Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their ‘Stars of the Future’ show and sale of store cattle in conjunction with their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 28th April 2025. Forward were 388 cattle, 564 sheep and 7 pigs.
73 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 360ppk or £2966
9 Stock Bulls sold to 304ppk or £3261
15 Breeding Cattle sold to £2300
2 Stirks sold to £700
32 Young Bulls sold to £2700
121 Store Steers sold to £2580
136 Store Heifers sold to £2540
161 Sheep with Lambs sold to £405
41 Store Hoggs sold to £139
107 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £260
7 Store Pigs sold to £130
Show of Cattle – Thanks go to Darlington stalwart Michael Robinson for conducting the judging duties this morning, thanks also go to our generous sponsors and equally to those vendors who made the time and effort to bring their cattle forward. Scooping both the champion and reserve champion accolades were Gordon and Julie Sedgewick of Ricknall Grange with two excellent 12-month-old cattle. Tapped as the winner was a shapely British Blue crossed steer whilst the reserve went to an eye catching red-roan Limousin sired heifer. A full breakdown of the show results can be seen below.
Champion – G Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange sold for £2250
Reserve Champion – G Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange sold for £2350
Limousin Steer
1st – L Claughan, Potters Farm sold for £1970
2nd – L Claughan, Potters Farm sold for £1860
Limousin Heifer
1st – G Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange sold for £2350
2nd – L Claughan, Potters Farm sold for £1400
British Blue Steer
1st – G Sedgewick, Ricknall Grange sold for £2250
2nd – L Claughan, Potters Farm sold for £1910
British Blue Heifer
1st – L Claughan, Potters Farm sold for £2120
Any Other Breed Steer
1st – B Cockburn, Newbiggin Farm sold for £2520
2nd – B Cockburn, Newbiggin Farm sold for £2200
Any Other Breed Heifer
1st – E Taylor & Son, Wallish Walls Farm sold for £2090
2nd – E Taylor & Son, Wallish Walls Farm sold for £2000
Store Cattle – The feeding and grazing cattle trade continues to bounce along very nicely, it’s almost unthinkable where a warm rain or two could take us. The monumental trade of late is apparent when we look at the averages in comparison to this sale last year as the heifer average is up £363 to £1567, the steer average is up £453 to £1704 and the young bulls are up a massive £548 to £1673. Top today at £2700 was an excellent Aberdeen Angus bull from J V Hodgson & Son, Piercebridge Farm, the bull bounty was high throughout as R A Patterson & Son, White House sold a Limousin at £2400 and J C Thwaite & Son, Crag Hill Farm matched him at £2400 with a 13-month-old Aberdeen Angus. Top of the steers at £2580 was another feather in the Angus breeds cap as a strong sort from D & H M Hodgson, Dyke Nook Farm led the way. Following closely in the steer race was a forward Limousin from W & J Herbert, Woodwell House Farm at £2540 and the pick of the yearlings which was an excellent British Blonde from B O Cockburn, Newbiggin Farm at £2520. Heifers were hot property again and topped at £2540 for a Limousin shown by B R Lawson, Buddle House Farm; behind the Buddle House heifer followed a fine Aberdeen Angus at £2460 from A & A G Moralee, Lowfield Farm and a terrific 12-month-old Limousin from W A Dinsdale & Son, Harkerside Place at £2440.
Breeding cattle early in the day from Broom Mill Farms, Dean Bank all sold with ease and topped at £2300 for a 9-year-old Aberdeen Angus cow with a bull calf at foot.
Steers- £2580 £2400 £2000 D&HM Hodgson. £2540 £2420 x2 W&J Herbert. £2520 £2200 BO Cockburn. £2500 JC Smith. £2460 S&RT Lowson. £2400 GH&RG Stobbs. £2300 x2 D Walker. £2300 £2200 £2000 £1920 J Thompson & Sons. £2300 £2100 JW Wilkinson. £2300 G Scott. £2250 G Sedgewick. £2200 x2 £2000 W&JM Clifford. £2180 x4 GA&C Jopling. £2160 WA Dinsdale & Son. £2040 £1950 E Taylor & Son. £1970 £1910 L Claughan. £1960 M Shaw. £1940 BJS Farms. £1930 T Coulthard & Son. £1920 Messrs Ewebank LTD. £1880 x3 JM Stuart & Son.
Heifers- £2540 BR Lawson. £2460 £2080 £2020 £1920 x3 £1900 A&AG Moralee. £2440 £2160 x2 £2020 x2 WA Dinsdale & Son. £2420 G Scott. £2400 x2 £1920 JW Wilkinson. £2350 G Sedgewick. £2200 £2060 x2 GA&C Jopling. £2120 £1960 £1900 E Wilson. £2120 £1920 £1900 L Claughan. £2120 £1960 x2 £1960 W&JM Clifford. £2110 GH&RG Stobbs. £2090 £2000 E Taylor & Son. £2070 Cowclose Farm LTD. £2000 BJS Farms. £1960 B Watson. £1960 J Norman. £1950 W&J Herbert. £1900 S&RT Lowson.
Young Bulls- £2700 £2280 JV Hodgson & Son. £2400 RA Patterson & Son. £2400 £2380 x2 £2320 £2300 JC Thwaite & Son. £2160 £1880 J&EM Lawson. £1940 x2 £1900 x3 S&J Dent & Son. £1900 C Bell. £1480 K Cator. £1320 S Waggott.
Cows & Calves- £2300 £2250 £2150 £2050 £1950 £1850 £1700 Broom Mill Farms.
Breeding Bull- £1100 Broom Mill Farms.
Cast Cattle – The cow trade continues in superb form as this week’s offering, containing forty dairy breeds and eighteen natives, averaged 265ppk and £1790 per head. Top per kilo at 360 pence was an excellent 5-year-old Charolais cow from G Scott, Low Houses, following at 332ppk were two vendors as a 5-year-old Limousin from A Davison, Alndyke Farm matched a British Blonde from F & J S Gargett, Westwick Farm. Top of the gross value list amongst the females was our leading native breed when a superb 910kg 6-year-old Hereford cow from R Bradley & Son, North Crane Row sold for an impressive 326ppk and £2966. As mentioned, dairy breeds galore this week which sold to a top of 324ppk and £2199 for Holstein heifers from Messrs T G & K Fisher, The Glebe. Stock bulls remain highly sought after, top this week was an excellent 11-year-old Limousin from W R Thompson, Sloshes Farm at 304ppk and £3261; we also saw Stabiliser bulls to £3231, Aberdeen Angus to £3091 and Holstein’s to £2082.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading PPK – 360 G Scott. 332 A Davison. 332 330 318 F & J S Gargett. 326 306 R Bradley & Son. 324 322 306(x2) 294(x2) 280 Messrs T G & K Fisher. 320 304 W R Thompson. 316 A & A G Moralee. 314 D Walker. 310 300 J C Smith. 306 304 I Newton & Son. 304 F Ward. 302 T T Hall & Son. 300 D C Smith & Sons. 300 292 J M Ramsay & Son. 298 B R Lawson. 290 A Tarn. 290 Stainton Hill Farm. 286(x2) J V Hodgson & Son.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 304 W R Thompson. 300 D T & E Whitfield. 294 286 230 202 200 J M Stuart & Son. 276 272 P Prudham & Son.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading Gross – £2966 £2493 R Bradley & Son. £2878 £2339 £2206 F & J S Gargett. £2598 £2155 W R Thompson. £2520 G Scott. £2514 £2337 I Newton & Son. £2401 A & A G Moralee. £2298 D Walker. £2261 S G Horn. £2240 B R Lawson. £2214 J C Smith. £2199 £2122 £2060 £1955 Messrs T G & K Fisher. £2164 D C Smith & Son. £2163 £1959 J M Ramsay & Son. £2118 F Ward. £2092 J C Smith. £2010 J V Hodgson & Son. £1955 A Davison.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £3261 W R Thompson. £3231 £3091 P Prudham & Son. £3009 D T & E Whitfield. £2110 £2082 £1784 £1611 J M Stuart & Son.
Ewes & Lambs – With the shortage of rain now apparent it can be seen that some resistance is creeping in to the previously high-flying ewe and lamb market, it must be said however that the younger sheep with plenty of life ahead of them remain absolutely excellent to sell. Top of the day at £405 were ten smart Mule shearlings suckling Texel crossed twins from H S Hutchinson, White House Farm, Eastgate when they sold for £405 per family. Following at £365 were two Texels with twins from the same good home with another Weardale raider next in line as W Wearmouth & Son, Rose Hill Farm sold older continental ewes with twins at £340. A scattering of hoggs and lambs came forward ahead of next weeks show and sale and brought more success for the White House Farm team as they sold ten home bred Mules with single lambs at £320. Mention must be made today of a kind donation made by Robin Peart and Joanne Bainbridge of a Mule ewe with twins which sold at £340 with all proceeds heading to the Great North Air Ambulance. Lower down the rankings an eclectic mix gathered including some horned ewes and rare breeds to leave a sale average of £95.96 per life.
Leading Prices
£405 £365 £320 £270 H S Hutchinson. £340 £322 £270 £252 W Wearmouth & Son. £340 Great North Air Ambulance. £300 I Hedley. £295 D M & P M Nelson & Sons. £290 D & J A Teasdale. £285 £250 D Alderson. £270 £255 Fletcher & Coates. £265 £255 T T Hall & Son. £260 £248 J Wigham. £250 I Spedding.
Store Sheep – The few store hoggs remain a sharp shot and the feeding ewe trade looks absolutely incredible. Top of the hoggs at £139 were six strong Texel’s from A P Martin, Brandon House Farm, plenty of the strong healthier sorts remain well in to three figures. The feeding ewe bonanza shows no signs of slowing, top this week at £260 was a thumping Texel from D M & P M Nelson & Sons, Skelding Grange. Following at £250 was a big Zwartbles tup from W K Wilkinson & Sons, Mains House Farm whilst Mule ewes peaked at £188 from the same home and Blackface reached £140 and Swaledale’s £116.
Store Hoggs
£139 £125 A P Martin. £130 D M & P M Nelson & Sons. £124 R A Patterson & Son. £120 £99 M Gallon.
Feeding Ewes/Rams – £260 £178 £160 D M & P M Nelson & Sons. £250 £188 W K Wilkinson & Sons. £242 £178 I Spedding. £230 N Back. £228 £218 £176 £173 R A Patterson & Son. £180 £178 £176 £162 M Gallon. £170(x2) F Hickson & Sons. £150 D Alderson.
Store Pigs – Our pig points totals are rather more Carlisle United than Liverpool of late. Alas, our grand plan to monopolise the pork industry in the North East has yet to gain the momentum we had once hoped it would.
Leading Prices
£130 £110 C Weightman.
