Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their annual two-day Christmas prime stock show and sale on Wednesday 4th and Thursday 5th December 2024. Forward were 150 cattle and 2166 sheep.
56 Prime Bulls sold to 380ppk or £2960
9 Prime Steers sold to 530ppk or £3657
85 Prime Heifers sold to 690ppk or £4416
1915 Prime Lambs sold to 666ppk or £320
251 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £231
Wednesday – Charity Auction – As always, this showcase event raised vital funds for worthy charitable organisations and once again the DfAM community pulled together in a magical display of support, we would like to sincerely offer heartfelt thanks on behalf of Darlington Mart, Sepsis UK, The Salvation Army and Team Solan Connor Fawcett Cancer Trust. The auction raised over £3000 and the three excellent charities were also represented and collecting at the event ensuring they all benefitted from the farming community’s generosity; top priced lot at £600 was a beautiful painting of a Highland cow kindly donated by the talented artist Allison Lamb, Cotherstone. A fabulous gift hamper from Crowberry Wood sold away at £300 whilst an excellent forerib of beef kindly given by Bowland Foods sold for £270. All lots exceeded expectations, all buyers showed remarkable generosity and the evening ended with a superb carol service accompanied beautifully by the Salvation Army band.
Wednesday – Clean Cattle Show
Thanks primarily go to our judge for the evening Mr Ian Brown of Brown’s Quality Butchers and Brown’s Farm Shop, Lindal-in-Furness, Ulverston who made his way across the Pennines to expertly place the marvellous display of show beast put before him. Secondly, we must thank our host of sponsors who sign up annually to back British farming and ensure that we always offer a healthy prize fund for the hard-working vendors who once again produced some terrific quality this year.
The twenty-six heifers and two steers entered in the show classes contained a staggeringly good top end, half a dozen or more genuine superstars were on display and arguably worthy of winning however only one animal can go on to claim the coveted Stephen Aitken memorial trophy. Congratulations go to Alan Barnett of Brinns Farm, Shap who after several near misses in previous years finally, and deservedly, scooped the biggest prize in our prime stock calendar with a stunning 640kg black Limousin crossed heifer. The glorious heifer has everything a butcher needs, great shape and lines and finished to perfection ensuring she handles impeccably with what can only be described as a phenomenal loin. The reserve champion ticket went to Leyburn based Georgina Laws with her haltered 690kg steer; the high-quality red Limousin bullock is remarkably the brother to last years steer champion at this show from Georgina, both were sourced from the renowned show calf producer John Smith-Jackson, Haydon Bridge.
With Cumbria and North Yorkshire claiming the top two accolades it was success for Scotland when it came to the home-bred prize as W M Fleming, Moss Tower, Kelso won the Jim Marks Memorial trophy with their stunning red Limousin heifer. The Fleming family have been in terrific form at our weekly prime stock sales with their home-bred heifers, so good was their class winner that she even kept the flying chap from Shap at bay in the first of the three Limousin heifer class, a full breakdown of the show results can be seen later in the report.
Champion from Alan Barnett
Reserve Champion from Georgina Laws
Heather Marks presenting the Jim Marks trophy to William Fleming
Wednesday – Prime Lamb Show
An increased offering this year as some twenty-nine pens of three lambs were split over five classes and put before our expert judge Luke Swales of Knavesmire Butchers, York who we thank for his time and expert opinion. Taking their third championship in four years were the Askwith family of Low Mown Meadows, Crook with a terrific trio of 48kg Beltex sired lambs, the same good home then also claimed the reserve championship with their pen of 45kg lambs which were earlier placed second to the champions in the third weight class. A great day for the Askwith feeding with all their lambs in the rosettes as they held last year’s champions the Ramsay brothers off on this occasion, good results on the night were also notable for David Brannen and Peter Tindale plus Richard Bailes who swept the board in the natives with his Suffolks finishing 1st, 2nd and 3rd of the six entries in that class.
Champion Lambs from the Askwiths with Judge Luke Swales
Reserve Champion Lambs from the Askwiths
Thursday – Prime Bull Show
The bull judging was in the capable hands of last night’s lamb judge Luke Swales, Knavesmire Butchers, York and an outstanding show of quality assembled. Picking up the champion ticket was Darlington regular Neil White of Barf House, Marrick with an exceptional home bred 779kg Limousin bull; Neil was in the tickets again in third place with Thirsk based Olivia Matten’s British Blue sandwiched in between. Top of the black and white bull class is more often than not the Hall family of Kilton Hall, Brotton and this year was no exception as the fantastic feeders placed first and third in their class with JK & CE Farming of Piercebridge taking second.
Thursday – Charity Lamb Donation
A very generous gesture from the Askwith family of Crook was made of a wonderful Beltex lamb to be sold in aid of the Team Solan Connor Fawcett Cancer Trust. As always in these instances we fully see the generosity of our butchers, wholesalers, buyers and farmers and after multiple purchases and re-gifting the lamb added an extra £1560 to the funds which were raised on the previous day. Thank you to the Askwiths, to the buyers who were Worsley Wholesale, DfAM, Robert Atkinson, JA Jewitt Ltd, Shans Group and Lancashire Direct Halal. Good luck go with Mark and Sarah at Team Solan who work tirelessly changing lives for the better all across the North East.
Clean Cattle Show Results & Prices
Overall Champion & Champion Heifer
A Barnett, Brinns Farm 640kg sold for 690ppk and £4416 to Browns Quality Butchers, Ulverston
Reserve Overall Champion & Champion Steer
A G Laws, High Village Farm 690kg sold for 530ppk and £3657 to Kitsons Butchers, Northallerton
Jim Marks Memorial Trophy for best homebred beast
Lot 7- W M Fleming, Moss Tower 586kg sold for 500ppk and £2930 to H Taylor & Sons Butchers, Darlington
Limousin Steer Haltered
1st– AG Laws, High Village Farm sold for 690kg sold for 530ppk and £3657 to Kitsons Butchers, Northallerton
Limousin Unhaltered Steer
1st– EW Grieves, Oakdene 667kg sold for 318ppk and £2121 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
Light Weight Limousin Heifer
1st– WM Fleming, Moss Tower 586kg sold for 500ppk and £2930 to H Taylor & Sons Butchers, Darlington
2nd– A Barnett, Brinns Farm 584kg sold for 426ppk and £2487 to John Penny & Sons, Rawdon
3rd– M Robinson & Sons, East Alwent 572kg sold for 420ppk and £2402 to Knavesmire Butchers, York
Medium Weight Limousin Heifer
1st– A Barnett, Brinns Farm 601kg sold for 426ppk and £2560 to Browns Quality Butchers, Ulverston
2nd– A Barnett, Brinns Farm 597kg sold for 424ppk and £2531 to H Taylor & Sons Butchers, Darlington
3rd– EW Grieves, Oakdene 629kg sold for 370ppk and £2327 to John Penny & Sons, Rawdon
Heavy Weight Limousin Heifer
1st– A Barnett, Brinns Farm 640kg sold for 690ppk and £4416 to Browns Quality Butchers, Ulverston
2nd– A Barnett, Brinns Farm 739kg sold for 368ppk and £2719 to J A Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
3rd– N E Dyson, Glebdykes Farm 753kg sold for 356ppk and £2680 to John Penny & Sons, Rawdon
British Blue Heifer
1st– A Barnett, Brinns Farm 572kg sold for 448ppk and £2562 to Kitsons Butchers, Northallerton
2nd– M Robinson & Sons, East Alwent 576kg sold for 402ppk and £2315 to Browns Quality Butchers, Ulverston
3rd– A Barnett, Brinns Farm 636kg sold for 408ppk and £2594 to J A Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
Any Other continental Heifer
1st– EW Grieves, Oakdene 692kg sold for 344ppk and £2380 to John Penny & Sons, Rawdon
2nd– B Walker, Birch Springs 590kg sold for 370ppk and £2183 Thompson Wholesale, Witton-le-Wear
Native Bred
1st– Robert Neill & Partners, Upper Nisbit 631kg sold for 350ppk and £2208 to Worsley Wholesale, Liversedge
2nd– M Robinson & Sons, East Alwent 510kg sold for 352ppk and £1795 to Thompson Wholesale, Witton-le-Wear
Prime Bull Show Results & Prices
Champion Bull
N White, Barf House 779kg sold for 380ppk and £2960 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
Best Continental Bull Any Weight
1st – N White, Barf House 779kg sold for 380ppk and £2960 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
2nd – Olivia Matten, Avenue Grange 756kg sold for 370ppk and £2797 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
3rd – N White, Barf House 721kg sold for 363ppk and £2617 to Worsley Wholesale, Liversedge
Best Holstein/Friesian Bull Any Weight
1st – R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall 656kg sold for 297ppk and £1948 to Bowland Foods, Preston
2nd – JK & CE Farming, Blue House Farm 658kg sold for 261ppk and £1717 to Bowland Foods, Preston
3rd – R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall 619kg sold for 273ppk and £1689 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
Prime Lamb Show Results & Prices
Champion pen of 3 lambs
Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows 48kg sold for 666ppk or £320 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
Reserve Champion pen of 3 lambs
2nd Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows 45kg sold for 577ppk or £260 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
Best pen of 3 Continental Lambs 120kg and under
1st P J Tindale, Preston Tilery 39kg sold for 338ppk or £132 to Lancashire Direct Halal
Best pen of 3 Continental Lambs 121kg-135kg
1st J D Brannen, Red Barns 41kg sold for 351ppk or £144 to Lancashire Direct Halal
2nd J D Brannen, Red Barns 41kg sold for 351ppk or £144 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
3rd W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill 44kg sold for 352ppk or £155 to Lancashire Direct Halal
Best pen of 3 Continental Lambs 136kg-150kg
1st Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows 48kg sold for 666ppk or £320 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
2nd Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows 45kg sold for 577ppk or £260 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
3rd W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill 46kg sold for 347ppk or £160 to Lancashire Direct Halal
Best pen of 3 Continental Lambs 151kg and over
1st Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows 51kg sold for 396ppk or £202 to Knavesmire Butchers, York
2nd W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill 61kg sold for 311ppk or £190 to JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor
3rd W Ramsay & Sons, Blakeley Hill 56kg sold for 342ppk or £192 to Knavesmire Butchers, York
Best Pen of Native Breed Lambs
1st R Bailes, Cole Hill Farm 54kg sold for 311ppk or £168 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
2nd R Bailes, Cole Hill Farm 52kg sold for 317ppk or £165 to Pickstock Foods, Derbyshire
3rd R Bailes, Cole Hill Farm 44kg sold for 340ppk or £150 to Lancashire Direct Halal
Sale Reports
Prime Bulls (56) – The bouncing bull trade bundles it’s way in to December in much the same fashion as it left November as prices and demand remain very high. This week’s offering including the show stopping show bulls averaged a marvellous 314ppk and £2209 per head. None could catch our show winner from Barf House, Marrick as he topped the day at 380ppk and £2960; next in line per kilo was the second-place bull from Olivia Matten at 370 pence ahead of J B Luck & Son, Milestone House who sold twice to 366ppk on a day which remarkably saw the top sixteen sell at 340ppk or more. The gross value list was also impressive and also led by the Marrick maestro, behind him a remarkable twenty bulls sold over £2500 with the top nine over £2700 including a different bull from the Matten’s yard at £2950 and a cracker from A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm at £2886. The Friesian feeding phenomenon that is the Hall’s of Kilton Hall duly claimed the top spot today with their first prize winner at £297ppk and £1948 as the black and whites this week averaged 255ppk and £1559 across the board. See below some of the leading pen averages.
N White, Marrick sold 3 to average 365ppk and £2695
J B Luck & Son, Bowes sold 3 to average 359ppk and £2513
GK, KN & GJ Hird, Whashton sold 2 to average 355ppk and £2469
J A Matten & Sons, Thirsk sold 3 to average 354ppk and £2816
L R Welsh & Co, Spennymoor sold 4 to average 339ppk and £2180
A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 4 to average 336ppk and £2703
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 380 363 353 N White. 370 350 344 JA Matten & Sons. 366×2 344 JB Luck & Son. 357 354 GK KN & GJ Hird. 350 340 336 324 AC Simpson & Son. 350 349 336 325 LR Welsh & Co. 340 WE Swales & Sons Ltd. 337 JJ Horn. 330 319 Foxton Livestock. 325 A&MJ Henshaw. 324 312×2 311 308 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 323 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 311 298 S Luck & Son. 300 288 JA&A Herbert. 296 JC&P Tallentire.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls£2960 £2617 £2509 N White. £2950 £2797 £2700 JA Matten & Sons. £2886 £2733 £2694 £2499 AC Simpson & Son. £2798 WE Swales & Sons Ltd. £2781 £2540 £2218 JB Luck & Son. £2702 £2660 Foxton Livestock. £2634 £2304 GK KN & GJ Hird. £2561 JJ Horn. £2545 £2534 £2514 £2464 £2420 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2509 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £2461 S Luck & Son. £2241 £2187 £2148 £2146 LR Welsh & Co.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 297 273 264 R Hall & Son. 267 261 JK&CE Farming. 243 230 GW Dobson & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1948 £1895 £1689 R Hall & Son. £1727 £1717 JK&CE Farming. £1600 £1492 GW Dobson & Son.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 316 313 296 291 JA&M Boyes Ltd. 279 JE&B Morgan & Sons.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £2331 £2261 £2253 £2202 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £2025 JE&B Morgan & Sons.
Clean Cattle (94) – The Christmas show cattle trade looks excellent and deservedly so as some great cattle were well supported by a ringside bustling with wonderful independent butchers and wholesalers who unquestionably keep this industry thriving; we are indebted to them all, each and every week of the year. The remarkable average for our twenty-eight show cattle this year returned at 399.88ppk and £2489 per head. No prizes for guessing our sale toppers as the winners of the three main accolades in last nights show were richly rewarded for their successes; top of the day was our incredible champion from Alan Barnett of Shap when she sold for a stunning 690ppk and £4416 to our judge Mr Ian Brown of Brown’s Quality Butchers and Brown’s Farm Shop, Lindal-in-Furness, Ulverston. The reserve champion steer from Georgina Laws, Leyburn bettered his brothers value last year when he was the pick of Kitson’s Butchers and Fivehouses Farm Shop today and sold for a wonderful 530ppk and £3657. Our winner of the Jim Marks memorial trophy and best homebred beast in the show was a cracker from Kelso and the great breeding and feeding of the Fleming family; she will now hang proudly in our loyal weekly supporter’s shop window at H Taylor & Son, Darlington, she sold for 500ppk and £2930.
With the supersonic show cattle distorting the averages we witnessed today heifers levelling at 357ppk and steers at 340ppk; in reality the commercial trade would be easier than the barnstormers of late, they are however still some 40-50ppk ahead of the same week last year. Some splendid pen averages are listed below.
A Barnett, Shap sold 7 to average 454ppk and £2838
W M Fleming, Kelso sold 6 to average 396ppk and £2277
Renton Highlaws, Morpeth sold 5 to average 393ppk and £2247
M Robinson & Sons, Staindrop sold 3 to average 392ppk and £2171
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 2 to average 366ppk and £2309
JV & JA Hodgson, Summerhouse sold 10 to average 362ppk and £2045
Steers – Top prices ppk 530 AG Laws. 337 331 W Swinbank & Sons. 318 EW Grieves. 318 TN Callender. 278 M Ord & Sons.
Lead Grossing Steers- £3657 AG Laws. £2121 EW Grieves. £2118 £2038 W Swinbank & Sons. £1911 TN Callender. £1770 M Ord & Sons.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 690 448 426×2 424 408 368 A Barnett. 500 393 388 369 367 362 WM Fleming. 420 402 M Robinson & Sons. 406 405 399 388 371 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 382 379 374 365 364 361 JV&JA Hodgson. 381 TN Callender. 376 370 369 R Hirst. 371 361 GC&JC Pullan. 370 W Swinbank & Sons. 370 363 B Walker. 370 EW Grieves. 366 365 A&MJ Henshaw. 365 R Neil & Partners. 362 DW Humphrey. 358 356 NE Dyson.
Lead Grossing Heifers – £4416 £2719 £2594 £2562 £2560 £2531 £2487 A Barnett. £2930 £2295 £2176 £2153 2095 £2012 WM Fleming. £2680 £2491 £2414 NE Dyson. £2435 £2183 B Walker. £2402 £2315 M Robinson & Sons. £2380 £2327 EW Grieves. £2344 £2293 £2276 £2190 £2131 Renton Highlaws LTD. £2332 £2208 Robert Neill & Partners. £2238 £2202 £2200 £2056 £2029 £2019 £2009 £1978 JV&JA Hodgson. £2205 £2160 £2121 £2115 £2092 £2041 £2033 £1997 £1987 A&MJ Henshaw. £2197 £2085 W Swinbank & Sons. £2154 £2142 £2118 R Hirst. £2129 £2104 GC&JC Pullan. £2121 £2107 DW Humphrey. £2030 TN Callender
Prime Lambs (1915) – The lamb trade rolls along nicely to this week average weighed straight 315ppk with an SQQ of 320ppk which all in equates to £145.03 per head. Top prices of the day naturally went to the Champion and the reserve pens from the Askwiths of Crook however it must be said that plenty of the commercial lambs later in the day were matching and even bettering some of the show lamb’s achievements as the heavy weights frequently broke beyond £170 and the handy weights sold over 350ppk whereas Mules topped today at £143. Some of todays top averages are listed below.
Askwiths, Crook sold 9 to average £260.00
AC Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 26 to average £174.85
W Ramsay & Sons, Wingate sold 19 to average £174.26
MJ Marley, North Cowton sold 17 to average £170.53
PJ & MP Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 51 to average £161.20
JC & A Hutchinson, Scorton sold 11 to average £160.64
J & A Layfield, Hamsterley sold 50 to average £160.18
Lambs – Top prices ppk 666 577 396 Askwiths. 365 357 337 333 LD Laws. 357 EW Grieves. 357 352 347 342 W Ramsay & Sons. 351×2 JD Brannen. 350 341 340 MJ Marley. 350 342 337 C Dawson. 349 340 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 345 CA&J Kipling. 345 340 AWSM Farms. 344 343 341 338 336 331 R Atkinson. 341 336 DR Smith. 340 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. 340 331 GF Whitfield. 338 332 PJ Tindale. 336 G Thompson & Sons. 336 333 CK&D Muir Ltd. 335 333 JC Hope & Son. 334 JC&A Hutchinson.
Lead Grossing Lambs £320 £260 £202 Askwiths. £192 £190 £175×2 £170 W Ramsay & Sons. £188 JD Brannen. £188 £181 £170 £168 MJ Marley. £180×6 £170×3 £168 AC Simpson & Son. £178 £164×4 £162 J&A Layfield. £175 LD Laws. £171 £169 £164 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £168 EW Grieves. £168 £165 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £167 G&JA Sedgewick. £167×2 R Wood & Son. £166×2 £165 PJ Tindale. £165 PM Hill. £165 TW Clark. £165 JE Suddes & Son. £164 WL Robinson & Partners. £163 W Denham. £162 AWSM Farms. £162 JC&A Hutchinson.
Cast Sheep (251) – The ewe trade stays strong, without arguably matching last week’s humdinger they still look very solid given a plainer show by some margin and still achieving an all-in sale average of £109.82. Top of the day at £231 were a super pair of Texel ewes from Ruby Thompson, Lunton Hill Farm with others in the £200 club being P Langstaff and W Denham. Just an average show of Mule ewes this week still managed a three-figure average to a top of £137 from W Walker & Sons whilst the seventy or so horned ewes averaged £80 and topped at £106 from J H Johnson.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £231 R Thompson. £224 £167 P Langstaff. £220 W Denham. £189 WR Thompson. £183 £138×2 £123 £122 Rose A Farms Ltd. £181 JC&A Hutchinson. £180 W Denham. £179 £175 £140 £139 JA&A Herbert. £161 RI Jones. £151 £146 G Thompson & Sons. £150 £132 AT Willis. £149 RW Shann & Sons. £141 CK&D Muir Ltd. £141 K&PM Lough. £141 DM Tiplady. £137 W Walker & Sons. £134 PM Hill.
