Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their Junior Farmers Show and Sale of Overwintered Cattle and their Spring Show of Rearing Calves in conjunction with their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 21st April 2025. Forward were 212 Cattle, 504 Sheep and 93 Calves & Stirks.
36 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 368ppk or £2779
2 Stock Bulls sold to 308ppk or £3169
1 In Calf Cow sold for £920
38 Young Bulls sold to £2820
49 Store Steers sold to £2640
86 Store Heifers sold to £2500
140 Ewes & Lambs sold to £440
87 Store Hoggs sold to £130
52 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £176
93 Calves & Stirks sold to £1130
Junior Farmers Overwintering Competition
Show – Firstly we would like to offer our thanks to Robin Williamson of Littleburn Farm who kindly gave up his time to conduct the judging duties this morning, Robin made a thorough and professional job giving valuable experience to the fabulous next generation who assembled before him. Secondly, our sponsors, without them the extremely generous prize fund would not be possible at these events and we thank them wholeheartedly on behalf of DfAM and the budding young exhibitors.
The show champion was presented by Michael Brannen of Scartop, an excellent 12-month-old Limousin heifer which was purchased last December from the Dent family of Northfield Farms; Michael had clearly devoted many hours in to the heifer as she showed herself with impeccable manners and was presented to absolute perfection. Reserve Champion went to young Ava Wilson of Throstlenest Farm with her spotlessly clean white Parthenais heifer which the keen young lady purchased from NMG Agricultural, Catterick Garrison back in November 2024. Congratulations must go to all the youngsters who should all be extremely proud of their efforts.
Show Results
Champion – Michael Brannen, Scartop
Reserve Champion – Ava Wilson, Throstlenest
Best Steer
1st – Felicity Gray, Hundred Acre
2nd – Mindi Dawson, Blue House
3rd – Charlie Gray, Hundred Acre
4th – Lauren Clark, Oakdene
Best Heifer
1st – Michael Brannen, Scartop
2nd – Ava Wilson, Throstlenest
3rd – Ted Rooke, Rye House
4th – George Wearmouth, Rose Hill
Showmanship & Presentation
1st – Felicity Gray, Hundred Acre
2nd – Lauren Clark, Oakdene
3rd – George Wearmouth, Rose Hill
Profit – The business end of proceedings was always set this year to reward the youngsters well as the beef boom hasn’t stopped since the backend purchases our calf club contestants made. A staggering average gross profit of £1025.38 was achieved this year which naturally smashes all previous records by a mighty margin. Top of them all was experienced campaigner Elliot Grieves of Oakdene Farm when his terrific Limousin steer gained a remarkable £1560 from purchase to sale. Following Elliot was a cracking Bazadaise heifer from Harome based Ted Rooke when she gained an excellent £1500 profit. A memorable year for the youngsters, with the princely profits and abundant prize money it was a profitable Easter for all concerned.
Best Profit
Overall Winner – Elliot Grieves, Oakdene £1560
Steers
1st – Elliot Grieves, Oakdene £1560
2nd – Mindi Dawson, Blue House £1340
3rd – Will Swinbank, Greystones £1300
Heifers
1st – Ted Rooke, Rue House £1500
2nd – Ava Wilson, Throstlenest £1200
3rd – Michael Brannen, Scartop £1090
Spring Show of Rearing Calves
As the hedgerows and trees blossom, Darlington Auction Marts show and sale of calves was certainly in full bloom. Sincere thanks go to Dan Taylforth who kindly gave up his time to travel across from Renwick and judge. Prices exceed all vendors expectations with numbers never a problem. Champion and top price of the day goes to Kitchings of Summerfield, Summerfield Farm, with an extortionary 8-week-old Inra95 Heifer calf achieving £870. Reserve Champion of the day, G Thompson & Sons, Softley Farm, had a terrific British Blue calf reaching £860. Angus Bulls topped at £580 from ML Farming, Park House Farm, whilst Angus Heifers topped at £690 from M&RK McKenzie, The Whins. Hereford Bulls reached heights of £560 from Deerness Valley Dairy, High Hedley Hope, whilst Baysleap Dairy Farm LTD topped the Heifers at £575. Friesian Bulls topped at £555 from TD Goldie & Son, Manor House Farm who was followed in this section by ML Farming, Park House Farm, reaching £470. Overall, a fantastic show of calves forward and prices continue to soar with a sale average of £597.
Stirks topped at £1130 for two Charollais Bulls from LJ Thompson, Ripon Drive, whilst the same home had Inra95 Heifers to top at £1030.
Show Results:
Champion- Kitchings of Summerfield- £870
Reserve Champion- G Thompson & Sons- £860
Class 1: Continental Bull
1st– British Blue from Deerness Valley Dairy, High Hedley Hope- £780
2nd– British Blue from Deerness Valley Dairy, High Hedley Hope- £710
3rd– British Blue from SJ Kellett & Son, White House Farm- £690
Class 2: Continental Heifer
1st– Inra95 from Kitchings of Summerfield- £870
2nd– British Blue from ML Farming, Park House Farm- £600
3rd– Inra95 from Kitchings of Summerfield- £750
Class 2A: Continental Heifer
1st– British Blue from G Thompson & Sons, Softley Farm- £860
2nd– British Blue from Miresdale Dairy Holding LTD- £690
Class 3: Native Bull
1st– Hereford from Baysleap Dairy Farm LTD- £530
2nd– Aberdeen Angus from ML Farming, Park House Farm- £580
3rd– Hereford from John Archer, New Moor Farm- £510
Class 4: Native Heifer
1st– Hereford from Baysleap Dairy Farm LTD- £520
2nd– Aberdeen Angus from ML Farming, Park House Farm- £435
3rd– Aberdeen Angus from Kitchings of Summerfield- £360
Class 4A: Native Heifer
1st– Aberdeen Angus from M&RK McKenzie, The Whins- £690
2nd– Aberdeen Angus from TD Goldie & Son, Manor House Farm- £590
Class 5: Black & White Bull
1st– G Thompson & Sons, Softley Farm- £440
2nd– SJ Kellett & Son, White House Farm- £440
3rd– ML Farming, Park House Farm- £470
Calves
9 British Blue Bulls average £708
10 Hereford Bulls average £504
12 Aberdeen Angus Bulls average £433
15 Holstein Friesian Bulls average £406
6 Inra 95 Heifers average £693
9 British Blue Heifers average £605
4 Aberdeen Angus Heifers average £511
10 Hereford Heifers average £472
1 Holstein Friesian Heifer average £390
3 Steer Calves average £613
8 Bull Stirks average £1060
6 Heifer Stirks average £960
Leading Prices
Bull Stirks – £1130(x2) £1090 £1060(x2) £1020 £1000 £990 L J Thompson.
Heifer Stirks – £1030(x2) £940(x2) £910(x2) L J Thompson.
Steer Calves – £685 £600 £555 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd.
British Blue Bull Calves – £860 G Thompson & Sons. £780 £710(x3) 650(x2) Deerness Valley Dairy. £690 S & J Kellet & Son. £615 M L Farming.
Aberdeen Angus Bull Calves – £580 £500 £M L Farming. £440(x2) £430(x2) £410(x3) £360 Kitchings of Summerfield. £380 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd.
Hereford Bull Calves – £560(x2) Deerness Valley Dairy. £530 £490 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £510(x2) £480(x2) £460(x2) John Archer.
Holstein Friesian Bull Calves – £555 £455 T D Goldie & Son. £470 £400 £320 M L Farming. £440(x2) £340 S J Kellett & Son. £440 G Thompson & Sons. £390(x2) £370(X3) Deerness Valley Dairy. £350 H Gibb & Son.
Inra 95 Heifer Calves – £870 £750 £710 £610 Kitchings of Summerfield. £640 £580 J & A Stevenson & Sons.
British Blue Heifer Calves – £770 £590(x2) H Gibb & Son. £690 Miresdale Dairy Holding Ltd. £660 Deerness Valley Dairy. £620 £600 £500 £430 M L Farming.
Aberdeen Angus Heifer Calves – £690 M & R K McKenzie. £590 T D Goldie & Son. £435 M L Farming. £330 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd.
Hereford Heifer Calves – £575 £520 £480 Baysleap Dairy Farm Ltd. £460 £440(x2) £430 John Archer. £460(x3) Deerness Valley Dairy.
Cast Cattle – A smaller show due to the Easter Bank Holiday, trade remains absolutely mesmerising with a varied quality offering churning out stunning sale averages of 283ppk and £1956 per head. Top call per kilo went to a smart Limousin OTM heifer from M Gallon, High Crows Farm when she sold for 368 pence. Following the hot heifer was our cow of the day, a brilliant 772kg 6-year-old Limousin from D W Humphrey, Capon Hall Farm rang the bell when she sold at 360ppk and an excellent £2779. Numerous natives in attendance, the pick of them a 49-month-old from Mayfield Beef Shorthorns topped at 316ppk and £2594 whereas Aberdeen Angus cows sold to 304ppk and £2362 from R Bradley & Son, North Crane Row with Herefords to tops of 300ppk and £2034 from Springhill Farm Partnership and Lincoln Reds to 300ppk and £2211 from R N Armstrong, Ricknall Mill. Milk cows were also motoring and sold to a best of £2009 and 256ppk from A R & C Booth, Village Farm and our top stock bull was a hefty Hereford from Peepy Farm Ltd, Stocksfiled at an impressive 308ppk and £3169.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 368 308 M Gallon. 360 DW Humphrey. 316 300×2 296 RN Armstrong. 316 Gerard Te-Lintelo. 312 300 Springhill Partnership. 304×2 R Bradley & Son. 304 292 G Nelson. 304 276 RD Anderson. 302 298 292 JF Gibson & Son. 302 TW Brown & Sons. 292 282 RG Richardson. 292 TT Hall & Son. 292 A&W TA AP E&J Heathcote. 256 252 AR&C Booth. 254 248 242 Little Newsham farms.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2779 DW Humphrey. £2594 Gerard Te-Lintelo. £2362 £2213 R Bradley & Son. £2353 A&W TA AP E&J Heathcote. £2327 RG Richardson. £2308 £2303 £2214 £2211 £2277 £1650 M Gallon. £2271 £1997 RD Anderson. £2225 £2050 JF Gibson & Son. £2120 TW Brown & Son. £2034 Springhill Partnership. £2009 £1839 AR&C Booth. £1916 £1850 £1783 Little Newsham Farms. £1881 £1722 G Nelson. £1708 RG Richardson.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 308 Peepy Farm Ltd. 290 J&JW Kenney.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £3169 Peepy Farm Ltd. £2630 J&JW Kenney.
Store Cattle – The fantasy continues as the blistering beef trade made the Bank Holiday an absolute barnstormer for the vendors. Young bulls blew the roof off to average a monumental £1974, top of the pops at £2820 and £2870 were two pure two-year-old British Blonde bulls from the Lucyland herd of Messrs Corner, Rye Close. Following the brilliant Blonde bulls were a host of yearlings all well beyond £2000, the pick of them were a terrific trio of Limousin crosses from R L Walker, East Highwood at £2510 as eleven yearlings from this good home averaged an unbelievable £2310. The steer and heifer trade stays spectacular with all shapes and sizes in fabulous form. Top of the day reaching £2640 twice were strong dairy crossed British Blue steers from J Sisterson, Newlands Haugh; the great run of eight from this good home averaged a whopping £2575. Heifers twice topped at £2500 as a smart 2-year-old Limousin from J S Wiper, Houghton House matched the price set earlier by the high-flying junior farmer Ted Rooke with his brilliant Bazadaise. Once again, the buyer’s appetite for grass cattle was apparent for all to see, plenty of yearlings up and over £2000 with the 8–10-month-old suckler bred sorts now achieving £1700-£2000 with increasing regularity.
Store Bulls £2820 £2720 G Corner. £2510×3 £2420×2 £2340 £2220 £2200 £2150 £2080 £2060 RL Walker. £2380 £2280 £1960 £1740 DW Humphrey. £2360 £2300 £2280 E Wilson. £2260 JJ Kemp & Son. £1800 DW Humphrey. £1730 £1700×3 £1620 JK Gregory. £1590 AE Barker. £1520 31310 £1200 JW Richardson. £1290 £1270 G Williamson. £1270 D Dowson.
Store Steers £2640×2 £2580×2 £2540×4 J Sisterson. £2400 Imogen Davies. £2380 William Swinbank. £2320 Mindi Dawson. £2320 £2120 £2080 E Taylor & Son. £2300 £2280 £2200×2 GT&MA Wearmouth. £2240 Edward Swinbank. £2200 F Gray. £2200 GA&C Jopling. £2020 L Clark. £2020 C Gray. £1920×3 W Emerson. £1900 J Farrington. £1820×2 W Wearmouth & Son. £1780×3 £1720×2 MW Bainbridge & Sons. £1740 I Newton & Son.
Store Heifers £2500 £2240 £2000 JS Wiper. £2500 Ted Rooke. £2400 Ava Wilson. £2350 £1940 £1860 £1840 JC Johnson. £2200 M Brannen. £2170 £2000×2 W Denham. £2080 £1900 £1700 W Wearmouth & Son. £2020 HT Davies & Partners. £2010 £1840×2 I Newton & Son. £1980 E Taylor & Son. £1940 W Emerson. £1940 AE Barker. £1910 R Stapleton. £1850×2 GA&C Jopling. £1840 31820 A Rooke & Sons. £1820 £1800×3 G Anderson.
Ewes & Lambs – The grass is coming and the sublime sheep prices dutifully follow the sensational cattle as yet another price increase occurred today. All included this week’s show averaged £319.52 per family which equated to a remarkable £122.55 per life. A pair of Dutch Spotted shearlings with texel crossed twins from J Thompson, Startforth set the bar highest when they sold for £440. Following at £418 were Texel ewes with twins from both E Scott & Sons, Middridge Grange and W & C Iceton, East Thorngarth whilst the pick of a cracking run from W Wearmouth & Son, Rosehill followed next for Suffolk ewes with twins at £412. The on-song Scott’s of Middridge led a ferocious Mule ewe trade with their top ten with twins at £402 and their next fifteen £400. Our first foray in to the Mule hogg and lamb trade today for the year looks promising to say the least as frantic bidding for seven with singles from J Thompson, Startforth saw them sell for £325 per outfit.
Ewes & Lambs:
Dutch Spotted Texel – £440 J Thompson. £382 £380 I Hedley.
Texel – £418 £295 E Scott & Sons. £418 £355 £278 W&C Iceton. £408 £380 £342 £330 W Wearmouth & Son. £370 £268 £235 J Wigham. £235 AG Williamson.
Suffolk – £412 £330 W Wearmouth & Son. £405 E Scott & Sons.
Mule – £402 £400 E Scott & Sons. £332 W Wearmouth & Sons. £330 £305 Jack Sewell. £325 £315 £305 J Thompson. £320 £230 DM&PM Nelson & Sons. £310 £235 W&C Iceton. £308 I Hedley. £205 AG Williamson.
Continental – £335 £302 W Wearmouth & Son. £325 £295 £220 D&JA Teasdale.
Zwarbtles – £275 I Hedley.
Store Hoggs & Feeding Ewes – The excellent trade remains in place every Monday as both the hoggs and ewes show no signs of letting up. Top of the hoggs at £130 were a pen of nine Mule’s from W & C Iceton, East Thorngarth, following at £128 were two vendors as Texel’s from J Atkinson, Waterford Farm and also C Harle & Sons, Brandon Hall couldn’t be split. A plainer show of feeding ewes mattered none as the trade looks as good as ever, tops at £176 were three hefty Mule ewes from Aldersdale & Mulley, Huller Bush. Horned ewes peaked at a remarkable £120 for a fleshy Swaledale from T Dowd-Simpson, 28 Fairview whilst even the very lean sorts of ewes sailed away anywhere between £80 and £100.
Store Hoggs;
Mule – £130 W&C Iceton.
Texel – £128 J Atkinson. £128 £100 £94 £92 £85 C Harle & Sons.
Suffolk – £124 P Armstrong.
Continental – £112 S Beeforth. £78 D&JA Teasdale.
Feeding Ewes:
Mule – £176 £114 Alderslade & Mulley. £167 Jack Sewell. £166 £122 J Thompson. £102 P Armstrong. £88 J Atkinson.
Beltex – £158 T Dowd-Simpson. £152 H Shepherd.
Cheviot – £138 S Beeforth.
Continental – £130 Jack Sewell. £124 £79 J Atkinson. £65 C Harle & Sons.
Swale – £120 T Dowd-Simpson.
Suffolk – £105 P Armstrong.
