Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their Easter Prime Stock Show and weekly dedicated slaughter sale on Thursday 7th April 2022. Forward were 246 Cattle, 1455 Sheep and 10 Pigs.
80 Prime Bulls sold to 311ppk or £2702
40 Prime Steers sold to 304ppk or £2047
116 Prime Heifers sold to 362ppk or £2077
10 Cast Cows sold to 212ppk or £1303
57 New Season Lambs sold to 424ppk or £182
1069 Prime Hoggs sold to 335ppk or £180
329 Cast Ewes & Rams sold to £280
10 Prime Pigs sold to 90ppk or £74
Show Cattle – Jimmy Higginson and family run an impressive and expanding portfolio of quality butcher’s shops in our region including Castlebank, William Peat and J D Hall; this then, most certainly ensured that we had a more than qualified man to take up the beef judging duties this Easter. Drawing upon his many years in the trade our judge selected as the worthy Champion a sublime British Blue cross heifer from Alan Barnett of Brinns Farm, Shap as the regular Cumbrian consigner enjoyed a prosperous day throughout; she later went on to sell for the day’s top price to the judge. The Reserve Championship headed to Ponteland and PJ & M P Gilhespy of Low House who turned out an excellent black Limousin heifer which was a pleasing product of our store sales back in November, she will now hang proudly in another quality local butchers’ shop as she was snapped up by long standing and loyal DFAM supporters H Taylor & Sons. Further success in the steer class for the aforementioned Cumbrian challenger whilst the most successful vendor in the bull show was undoubtedly M Thuey of York who claimed both the red and blue rosettes.
Easter Show Results
Best Steer
1st A Barnett, Brinns Farm, Shap sold for 289ppk and £1947 to Worsley Wholesale
2nd Askwiths, Low Mown Meadows, Crook sold for 298ppk and £1931 to Worsley Wholesale
3rd M F Hall, Woodhill Farm, Ponteland sold for 287ppk and £1750 to J A Jewitt Ltd.
Limousin Heifer
1st PJ & MP Gilhespy, Low House, Ponteland sold for 346ppk and £1923 to Taylor’s Butchers
2nd A Barnett, Brinns Farm, Shap sold for 308ppk and £1884 to John Penny
3rd W A Armstrong, Coxhoe sold for 295ppk and £1775 to Worsley Wholesale
Any Other Breed Heifer
1st A Barnett, Brinns Farm, Shap sold for 362ppk and £2077 to Castlebank Butchers
2nd A Barnett, Brinns Farm, Shap sold for 315ppk and £1953 to Worsley Wholesale
3rd M F Hall, Woodhill Farm, Ponteland sold for 307ppk and £1688 to Bowland Foods
Best Prime Bull
1st M Thuey, Longodds Farm, York sold for 303ppk and £1763 to Honeyman’s Butchers
2nd M Thuey, Longodds Farm, York sold for 290ppk and £1612 to D Sandham Trading Ltd
3rd A C Bentham, Fletcher Hill, Lands sold for 303ppk and £2136 to D Sandham Trading Ltd
Champion
A Barnett, Brinns Farm, Shap sold for 362ppk and £2077 to Castlebank Butchers
Reserve Champion
PJ & M P Gilhespy, Low West House, Ponteland sold for 346ppk and £1923 to Taylor’s Butchers
Prime Bulls (80) – With our special royal visitor still fresh in the mind the bulls fittingly continued to sell for a relative Kings Ransom as this week’s sale average impressed at 246 pence per kilo, in real terms some of the extreme heat from last weeks scorching trade was turned down however the returns are still very impressive indeed. Top price per kilo went North to Northumberland and the renowned Limousin breeders A & D Proctor of Swarland Old Hall with a fantastic 755kg bull selling for 311 pence, a further quartet sold the top side of 300 with most of the better sorts sailing beyond 280ppk this week. Limousin’s again led the line for gross values as a perfectly finished 965kg tank of a bull from K & A Harker, Worsall Grove Farm added up handsomely to £2702, a superb 17 others joined him in the expanding £2000 plus club this week. Quite a day for the feeders of dairy bulls as Friesian’s peaked at a massive £1703 or 209ppk from Preston based J M Stuart & Son whilst local producers J K & C E Farming bettered that score twice with some fleshy Fleckveih bulls which sold up to 237ppk and £1775. As is customary below we list some of the leading averages.
A S & S M Kemp, Sherburn sold 8 Bulls to average 288ppk and £2059
L S Staley, Marwood sold 2 Bulls to average 284ppk and £1986
W I Suddes & Son, Cornsay sold 4 Bulls to average 281ppk and £1663
M Thuey, York sold 4 Bulls to average 277ppk and £1625
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 2 Bulls to average 265ppk and £2090
F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 3 Bulls to average 265ppk and £2086
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 311 A&D Proctor. 310 303 290 289 288 287 281 270 AS&SM Kemp. 303 AC Bentham. 303 290 276 M Thuey. 290 285 279 272 254 249 AG Watson & Sons. 289 260 F&JS Gargett. 288 283 279 275 WI Suddes & Son. 287 281 LS Staley. 285 254 JJ Kemp & Son. 280 K&A Harker. 280 252 D Richardson & Co Ltd. 269 Ouston Farms Ltd. 268 RW&R Henry. 260 258 EA Martin & son. 256 250 JB Morgan & Sons. 252 J Richmond. 252 SH Watson & Son.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2702 K&A Harker. £2511 £2177 £2124 £2045 £2033 £1988 £1937 AS&SM Kemp. £2348 A&D Proctor. £2265 £2105 £1887 F&JS Gargett. £2230 Ouston Farms Ltd. £2167 £2013 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £2152 SH Watson & Son. £2149 £1950 RW&R Henry. £2136 AC Bentham. £2111 £1940 £1938 JJ Kemp & Son. £2046 £1927 LS Staley. £2035 £2017 £1969 £1955 £1867 AG Watson & Sons. £1860 WI Suddes & Son. £1803 £1781 EA Martin & Son. £1789 JE&B Morgan & Sons.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 209 194 192 186×3 184 182 175 168 163 161 JM Stuart & Son. 208 199 R Hall & Son. 196 JK&CE Farming. 179×2 GW Dobson & Son.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1703 £1404 £1272 £1259 £1195 £1166 £1092 £1073 £1037 £973 JM Stuart & Son. £1258 JK&CE Farming. £1235 £1196 R Hall & Son. £1142 £1125 GW Dobson & Son.
Native Breed Bulls – Top prices ppk 220 R Hall & Son. 206 JM Stuart & Son.
Lead Grossing Native Breed Bulls £1529 R Hall & Son. £1367 JM Stuart & Son.
Clean Cattle (156) – Outwith the show cattle another superb trade ensued for the quality clean beef, once again the steers proved exceptionally easy to sell averaging 264ppk and this week an excellent heifer trade levelled up at a sensational 276ppk; the whole show averaged a tasty £1636. The show cattle naturally featured strongly in the top prices but far from had things their own way as twenty heifers broke 300ppk with the same again in the 290’s. A solitary steer sold beyond 300 pence, the plaudits go back to Gilly Flatts Farm, Bishopton with J L Marks who turned out an exceptional 658kg Limousin, a further five sold in the 290’s as another from Gilly Flatts was twice joined by the Askwiths of Crook and one apiece for E W Grieves, Whinney Hill and Jedburgh based Robert Neill & Partners. The top gross valued heifer was our Cumbrian Champion at £2077, her closest challenger came from T C Walton, Middridge at £2006 with a further five reaching beyond £1900. Three super steers sold over £2000 as the aforementioned Marks and Neill consignments chased but did not catch A G Watson & Sons, Rushford with a superb 734kg Limousin selling for £2047, a dozen others sold over £1900 as the live ring values continue to overshadow most of the deadweight options available. Some impressive averages are listed below.
A Barnett, Shap sold 4 Heifers to average 321ppk and £1971
B Walker, Dalton-on-Tees sold 3 Heifers to average 297ppk and £1544
P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 5 Heifers to average 296ppk and £1665
R Hirst, Neasham sold 9 Heifers to average 295ppk and £1646
K & J Heslop, Fishburn sold 3 Heifers to average 292ppk and £1708
M F Hall, Ponteland sold 4 Heifers to average 292ppk and £1572
J L Marks, Bishopton sold 2 Steers to average 298ppk and £1990
Askwiths, Crook sold 2 Steers to average 297ppk and £1954
R Neill & Partners, Jedburgh sold 10 Steers to average 281ppk and £1846
A G Watson & Sons, Rushyford sold 3 Steers to average 277ppk and £1956
D Richardson & Co, Melsonby sold 3 Steers to average 275ppk and £1931
Steers – Top prices ppk 304 294 JL Marks. 298 297 Askwiths. 292 EW Grieves. 290 289 287 283 282 280 279 278 277 270 R Neil & Partners. 289 A Barnett. 288 279 266 AG Watson & Sons. 287 MF Hall. 280 276 271 D Richardson & CO Ltd. 270 K&J Heslop. 270 258 J Pallister & Sons. 270 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 261 260 254LW Martin. 239 T Watson. 234 AJ Marr & Son. 224 214 M Ord & Sons.
Lead Grossing Steers £2047 £1912 1909 AG Watson & Sons. £2032 £1988 £1885 £1845 £1842 £1825 £1821 £1799 £1733 £1687 R Neil & Partners. £2000 £1981 JL Marks. £1978 £1931 Askwiths. £1947 A Barnett. £1943 £1929 £1921 D Richardson & Co Ltd. £1919 £1677 J Pallister & Sons. £1909 EW Grieves. £1750 MF Hall. £1668 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1649 K&J Heslop. £1557 £1438 LW Martin. £1386 AJ Marr & Son.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 362 315 308 303 A Barnett. 346 303 289 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 315 296 295 290 WA Armstrong. 310 303 294 293 290 287 286 JV&JA Hodgson. 309 305 299 296 288 J Layfield. 308 294 292 B Walker. 307 298 289 MF Hall. 306 TW Clark & Son. 305 304×2 303 300 292 287 R Hirst. 299 P&JH Davison. 297 Askwiths. 296 295 K&J Heslop. 293 290 WF Hustwit. 293 EW Grieves. 291 Askwiths. 290 RD Musgrave. 286 J Allison & Sons. 286 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons.
Lead Grossing Heifers £2077 £1969 £1953 31884 A Barnett. £2006 £1914 £1892 £1786 TC Walton. £1923 £1684 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1912 31840 £1837 £1825 £1803×2 £1796 31794 JV&JA Hodgson. £1869 £1828 J Layfield. £1823 £1769 £1732 £1728 R Hirst. £1783 £1726 R Neil & Partners. £1780 TW Clark & Son. £1775 £1744 £1699 £1693 31675 WA Armstrong. £1764 LR Welsh & Co. £1755 £1752 K&J Heslop. £1734 Askwiths. £1711 EW Grieves. £1688 MF Hall. £1676 £1673 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons.
Cast Cows (10) – A scattering of cows enjoyed a fine trade, the best of the day a three-year-old Charolais from Ouston Farms, Gateshead selling for 212ppk and £1303.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 212 Ouston Farms Ltd. 210 170 157 154146 139 Thoresby Livestock. 148 RJ Welford. 144 S Lees.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1303 Ouston Farms Ltd. £1138 £1025 £1019 £920 £902 £870 Thoresby Livestock. £663 S Lees. £620 RJ Welford.
New Season Lambs (57) – As the springers kick in to action the vendors have much to be buoyant about as the lambs averaged a pleasing 293ppk and £127; many of the butchers shops this Easter will switch to the younger meat whilst the wholesale trade waits patiently for the numbers to outweigh the plentiful hogg supply. The show classes were somewhat dominated by the Hunters of Hunmanby as their excellent Charollais lambs caught the eye of our judge Peter Monkhouse, Wolsingham, only a top trio of Texel’s from another East Coast supplier in the shape of Whitby based S Agar stopped the Hunmanby firm sweeping the board. The show winning lambs went on to sell to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton for the days top price of £182 with others from the same good home leading the price per kilo at a massive 424 pence.
Easter New Season Lamb Show Result (pens of 3)
1st T & J Hunter, Hunmanby sold 47kg for £182 to Roots Farm Shop
2nd T & J Hunter, Hunmanby sold 51kg for £172 to Roots Farm Shop
3rd S Agar, Whitby sold 44kg for £144 to Castlebank Butchers
4th T & J Hunter, Hunmanby sold 41kg for £174 to Roots Farm Shop
Spring Lambs – Top prices ppk 424 387 337 309 T&J Hunter. 344 244 PK&HC Dowson. 333 Anna Herbert. 327 275 266 262 260 S Agar. 278×2 221 GP Addison.
Lead Grossing Spring Lambs £182 £174 £172 £130 T&J Hunter. £148 £142 £120 PK&HC Dowson. £144 £124 £117 £113 £104 S Agar. £140 Anna Herbert. £117×2 £115 GP Addison.
Prime Hoggs (1069) – Trade gets livelier by the week as the slow burning sheep price rise everyone has longed for is perhaps gathering speed at last. As always weighed 100% straight our average of 250ppk is testament to the big percentage of heavyweights as the 378 in the SQQ bracket jump to 275ppk. Topping the hoggs per kilo were excellent clipped Beltex from the ultra-consistent W A Wardman, Yearby at 335 pence whilst a top gross value this week was a huge £180 achieved by a quartet of fabulous Texel tup hoggs from Nottinghamshire based Ian Kirk, credit to the marvellous run from the Midlands as they scooped 8 of the top 9 gross values.
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 335 333 288 276×2 WA Wardman LTD. 320 300 290 283 280 277 Ian Kirk. 312 285 276 WR Thompson. 309 307 JD Brannen. 307 294 285 GE Raw. 303 294 287 TH Richardson. 300 282 GP&A Carter. 300 288 278 K Tallentire. 297 293 SA Braithwaite. 295 285×3 279 268 267 JH&D Wise. 293 273 IM Maughan. 292 DA Gill. 289 284 RE&L Frank.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £180 £156 £155 £150×2 £148 £147×2 £143 £142 £141 £140×2 £135.50 £134 £132 131 Ian Kirk. £155 R Todd. £145 £140 £137×2 £136 £135×4 £134 £133.50 £133 £131 AC Simpson. £144 £140 DL&D Lovegreen. £140 J&C Mclaren. £140 £131 £130×2 WA Wardman. £140 135×2 RH Thompson. £139 £137.50 M&CLR Dale. £138 C Dawson. £136 £132 £130 JD Brannen. £132.50 IM Maughan. £132 Wytherstone. £130 K Tallentire
Cast Ewes & Rams (329) – There is money in mutton right now, another spell binding ewe trade, an unbelievable average of £124 throughout with 13 lots reaching at least £200. Top price went to E W Grieves of Whinney Hill with an excellent Texel ewe with Suffolks to £190 and Mule’s to £130 plus horned ewes in three figures the ewe trade really is in special form of late.
Lead Grossing Ewes £280 £200 EW Grieves £260 £220 £A&D Proctor. £250 £220 TH Richardson. £250 I Spedding. £250 £190 £170 140 139 KO Stones. £250 £240 £230 P Dawson. £240 R Todd. £230 £160 Anna Herbert. £190 £165 £150TW&PT Moss. £180 FJ Dodsworth. £180×2 £162 £158 JM&M&C Wise. £180 Tallentire. £180 JR&J Crowe. £178 W Kirk & Sons. £165 S Thompson & Son. £162 T Lawson & Son. £160 £140 £138 E scott & Sons. £155 DL&D Lovegreen. £152 W Wearmouth & Son.
Prime Pigs (10) – Pigs might fly, sadly their owners will probably not this summer as the pathetic pork prices will surely cancel any holiday plans for the foreseeable future. Another stinker.
Pigs – Top prices ppk 90×2 J Mitchell & Son. 70 M Dent.
Lead Grossing Pigs £74×2 J Mitchell & Son. £65 M Dent.
