle in conjunction with their weekly sale of cast cows, breeding and store stock on Monday 5th December 2022. Forward were 493 Cattle and 1981 Sheep.
143 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 272ppk or £1822
6 Stock Bulls sold to 198ppk or £1884
147 Store Steers sold to £1565
169 Store Heifers sold to £1640
28 Young Bulls sold to £1180
1816 Store Lambs sold to £108
165 Feeding Ewes sold to £195
Show Cattle – Kindly judged by Michael Robinson of Staindrop, sponsored by W E Jameson, Masham and also willingly supported by the Farmers Guardian Mart’s the Heart todays show brought out both quality and quantity. An excellent run of April and May born calves produced by D J Mallon of Pallet Cragg Farm, Teesdale dominated the early morning show and deservedly took the top accolades, a couple of crackers from W Love Ltd, Sandy Carr Farm, Tow Law proved to be the closest chasers to the successful Teesdale consignment. A tidy run of bulls from D Bannister, Shawfield Farm, Bradford ensured they had a successful first visit to DFAM when they picked up the top two prizes in their class. The Champion went on to sell to our judge with the reserve heading to Driffield and regular buyer of quality Sam Beachell.
Champion
D J Mallon, Teesdale sold to M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop for £1260
Reserve Champion
D J Mallon, Teesdale sold to S Beachell, Driffield for £1200
Best Heifer
1st D J Mallon, Teesdale sold to M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop for £1260
2nd W Love Ltd, Tow Law sold to I Swales, Goole for £1150
3rd D J Mallon, Teesdale sold to I Swales, Goole for £1090
Best Steer
1st D J Mallon, Teesdale sold to S Beachell, Driffield for £1200
2nd W Love Ltd, Tow Law sold to S Beachell, Driffield for £1050
3rd Northfield Farms, Bowes sold to S Beachell, Driffield for £1080
Best Young Bull
1st D Bannister, Bradford sold to A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford for £970
2nd D Bannister, Bradford sold to J K & C E Farming, Piercebridge for £760
3rd J C Johnson, Trimdon sold to E R Hyde & Sons, Wakefield for £1060
Cast Cattle & OTM – Cow numbers continue to climb, excellent in the short term perhaps however alarming when we look at the bigger picture. Trade again superb with the average of 156ppk stunning given that some 58 native breeds and a further 36 dairy cows helped make up the numbers today. An absolute gem from J C Johnson, Beanley Carr Farm, Trimdon led the way when the sensational Limousin OTM heifer sold for 272 pence per kilo and £1822, impressing in her slipstream were a hefty girl from J R & M Richardson, Winston which also surpassed £1800 and well worthy of mention was a remarkable 10-year-old pure Limousin from W I Suddes & Son, Cornsay which sold for 226ppk and £1783. Best of the native breeds today were Beef Shorthorns as G A Rogerson & Son, Thropton sold a 4-year-old to 224ppk and Mayfield Beef Shorthorn’s, Wolsingham had an older cow reach £1562. Friesian cows sold to tops of 166ppk from Cowclose Farm, Stapleton or £1306 from J T Forster & Son, Killerby. Last but not least the stock bulls, twice 8-year-old Limousin’s led the way with A J Marr & Son, Old Ravensworth selling to £1884 and R & W Todd, Toft Hill best at 198ppk.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading PPK – 272 J C Johnson. 228 184 E Scott & Sons. 226(x2) 212 W I Suddes & Son. 224 220 212 200 G A Rogerson & Son. 218 G P Addison. 212 Mayfield Beef Shorthorns. 208 188 J R & M Richardson. 206 B Storey. 206 196 184 180 Skelton Farming Ltd. 200 D Barron. 198 I M Maughan. 198 R O Gilson. 196 A W Sanderson. 194 F W Hodgson & Son. 192(x2) 188 D J Mallon. 188 H S Hutchinson. 188 184 S N Bird & Sons. 186 180(x2) B Cave. 182 T A & J Swinbank. 180 J L & J A Sunter. 180 R G & H E Thompson.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 198 R & W Todd. 190 A J Marr & Son. 162 G W & M Singleton & Sons. 142 G W Chapman. 134 R N Armstrong. 130 H S Hutchinson.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading Gross – £1822 J C Johnson. £1801 £1314 J R & M Richardson. £1783 £1626 £1545 W I Suddes & Son. £1579 £1422 £1350 £1326 £1323 Skelton Farming Ltd. £1573 G P Addison. £1562 Mayfield Beef Shorthorn’s. £1490 R O Gilson. £1464 £1381 £1309 D J Mallon. £1462 D Barron. £1426 £1312 B Cave. £1400 Wolsingham Park Farms. £1397 T A & J Swinbank. £1377 R G & H E Thompson. £1367 Duell Partners. £1356 A W Sanderson. £1349 E Scott & Sons. £1327 T T Hall & Son. £1312 £1306 J T Forster & Son. £1305 F W Hodgson & Son. £1302 J W Muir & Sons.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £1884 A J Marr & Son. £1658 R N Armstrong. £1655 R & W Todd. £1579 G W & M Singleton & Sons.
Store Cattle – The show calves had to take a back seat when it came to top prices as some powerful sorts sold to exceptional levels; few have challenged the tremendous Limousin’s of D W Dresser this past few weeks and it was more glory today for the red hot Greatham based firm. A terrific 2-year-old heifer from the Dresser’s sold for a mouth-watering £1640 whilst their top steer proved to be a 20-month-old at £1565. A Darlington debut in the store cattle ring for Newbigging Farms, Craster went well as they too sold nicely over £1500, a whole army of strong stores followed in the £1300-£1400’s. Top of the young bulls this week was a tidy 10-month-old Limousin from Hughes Brothers Farms, Neasham when he sold for £1180, a super sort with very similar credentials from B R Lawson, Whashton followed closest at £1135.
Leading Prices
Young Bulls – £1180 £1100 £1090(x2) £1000(x2) £965(x2) £950 Hughes Bros Farms Ltd. £1135 £1000 £920 B R Lawson. £1060 £910 J C Johnson. £975 E Scott & Sons. £970 £905 £880 £760 £755 D Bannister. £950 £910 £790 £760 J Fletcher.
Store Steers – £1565 £1510 £1495 D W Dresser. £1535 £1500 £1255 Newbigging Farms Ltd. £1470(x2) £1430(x2) £1410(x2) £1390(x2) £1375(x2) £1330(x2) £1245(x2) £1240 J H Johnson. £1440 D Bannister. £1335 £1225(x3) M E & T D Tailford. £1330 R G Richardson. £1220 N Swinbank. £1200 D J Mallon. £1190(x2) A Thompson. £1180(x2) £1110 K Sayer. £1180 R A & S L Wearmouth. £1150(x2) B & B Kitching & Son. £1150 J C Thwaite & Son. £1100 A & R Thompson.
Store Heifers – £1640 £1480 £1275 £1265 £1170 D W Dresser. £1490 £1370 £1355 £1305 £1245 £1200 £1180 £1175 J & E M Lawson. £1475 £1445 £1370 J D & M S Mortimer. £1440 £1310 £1120 Newbigging Farm. £1440 B R Lawson. £1370 £1360(x2) J C Johnson. £1295 £1230(x3) £1155 B & B Kitching & Son. £1260 D J Mallon. £1240 £1180(x3) F H Hutchinson. £1235 £1215 Leslie Brown. £1195 G T & M A Wearmouth. £1190 £1150 A C Walton. £1170 P D Shepherd. £1160 R C Wharton & Son. £1150 W Love Ltd.
Store Lambs – A plainer show on the whole as many vendors are perhaps reaching the end of the line, this and the deluge of recent rain did mean that after last week’s blistering trade the buyers foot came off the gas ever so slightly today. Biggest and best lambs still selling north of £100, the top today a strong pair of Suffolk’s from B & L Robson, Gawen House sold for £108 with ten top Texel’s from W & M Knaggs, Sadberge close behind. Feeding ewes, a ferocious trade with a quintet of quality Texel’s from A & R Thompson, Dimmingdale Farm leading the way at £195.
Store Lambs
Suffolk – £105 B & L Robson. £89 T Lawson & Son. £87 J H Johnson. £81 R & G Stobbs. £80 G W Dobson & Son. £78 J J M Lonsdale.
Texel – £104 £91 W & M Knaggs & Son. £104 £100 J J M Lonsdale. £103 T Lawson & Son. £102.50 £93 P Cockburn. £102 £98 £96 J W & J Collin. £101 G Rivers. £96.50 £91 G E Raw. £96 J Davis. £96 M Dawson. £96 J G & E M Welford. £91 I R Appleton. £91 M R Madrell. £90 Tom Bell. £90 R Bell.
Mule – £97.50 P Cockburn. £97 Wolsingham Park Farms. £90 £79 R Watson. £85 Hagg Farm. £81.50 £81 A Wilson.
Swaledale – £59 T Blenkiron. £55 Wolsingham Park Farms. £46 T E Dobson.
Feeding Ewes – £195 A & R Thompson. £140 £90 L Turnbull. £110 J G & E M Welford. £102 D Rutter. £100 T E Dobson. £98 B Lowson. £86 B & J Bainbridge. £86 AWSM Farms. £85 I R Appleton.
