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 & Breeding Stock on Monday 22nd April 2024. Forward were 454 cattle, 741 sheep and 10 pigs.
50 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 256ppk or £2078
5 Stock Bulls sold to 208ppk or £2146
12 Cows & Calves sold to £2000
86 Young Bulls sold to £1920
135 Store Steers sold to £1680
154 Store Heifers sold to £1900
212 Ewes & Lambs sold to £338
102 Store Hoggs sold to £194
57 Feeding Ewes sold to £174
10 Pigs sold to £165
Show Cattle – The annual DfAM April ‘Stars of the Future’ show and sales reputation for producing some fabulous cattle was certainly enhanced this year as the vendors turned out pen after pen of truly excellent types. The arduous task of judging was expertly carried out by regular supporter Jon Grieves of Whinney Hill, Stockton; tapped out as Champion was a beautiful jet-black yearling Limousin heifer from the Hutchinson family of White House Farm, Eastgate whilst the reserve was awarded to a June 2023 born red-roan Limousin steer from the prolific Stones family, Nun Cote Nook Farm, Marrick. Other rosettes followed the Hutchinson heifer back into Weardale as the Ward’s of Rogerley Hall placed twice in the steer class whilst the remaining heifer rosettes went to R A & S L Wearmouth, Long Newton and I Appleton, Elwick. The young bull class found some incredible Limousin’s at the top of it, three separate vendors, all with wonderful bulls shared the prizes with a super sort from J & P Armstrong, Rowlands Gill the eventual winner of the coveted red rosette.
Show Results
Champion – H S Hutchinson, White House sold for £1420 to E W Grieves, Stockton
Reserve Champion – K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1430 to G B Howsam, Lincs
Best Heifer
1st – H S Hutchinson, White House Farm sold for £1420 to E W Grieves, Stockton
2nd – R A & S L Wearmouth, Middletown sold for £1400 to R Hirst, Neasham
3rd – I Appleton, Pudding Poke sold for £1490 to P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland
Best Steer
1st – K O Stones, Nun Cote Nook sold for £1430 to G B Howsam, Lincs
2nd F Ward, Rogerley Hall sold for £1380 to S Oldfield, York
3rd – F Ward, Rogerley Hall sold for £1340 to J H & D Wise, Newton Aycliffe
Best Bull
1st – J & P Armstrong, Sherburn Tower sold for £1900 to A S & S M Kemp, Sherburn
2nd – J & F Hartley, Low Shipley sold for £1920 to A S & S M Kemp, Sherburn
3rd – D R & R L Burns, Lodge Farm sold for £1630 to A S & S M Kemp, Sherburn
Sale of Store Cattle – A superb show of grazing cattle was offered afore the ringside of buyers, a cracking trade was both achieved and well deserved as fifty-two buyers from the Midlands and up over ensured that our fifty vendors from seven different counties enjoyed a memorable day. The report this time last year described the trade as rising £150 to £200 per head and today’s averages confirm even further an upward trajectory in the store ring. Young bulls today averaged £1125 (+£25 with 26 more sold) whilst steers averaged £1251 (+£117 with 35 more sold) and heifers levelled at £1203 (+£90 with 50 less sold).
The blistering bull trade beggar’s belief at times and no less than a baker’s dozen found their way over £1500; the top two were the first and second prize winners at £1900 and £1920 respectively with the inform J & F Hartley & Sons selling three more bulls between £1630 and £1740. D R & R L Burns up from Leicestershire certainly made their first-time selling cattle in Darlington a success as they chased the leaders all the way selling a pair of cracking Limousin bulls at £1630 whilst yearling British Blue’s topped at £1580 for E Wilson, White Hills and British Blonde’s topped at £1570 from J J Horn, Bushy Park.
The good quality show of store cattle included many highlights, none bigger than our top priced heifer, a terrific 18-month-old (blue roan) Limousin from R A & S L Wearmouth, Middletown Farm selling for £1900 to Edward Scott, Middridge Grange Farm. Other heifers impressing greatly were British Blonde’s from I Appleton, Elwick to a top of £1710; local Limousin’s from S & J Dent & Son to £1690 and some brilliant British Blue’s from within the annual consignment up from K Mellor, Horncastle, Lincolnshire reaching a high of £1650.
£1900 Heifer from Messrs Wearmouth, Middletown Farm
A very tightly packed steer leader board was headed by a smart Limousin from R M Reed & Son, Oaktree Farm, Northallerton which sold for £1680; close behind came a plethora of vendors including some super shaped Limousin’s from F Ward, Frosterley and a run of strong steers late in the sale from K Metcalfe, Lands Lane Farm, Cockfield which peaked at £1630 for a British Blue.
Limousin steer from F Ward, Rogerley
Young Bulls – £1920 £1740 £1700 £1630 J & F Hartley & Sons. £1900 £1600 £1220 £1180(x2) £1150 J & P Armstrong. £1630(x2) £1580 £1280 £1200 D R & R L Burns. £1580 £1540 £1505 £1460 £1430 E Wilson. £1570 £1470(x2) £1400 £1280 £1170 J J Horn. £1420 £1340 £1300(x2) K Mellor. £1390 £1360 £1280 A R White. £1260(x2) Wilkinson & Son.
Store Heifers – £1900 £1400 R A & S L Wearmouth. £1710 £1490 I R Appleton. £1690 £1480(x2) £1450(x2) S & J Dent & Son. £1650 £1620 £1550 £1460 £1440 £1430 K Mellor. £1600 £1490 £1460 E Wilson. £1580 J G Wilkinson & Son. £1550 R M Reed & Son. £1540 D R & R L Burns. £1520 £1440(x2) F Ward. £1490 £1390 G W & M Singleton & Sons. £1480 D & M Lowes. £1470 R M Reed & Son. £1450 Wilsons. £1430 W Wearmouth &Son. £1420 H S Hutchinson. £1410 W Emerson. £1400 K O Stones. £1390(x2) J W Golding.
Store Steers – £1680 £1415(x2) R M Reed & Son. £1630 £1590 £1570 £1560 £1510(x2) £1490 £1480 £1470(x2) £1460 £1450 £1440 K Metcalfe. £1590 £1570 £1540(x2) £1490(x2) £1410 F Ward. £1520 R W Ridley. £1520 £1480(x3) £1460 G W & M Singleton & Sons. £1440 J & S Bowes & Son. £1430(x2) K O Stones. £1430 £1420 K Mellor. £1410 R Errington & Son.
Breeding Cattle – A tidy offering of cows and calves preceded the store cattle and with Spring surely about to make an appearance the trade looked solid for them all. A tidy British Blonde with an Aberdeen Angus crossed bull calf at foot from S E Harrison & Son, Twizell Hall Farm led the way selling for £2000, closely followed by a 10-year-old Charolais from the same home with her Angus heifer calf at foot reaching £1900.
Cows & Calves – £2000 £1900 £1850 £1780 £1650 S E Harrison & Son. £1800 £1420 W T Hall. £1500 £1300 K Mellor. £1180 £1120 £1100 T Ripley & T Ramesar.
Cast Cattle – The cow trade looks a shade easier, difficult to use the averages of 170ppk and £1072 per head however with just a handful of good cows at the top today joined by some very lean meat and light weights further down the pecking order. No doubting the leading lady as J A Gilson, The Heugh provided us with a fabulous 5-year-old 812kg Limousin cow which sold for 256ppk and £2078. Native breeds were led by Herford’s to 202ppk and Beef Shorthorns to £1549 whilst a Dairy Shorthorn topped the milk cows at 192ppk and £1470. Stock bulls averaged a pleasing £1900 per head today with top prices of 208ppk for a Simmental from C Parker, Newsham Grange and £2146 for a Limousin from J W R & M Suddes, Towdy Potts Farm; a thumping Beef Shorthorn from Y Robinson Farming, Picton is also deserving of mention as he sold for £2059.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading PPK – 256 218 186 J A Gilson. 224 208 D R & R L Burns. 202 200 Sevenacres Livestock Ltd. 200 J A & U M Fawcett. 198 196 M Hoggarth. 198 J T & M Atkinson. 196 I Spedding. 194 A & D Heyes. 192(x2) Messrs Heathcote. 190 178 H M Dent. 188 178(x2) R G Richardson. 188 J E Holliday & Son. 182 K M & S Sayer. 178 J C & P Tallentire. 176 John Archer. 174 B Watson.
Stock Bulls Leading PPK – 208 C Parker. 200 J W R & M Suddes. 186 T & R Dent. 178 Y Robinson Farming. 166 K M & S Sayer.
Cast Cows/OTM Leading Gross – £2078 £1595 £1181 J A Gilson. £1590 £1549 D R & R L Burns. £1549 £1470 Messrs Heathcote. £1524 £1469 M Hoggarth. £1457 £1411 £1171 R G Richardson. £1422 J A & U M Fawcett. £1419 J E Holliday & Son. £1404 A & D Heyes. £1371 £1342 H M Dent. £1351 £1288 Sevenacres Livestock Ltd. £1311 I Spedding. £1261 J T & M Atkinson. £1203 J C & P Tallentire.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £2146 J W R & M Suddes. £2059 Y Robinson Farming. £1824 C Parker. £1739 T & R Dent. £1328 K M & S Sayer.
Ewes & Lambs – The ewe and lamb trade remains strong, it must be said that this week’s average of £89.56 per life although back on paper would see the trade very, very similar in real terms. Topping the day at £338 were eight excellent Suffolk cross ewes all suckling twins from T W Brown & Son, Brokes Farm; top of the Mule ewes were fifteen with twins from S Beeforth, High Crookleith Farm at £295. Plenty of continental ewes are still able to achieve £100 to £120 per life, the stronger single sucking ewes comfortably £120-£140 per life, the very youngest lambs are the only commodity which can at times prove slightly more difficult to sell.
Ewes & Lambs – £338 £255 T W Brown & Sons. £302 £275 £245 D & M Buck. £298 H S Hutchinson. £295 £260 £250 £240 S Beeforth. £292 £250 D Alderson. £290 £285 N Medd & Son. £290 £250 £245 W & C Iceton. £280 J Dixon. £278 R G & G Rutter. £275 £260 F Stobbs. £262 £260 T & C Smith. £260 G Williamson. £240 A Wilson.
Store Sheep – Still a few store hoggs trundle forward, trade remains absolutely outstanding. Top this week were a trio of Texel’s from I Spedding, Harelaw Farm when they sold at £194 apiece; behind these Suffolk’s topped at £186 from B & L Robson, Gawen House whilst Mule trade topped at £168 from N Medd & Son, West Whorley Hill. Feeding ewes continued in splendid fashion to top at £174 for Texel’s from M Gallon, High Crows Farm.
Store Hoggs – £194 I Spedding. £186 B & L Robson. £168 £148 £144 N Medd & Son. £156 £144 £132(x3) £120 S Love. £150 £136 £121 L Fowler. £142 L J Daley.
Feeding Ewes – £174 £164 £150 £106 M Gallon. £136 £130 S C Brown. £135 £108 S Love. £122 £108 £100 I Spedding. £121 N Back. £110 A Swinbank.
Pigs – After complaints regarding a lack of pig reports in recent weeks it today returns through gritted teeth and tired eyes. Thankfully the complainant in question will probably be too exhausted today to digest the nonsensical nature of this paragraph having yesterday walked to London, run the marathon in just over two hours and walked home again in time for her supper, taking 483,730 steps in the process.
Leading Prices – £165 £145 £100 C Weightman.
