Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their Great Annual Show and Sale of Suckled Calves in conjunction with their usual sales of cast cattle, store sheep and rearing calves on Monday 21st October 2024. Forward were 423 cattle, 2182 sheep and 59 rearing calves.
124 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 230ppk or £1757
9 Stock Bulls sold to 220ppk or £2350
91 Suckled Bulls sold to £1530
108 Suckled Steers sold to £1750
91 Suckled Heifers sold to £1530
1645 Store Lambs sold to £126
128 Breeding Sheep sold to £260
409 Feeding Ewes sold to £155
59 Rearing Calves sold to £660
Show of Suckled Calves – The first of our two flagship Autumn calf shows produced some extraordinary quality afore our judges Mr Johnathan and Master Harry Wales of Thackwood Farm, Raughton Head, Cumbria whom we thank enormously for their time and expert opinion. The father and son judging duo meticulously sifted through the superb show and found their champion from the Limousin steer class and in doing so saw the Stones family of Nun Cote Nook Farm, Marrick claim the Great Annual suckled calf trophy which they last scooped in 2021. The worthy winner was a stunning black Limousin full of shape and style; oozing show potential this certain star of the future is sired by the pedigree Limousin bull Hollyberry Redrum who himself is a son of the highly regarded Plumtree Fantastic. The reserve champion ticket went to annual consignors RA & S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm, Long Newton with a lovely December born Limousin cross heifer with clear scope to go on and do either job in the future; this sweet sort was sired by Jorica Newsflash from local Limousin bull producer Josh Knaggs. Completing the championship line up of red ticket winners was another great steer from the Nun Cote Nook team along with excellent heifers from T & C Smith, Thorsgill and I Appleton, Pudding Poke whilst the winner of the bull class proved to be a magical March born Limousin from S G Horn, West Holling Carr, Trimdon.
Champion
K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1750 to D Holgate, Wakefield
Reserve Champion
RA & S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm sold for £1620 to M & B Coulthard, Westgate
Limousin Heifer
1st RA & S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm sold for £1620 to M & B Coulthard, Westgate
2nd J N Swinbank, Cold Comfort sold for £1420 to M & B Coulthard, Westgate
3rd A Wilson, Calf Close sold for £1150 to P & E Ellis, Welbury
British Blue Heifer
1st T & C Smith, Thorsgill sold for £1600 to G & A Gibson & Son, Etherley
2nd T & C Smith, Thorsgill sold for £1150 to Jack Sewell, Hamsterley
Other Breed Heifer
1st I Appleton, Pudding Poke sold for £1130 to S L Hall, Easingwold
2nd I Appleton, Pudding Poke sold for £1020 to C R Horner, Kilburn
3rd A Wilson, Calf Close sold for £1070 to P & E Ellis, Welbury
Limousin Steer
1st K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1750 to D Holgate, Wakefield
2nd RA & S Wearmouth, Middletown sold for £1630 to C Moralee & Sons, Durham
3rd K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1560 to Upper Coton Farms, Northampton
British Blue Steer
1st K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1340 to N C Wilson, Grewelthorpe
2nd K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1340 to Upper Coton Farms, Northampton
3rd T & C Smith, Thorsgill sold for £1140 to N C Wilson, Grewelthorpe
Young Bull
1st S G Horn, West Holling Carr sold for £1400 to E R Hyde & Sons, Wakefield
2nd E Scott & Sons, Middridge Grange sold for £1500 to TK Smith & Sons, Richmond
3rd A Wilson, Calf Close sold for £1110 to J H & M Brown, Middleton-St-George
Sale of Suckled Calves – With the format changed to cater only for under-year cattle at this sale thus inviting the over years to DfAM next week the numbers forward are naturally lower, few though could doubt that the quality is on an upward trajectory; such was the high end that the sale totals make happy reading today as the young bulls averaged £992 (+£32) whereas heifers averaged £1082 (+£97) and steers levelled up at £1260 (+£114). The top prices belonged to the sash bearers as our champion led the days trading at £1750 with the reserve topping the heifers at £1620. Other notable achievements saw the Wearmouth’s of Middletown Farm sell steers on three occasions over £1600 alongside another from the Nun Cote Nook pen and also a genuine superstar from the wonderful annual consignment shown by the Swinbank family of Cold Comfort Farm, Neasham. Heifers too were in fine form, behind the reserve champion came T & C Smith’s brilliant 7-month-old British Blue at £1600 followed by two super sorts from N Wilson, Hill House Farm at £1560 and £1550. The top ten young bulls all exceeded £1400, best of all was a shapely Limousin from J A & U M Fawcett, Manor House at £1530 with both the Patterson’s of White House and the Scott’s of Middridge Grange in close attendance at £1500. Some of the days top pen averages are listed below, all cattle under 12 months.
N Wilson, Hill House Farm sold 3 to average £1500
L Booton, Manor Farm sold 10 to average £1351
K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold 23 to average £1307
J N Swinbank, Cold Comfort sold 37 to average £1296
R A & S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm sold 28 to average £1291
M Marley, Holywell Farm sold 14 to average £1235
B Watson, Baal Hill sold 8 to average £1210
R A Patterson & Son, White House sold 5 (bulls) to average £1442
J A & U M Fawcett, Manor House sold 5 (bulls) to average £1340
Leading Prices
Store Bulls £1530 £1350×2 £1300 £1170 JA&UM Fawcett. £1500 £1480 £1430×2 £1370 RA Patterson & Son. £1500 £1200 E Scott & Sons. £1450 31420 £1410 £1400 £1210 £1180×2 £1100 SG Horn. £1400 RA&SL Wearmouth. £1270 £1100 £1090×2 JK Gregory. £1200 £1150 £1110 £1100 £1050 £1000 £980×2 £950×3 £930×4 A Wilson. £1170 £930 £910×3 Duell Partners. £1010 £980×4 I Spedding. £980 LW Richardson. £950 £920×2 JW Richardson.
Store Steers £1750 £1640 £1560×2 £1540×2 £1390×3 £1340×5 KO Stones. £1640 £1630 £1620 £1420 £1320×2 £1300×2 £1290 £1280 RA&SL Wearmouth. £1640 £1570 £1430 £1420×2 £1410×2 £1400×5 £1370 £1360 £1340 £1280×3 JN Swinbank. £1520 £1380×2 £1310 £1290 MJ Marley. £1500 £1440 £1410×2 £1370×2 £1350 £1310 L Booton. £1390 N Wilson. £1350 D&HM Hodgson. £1280 £1250 B Watson. £1270 T&C Smith.
Store Heifers £1620 £1500 £1450 £1280 £1230 RA&SL Wearmouth. £1600 £1150 T&C Smith. £1560 £1550 N Wilson. £1440 £1100 £1070 S Waggott. £1420 £1300×2 £1260×3 £1240×2 £1190 £1120 £1110 JN Swinbank. £1310 £1070 £1060 G Calvert & Sons. £1260×2 £1200 £1160 £1100×3 MJ Marley. £1260 KO Stones. £1200 B Watson. £1150 £1070 £1060 A Wilson. £1130 I Appleton. £1120 WS Hewitson & Son. £1040 T Walton.
Cast Cattle – A very weathered looking show of cows came forward as the winter housing commences and any passengers are now moved on, the sale average of 152ppk and £1003 is a lump down on paper however very, very few fed cows attended. We will begin with the bulls as they were undoubtedly today’s star turn, top per kilo at 220 pence was a wonderful 995kg 43-month-old Salers from K & T Atkinson, The Mill, Mickleton; top gross value was a thumping 1187kg Limousin from W I Suddes & Son, South Farm, Cornsay when he amounted to £2350, four other bulls sold over £2000. Topping the cows per kilo at 230 pence was a shapely 5-year-old British Blue from W M Reed & Sons, Lands Farm whilst the top gross value went to a remarkable 14-year-old Limousin from B & B Kitching & Son, Elstob Hill at £1757. Aberdeen Angus led the native charge when they sold to £1424 from W S Hewitson & Son, Hauxley Farm and 218ppk from S Jackson, The Bungalow. Dairy cow trade this week saw D C Smith & Sons, Woodhead Farm, Fryup set the pace with a Montbelliarde at 218ppk and £1315 and also a Holstein at 216ppk and £1367.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 230 198 164 MW Reed. 228 216 DC Smith & Sons. 226 202 172 Skelton Farming Ltd. 224 216 RB Watson. 218 210 198 188 186 178 S Jackson. 208 192 B&B Kitching & Son. 206 DK Barker. 194 B&R Dixon. 192 TW Clark & Son. 192 WS Hewitson & Son. 190 178 WA Wardman Ltd. 188 JR&B Anderson. 186 R Valks. 182 MG&WD Burton. 178 RE&BJ Potter. 178 L Booton. 176 R Simpson & Sons.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £1757 £1415 B&B Kitching & Son. £1658 £1277 WM Reed & Sons. £1486 £1329 £1278 WA Wardman Ltd. £1448 L Booton. £1447 B&R Dixon. £1434 Allison Devereux Farms. £1424 WS Hewitson & Son. £14236 £1360 £1304 £1275 S Jackson. £1378 DK Barker. £1367 £1315 DC Smith & Sons. £1365 Skelton Farming Ltd. £1332 JR&B Anderson. £1322 RE&BJ Potter. £1264 IP Crane. £1252 MG&WD Burton. £1211 RB Watson. £1210 CN&P Penk.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 220 216 K&TK Atkinson. 218 Moore. 210 DK Barker. 200 DP Wood. 198 WI Suddes & Son. 166 EA Martin & Son. 162 D Clifford. 114 SG Hall.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £2350 WI Suddes & Son. £2189 £2179 K&TK Atkinson. £2026 DK Barker. £2008 DP Wood. £1628 Moore. £1555 D Clifford. £1283 EA Martin & Son. £1104 SG Hall.
Store & Breeding Sheep – The store lambs look sharper again as a few fresh faces keep sliding in to the buyer’s auditorium; this week they averaged a very credible £95 which is superb for mid-October and not so many posh sorts included. Topping the day at £126 were two strong Texel’s from Adam Mason, 17 Kipling Way, Crook; following at £125 were both P J Anderson, Wolsingham with a trio of Texel’s and J Musgrave, Graet Busby with six smart Beltex. Adam Mason followed at £124 just in front of forty-three excellent continental lambs from T E Dodson, Stanhope at £122.50. The Stanhope based firm receive another mention immediately as they topped the Mule lambs with eight at £110.50, of the hill breeds we saw Cheviot’s top at £85, Blackface at £60 and Swaledale at £44.
Breeding sheep topped today from C E Smith, Faverdale with a genuine dispersal seeing 2/3 crop continental ewes to £170 and a Texel ram at £260. Ewe lambs sold to a high of £154 for three blue Texel’s from M Lindley, Willowdene and a handful of running Mule’s topped at £109 from JB & LM Knight. Feeding ewes aplenty and more could have sold easily, best of all were the Texel’s of A & R Thompson, Dimmingdale Farm at £155.
Store Lambs:
Texel – £126 £124 A Mason. £125 £116 £112.50 PJ Anderson & Son. £122.50 TE Dobson. £121 H Foster. £120 £107 I Newton & Son. £118.50 £109 JR&J Crowe. £117 £112 CA&J Kipling. £114.50 £113 C Longstaff. £110 GA&C Jopling. £110 £107 A Tunstall. £110 RA Patterson & Son. £109 R&F Longstaff. £108×2 £106 £105 D Alderson. £108 SC Brown. £108 £107 J Musgrave. £106 D Alderson. £105 LD Laws. £104 P Schellhorne.
Beltex – £125 J Musgrave.
Continental – £118 RA Patterson & Son. £118 £111 PW Logistics. £112 JH Johnson. £108 £105 A&R Thompson. £107 A Hughes. £106 D Wearmouth. £105 S Sanderson. £103 K Mowbray. £103 JR Mann.
Suffolk – £116 £106 D Alderson. £112 CA&J Kipling. £110 £109 F&A Gilchrist. £109 RA Patterson & Son. £107 I Newton & Son.
Mule – £110 GA&C Jopling.
Gimmer Lambs:
Blue Texel – £154 M Lindley.
Mule – £109 £90 JB&LM Knight. £84 WH Brown.
Breeding Ewes:
Texel – £170 £129 CE Smith. £142 £134 £116 £100 J Butterfield & Son. £138 K Buckle.
Suffolk – £132 PW Logistics Ltd.
Rams:
£260 C E Smith.
Feeding Ewes:
Texel – £155 £128 £108 £102 A&R Thompson. £120 D Alderson. £109 PJ Anderson. £100 DG&PD Ayre. £89 LD Laws. £70 A Hughes.
Continental – £125 £96 £92 J Butterfield & Son. £99 P Schellhorne. £96 GS Dixon. £88 £73 C Harle & Sons. £86 DG&PD Ayre. £86 RA Patterson & Son. £83 GH&RG Stobbs. £80 D Wearmouth. £78 £74×2 A&R Thompson. £72 K Buckle.
Cheviot – £122 A Hughes.
Mule – £108 £82 DM McClurg. £98 WB Rutter & Sons. £90 DG&PD Ayre. £83 GS Dixon. £80 J Butterfield & Son. £70 L&BM Kidd & Son. £70 RA Patterson & Son.
Rearing Calves – A mixed show of quality and ages today, saw a sale average of £347. Top price of the day goes to Deerness Valley Dairy with a British Blue Heifer, topping at £660.
Deerness Valley also had British Blue Bull Calves to £430. Wilkinson & Son, Carrsides, followed closely with their British Blues, with Bulls topping at £520 and Heifers at £500. Miresdale Dairy Holding LTD reached £635 with a British Blue Heifer. H Gibb & Son, Eachwick Red House, sold some 4–5-week-old British Blue calves which topped at £390.
A Limousin Heifer from JB&LM Knight made £630 whilst also making £600 for a Lim Bull.
Inra95 calves topped at £510 from Kitchings of Summerfield.
Angus Bulls topped at £465 from Wilkinson & Sons, Carrsides, Closely followed by Baysleap Dairy Farm LTD, reaching a price of £440, whilst also topping with Angus Heifers at £340.
Bull Calves:
Limousin – £600 JB&LM Knight.
British Blue – £520 £505 £470 £440 £410 Wilkinson & Son. £430 £360 Deerness Valley Dairy. £390×2 £385×2 £335×2 H Gibb & Son. £360 £320 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd.
Inra – £510 Kitchings of Summerfield.
Angus – £465 £280 Wilkinson & Son. £440 £390 £385 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £305 Deerness Valley Dairy. £280×2 H Gibb & Son.
Friesian – £235 £190×2 £175×2 Deerness Valley Dairy. £105 £100 H Gibb & Son.
Heifer Calves:
British Blue – £660 £430 £370 £330 Deerness Valley Dairy. £635 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd. £500 £495 Wilkinson & Son.
Limousin – £630 £610 £480 JB&LM Knight.
Angus – £340×2 £320 £310 £300 £285 £270×2 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £280 Kitchings of Summerfield. £230×2 H Gibb & Son.
Brown Swiss – £155 £120 J&A Stevenson & Sons.
