Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their Easter show and sale of prime stock on Thursday 10th April 2025. Forward were 206 cattle and 2452 sheep.
75 Prime Bulls sold to 454ppk or £4286
96 Prime Heifers sold to 498ppk or £3380
35 Prime Steers sold to 474ppk or £3263
36 New Season Lambs sold to 433ppk or £216
2169 Prime Hoggs sold to 476ppk or £212
247 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £312
A great show of quality assembled before our experienced judges, we would like to sincerely thank Keith Tallentire for undertaking the cattle duties and Martin McIntyre for the sheep. Congratulations go to all our winners, in particular Alan Barnett from Brinns Farm, Shap who took the champion in the cattle and Deborah Whitcher, Foulrice Farm, Whenby with the champion trio of lambs.
Show results as follows:
Champion – A Barnett, Brinns Farm, Shap – Limousin Heifer
(687kg) sold to 488ppk & £3352 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
Reserve Champion – NE Dyson, Gebdykes Farm, Masham – Limousin Steer
(598kg) sold to 474ppk & £2834 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
Class 1 – Steer:
1st NE Dyson, Gebdykes Farm – Limousin (598kg) sold to 474ppk & £2834 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
2nd S&JE Andrew, Letter Farm – Limousin (734kg) sold to 424ppk & £3112 purchased by Worsley Wholesale Meats, Liversedge.
3rd RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd, Dipton Foot Farm – Limousin (698kg) sold to 397ppk & £2771 purchased by Worsley Wholesale Meats, Liversedge.
Class 2 – Heifer:
1st A Barnett, Brinns Farm, – Limousin (687kg) sold to 488ppk & £3352 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
2nd TW Clark & Son, Frankland Park Farm – Limousin (537kg) sold to 486ppk & £2609 purchased by Thompson Wholesale Meat, Witton le Wear.
3rd JV&JA Hodgson, The Grange – Limousin (553kg) sold to 496ppk & £2742 purchased by Worsley Wholesale Meats, Liversedge.
Show results as follows:
Class 1 – Pen of 3 Spring Lambs
1st D Whitcher, Foulrice Farm (Char) 52kg sold to 415ppk & £216 purchased by Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton.
2nd CW Marwood & Son, Foulrice Farm (Char) 45kg sold to 433ppk & £195 purchased by Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton.
3rd T&J Hunter, Newtown Farm (Char) 48kg sold to 396ppk & £190 purchased by Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton.
Class 2 – Pen of 2 Hoggs
1st KO Stones, Nuncote Nook (Beltex) 57kg sold to 364ppk & £208 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
2nd AP&RA Dunn, North Carlton Farm (Beltex) 54kg sold to 318ppk & £172 purchased by Hackney Meat Traders Ltd, London
3rd N Gill, Moory Lea, (Beltex) 47kg sold to 370ppk & £174 purchased by Lancashire Direct Halal.
Class 3 – Bull:
1st Olivia Matten, Avenue Grange – British Blue (959kg) sold to 447ppk & £4286 purchased by Bowland Foods Ltd, Preston.
2nd AG Watson & Sons, Nunstainton Grange – British Blue (682kg) sold to 454ppk & £3096 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
3rd JH&M&NW Brown, West Hartburn Farm – Limousin (688kg) sold to 446ppk & £3068 purchased by JA Jewitt Ltd, Spennymoor.
Prime Bulls (75) – A good show of quality saw the bull average remain similar on the week at 402ppk and £2843 per head, in real terms trade would be back on recent high returns. Top price per kilo went to local feeders A G Watson & Sons, Nunstainton Grange with their second prize winner in the Easter show which reached 454 pence. Ten other bulls followed over 440 pence including our first prize winner which also claimed the day’s top gross value, a terrific 959kg British Blue from the prolific J A Matten & Sons, Avenue Grange sold for 447ppk which added him up to an impressive £4286. Aberdeen Angus led the native breeds this week topping at 400ppk from Messrs Williamson, Southview and £3018 from D T & A M Herdman, Amble. Familiar feeders found the top of the Friesian lists as the remarkably consistent R Hall & Son of Kilton Hall this week saw their run top at 375ppk and £2548.
A selection of today’s top averages:
R Neill & Partners sold 2 (810kg) average 424ppk & £3442
RM Adam & Son sold 2 (877kg) average 405ppk & £3556
JA Matten & Sons sold 4 (797kg) average 423ppk & £3379
JH&M&NW Brown sold 4 (772kg) average 433ppk & £3346
Renton Highlaws Ltd sold 6 (737kg) average 438ppk & £3231
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 454 448 428 AG Watson & Sons. 450 445 440 436 432 429 Renton Highlaws. 448 437×2 431 WI Suddes & Son. 447 437 420 JA Matten & Sons. 446 445 433 414 JH&M&NW Brown. 442 437 S&J Dent & Son. 440 436 431 C Harle & Sons. 435×2 434 W&M Knaggs & Son. 432 421 414 LR Welsh & Co. 430 420 R Neill & Partners. 425 407 LS Staley. 416 J&A&DA Horn. 412 405 GT&E Atkinson. 410 JA&A Herbert. 410 JM&S Walton. 408 403 RM Adam & Son. 405 F&JS Gargett.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £4286 £3915 £3549 JA Matten & Sons. £3786 F&JS Gargett. £3764 £3349 RM Adam & Son. £3614 £3368 £3334 £3068 JH&M&NW Brown. £3539 £3415 £3247 £3231 £3030 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £3474 £3410 R Neill & Partners. £3269 £3144 £3096 AG Watson & Sons. £3171 £3145 £3081 W&M Knaggs & Son. £3166 £2971 LS Staley. £3122 £3098 £2879 WI Suddes & Son. £3120 £2713 S&J Dent & Son. £3067 Firm of K McKenzie. £3053 C Harle & Sons. £2972 £2945 GT&E Atkinson.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 375 360 R Hall & Son. 359 351 350×2 339 JM&S Walton. 355 Tallentire.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £2548 £2418 R Hall & Son. £2338 £2289 £2274 £2272 £2253 JM&S Walton. £2005 Tallentire.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 400 385 Messrs Williamson. 382 AG Watson & Sons. 375 R Hall & Son. 360 JA Matten & Sons.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £2891 AG Watson & Sons. £2675 £2596 Messrs Williamson. £2486 R Hall & Son. £1767 JA Matten & Sons.
Clean Cattle (131) – As with the bulls the clean trade remains sharp without living up to the incredible prices witnessed over the previous couple of weeks; thus said, with the heifer average 430ppk and £2521 and the steers 414ppk and £2799 we have certainly seen things an awful lot worse. Top price of the day at 498 pence was a terrific 624kg Limousin from R Hirst, Neasham Grange, four followed her in the 490’s as the Renton’s of Morpeth, Hodgson’s of Summerhouse and Hird’s of Richmond formed the chasing pack. Top of the steers per kilo at 474 pence was our red rosette winner from N E Dyson, Gebdykes Farm, Masham; a beautiful 598kg Limousin. Best of the rest in the steers per kilo was a super sort down from Scotland and the good home of S & J E Andrew, Loch of Lowes at 457 pence with W A Richardson Ltd, Hutton Fields in close attendance at 454ppk. On to the gross values and the top two spots went to our Championship winning chap from Shap as the winner reached £3352 but was nudged out by her pen mate a 727kg Limousin heifer led the way at £3380. Fifteen other clean beasts sold over £3000 today which included our leading steer at £3263 from the Askwiths of Crook and an impressive half a dozen from the aforementioned S & J Andrew.
A few of today’s top averages:
A Barnett sold 2 (707kg) average 476ppk & £3366
S&JE Andrew sold 8 (722kg) average 424ppk & £3070
WA Richardson Ltd sold 3 (688kg) 426ppk & £2935
NE Dyson sold 3 (645kg) average 453ppk & £2928
Askwiths sold 4 (672kg) average 432ppk & £2909
A Swinbank & Son sold 2 (691kg) average 410ppk & £2836
Steers – Top prices ppk 474 414 NE Dyson. 457 433 429 428 427 424 411 400 S&JE Andrew. 454 420 403 WA Richardson Ltd. 448 446 414×2 404 PR&V Barlow & Son. 447 438 435 411 Askwiths. 428 A Swinbank & Son. 409 401 398 397×2 370×3 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. 394 LR Welsh & Co. 392 J&R Hutchinson & Sons. 390 JV&JA Hodgson.
Lead Grossing Steers £3263 £2807 £2805 £2761 Askwiths. £3214 £3028 £2563 WA Richardson Ltd. £3137 £3132 £3112 £3095 £3043 £3004 £2970 £2942 S&JE Andrew. £3038 £2937 £2911 £2771 £2664 £2652 £2650 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. £2834 £2786 NE Dyson. £2832 LR Welsh & Co. £2714 £2640 £2604 £2579 PR&V Barlow & Son. £2624 JV&JA Hodgson. £2619 A Swinbank & Son.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 498 489 480 478 468 449 R Hirst. 496 488 Renton Highlaws Ltd. 496 477 466 451 450 JV&JA Hodgson. 491 460 GK KN & GJ Hird. 489 471 B Walker. 488 465 A Barnett. 486 469 465 442 I Marshall & Sons. 486 447 TW Clark & Son. 476 SH Watson & Son. 475 NE Dyson. 471 443 437 J Layfield. 465 WF Hustwit. 457 456 GC&JC Pullan. 446 439 438 MF Hall.
Lead Grossing Heifers £3380 £3352 A Barnett. £3163 NE Dyson. £3119 £2692 Renton Highlaws Ltd. £3107 £2792 £2788 £2732 £2710 R Hirst. £3053 A Swinbank & Son. £3000 £2848 £2683 TC Walton. £2904 32703 B Walker. £2889 SH Watson & Son. £2852 £2778 J Layfield. £2847 GK KN & GJ Hird. £2810 £2766 £2706 £2668 WF Hustwit. £2764 LR Welsh & Co. £2751 £2747 £2742 JV&JA Hodgson. £2724 I Marshall & Sons.
New Season Lambs (36) – It is no secret that the Spring sheep trade is yet to match the extreme levels of last year however it sits nicely ahead of 2023 as the first offering of new season lambs averaged £178.58 today and 384ppk. Top prices went to the same family as the Charollais lambs from the team at Foulrice Farm saw C W Marwood & Son lead the pence per kilo at 433 whilst D Whitcher led the pounds per head with her Champion trio at £216.
Spring Lambs – Top prices ppk 433 391 377 367 364 363 CW Marwood & Son. 415 389 385 380×2 377 362 310 D Whitcher. 396 383 T&J Hunter.
Lead Grossing Spring Lambs £216 £192×2 £179 £177 £175 £171 £162 D Whitcher. £195 £176 £172 £166 £160 £156 CW Marwood & Son. £190 £161 T&J Hunter.
Prime Hoggs (2169) – Harder work this week despite achieving a similar average of £160.08, a very heavy show with only 15% under 46kg and a remarkable 47% in the super heavy bracket over 52kg. The export weights remain in demand to see the weighed straight SQQ return at 364.61ppk in contrast to the overall average of 305.61ppk. Top price of the day went to a magnificent Texel hogg from N Gill, Moory Lea weighing 74kg and selling for £212, he was followed by our class winners from the show and K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook with a pair of 57kg Beltex at £208. Top price per kilo were ten tremendous clipped hoggs from the weekly run of High Greenbury Farm at 42kg and £200 they realised 476ppk. An increased number of hill hoggs saw Blackface and Cheviot to £144 with Swaledale’s to £125.
A Selection of today’s top Hogg averages:
L Wilkinson, Great Isle Farm sold 9 (49kg) average 344ppk & £191.67
R Atkinson, High Greenbury sold 332 (51.63kg) average 349ppk & £180.67
W Hanson, Highcliffe Farm sold 6 (67.67kg) average 265ppk & £179.83
AC Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm sold 60 (67.63kg) average 260ppk & £176.15
KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold 10 (54.90kg) average 312ppk & £171.80
T&J Hunter, Newtown Farm sold 5 (49kg) average 344ppk & £169
WA Richardson Ltd, Hutton Fields sold 100 (60.83kg) average 275ppk & £167.68
Hoggs – Top prices ppk 476 434 433 428×2 400 379 375 339 R Atkinson. 445 420 386 370 N Gill. 420 331 TA Greensit & Sons. 395 C Bell. 379 JR&M Richardson. 376 366 356 350 333 328 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 376 365 359 338 TW Clark & Son. 376 345 D&PH Brown. 374 JD Brannen. 365 363 L Wilkinson. 364 KO Stones. 363 G Gall. 352 TW Clark & Son. 347 RE&L Frank. 347 AP&RA Dunn. 346×2 343 PR&V Barlow & Son. 345 333 W Kirk & Sons. 344 T&J Hunter. 340 Ainsty Farms Direct.
Lead Grossing Hoggs £212 £180 £174 £170 N Gill. £208 £171 £170 KO Stones. £206 W Hanson. £200×2 £195 £193×2 £188 £182 £180×3 £177 £170×2 R Atkinson. £200×2 £190×2 L Wilkinson. £186.50 £186 £179 £177 £175×2 £174×2 £173×2 AC Simpson & Son. £185 TA Greensit & Sons. £182 I Kirk. £182 TN Callender. £179 £172 £171 WA Richardson Ltd. £178 £172 £171 AC Hill & Sons. £177 £176 £172 £171 AP&RA Dunn. £174 C Bell. £173 D&PH Brown.
Cast Ewes & Rams (247) – With trade just faltering across other sections the remarkable old ewes went against the grain and an astronomical trade developed. Warts and all the cast sheep averaged £181.46. Top of the day at £312 was an excellent Texel ewe from K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook. The eighty-four Mule ewes were an absolute flyer to average £167.82 and top at a remarkable £224 from J & A Herbert, Tees Farm whilst a good day for L W Martin, Wayworth Farm saw them top the tups with Texel’s at £278 and the horned ewes at £140 with ten Blackface.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £312 £250 £232 £220 KO Stones. £300 £250 £242 £236 £202 G Gall. £278 £193 LW Martin. £265 £244 £223 3220 AWSM Farms. £260 £253 £230 £193 Wytherstone Farm. £258 £233 JC Thwaite & Son. £256 £232 £224 £212 JA&A Herbert. £221 C Bell. £220×2 IR Appleton. £220 W Hanson. £220 DM McClurg. £218 £207 PR&V Barlow. £214 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £210 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £209 I Spedding. £209×2 JR&M Richardson.
