Rural & Farming

Angus x steers – £2000 Sunniside, £1940 Greencarts, £1930 Sunniside

Hereford steers – £870 East Fourstones

Limousin x heifers – £1650, £1640 & £1600 White House Charolais x heifers – £1530 & £1400 Arnold House

British Blue x heifers – £1400 East Fourstones

Angus x heifers – £2000 West Butsfield, £1650 Greencarts South Devon heifers – £1580 The Deans Blonde x heifers – £1370 Arnold House Saler x heifers – £1340 Arnold House

British Shorthorn heifers – £1380 Arnold House Hereford x heifers – £1190 Shaftoe Moor Cattle 17 – 22 Months Limousin x steers – £1860 & £1740 Lunns House, £1480 Arnold House Charolais x steers – £1200 Harnham Hall Angus x steers – £1360 Arnold House, £1240 & £1220 Ravensworth Grange, £1200 Arnold House Hereford x steers – £1320 Shaftoe Moor Limousin x heifers – £1710 Quarry House, £1620 Shitlington Hall, £1600 North Shotton, £1580 & £1560 Hard Riding Charolais x heifers – £1440 Arnold House, £1360 Comb Hills & Harnham Hall British Blue x heifers – £1410 Hard Riding Angus heifers – £1050 Wallish Walls Saler x heifers – £1380 Arnold House South Devon heifers – £1220 The Deans Cattle 11 – 16 Months Limousin x steers – £1740 West Butsfield, £1650 Woodhead, £1620 Tarset Hall, £1610 Quarry House, £1570 Tarset Hall, £1560 Quarry House, £1520 Shitlington Hall & Lee Hall, £1490 Kirkhouse & Tarset Hall, £1480 Kirkhouse & Tedcastle Charolais x steers – £1550 Harnham Hall, £1490 White Hills Angus steers – £1300, £1160, £1150 & £1145 Byreside Angus x steers – £1580 & £1510 West Butsfield, £1380 (x2) East Butsfield, £1340 Lowfield & East Butsfield, £1280 Lowfield British Blue steers – £1500 Woodhouse, £1400 Woodhead Simmental x steers – £1530, £1460 & £1350 White Hills Hereford x steers – £1470 & £1250 High Wooley, £1220 & £1200 Burntshieldhaugh British Shorthorn steers – £1200 & £1070 High Warden, £1040 Blindburn Saler x steers – £970 East Fourstones Limousin x heifers – £1630 Comb Hills, £1540 Windy Hill & Quarry House (x2), £1490 Quarry House, £1480 Kirkhouse, £1430 Tedcastle, £1420 Shitlington Hall, £1400 Comb Hills (x2) British Blue heifers – £1530, £1390 & £1300 Woodhouse Angus x heifers – £1390 East Butsfield, £1105 & £1100 High Barns British Shorthorn heifers – £800 & £700 (x3) Blindburn Cattle 10 months and under Limousin x steers – £1360 Lee Hall, £1340 Windy Hill & Low Acton, £1280 Lee Hall Limousin x heifers – £1510 Lee Hall Young Bulls Limousin – £1320 Tedcastle Cast Ewes Hexham & Northern Marts sold 474 Cast Ewes & Rams to another flying trade. Topping the sale was a Texel at £260 from Messrs R Thornton & Sons, Cornhills who also sold ewes at £258. Suffolk x ewes sold to £196 from Mr D J Harrison, East Flass. Charolais x ewes sold to £188 for 9 from Messrs T Hetherington, Old Hall. Mules sold to £170 from R J Suddes, Well House. Blackface ewes sold to £126 twice from D A & A M Gill, Marwood Grange and also from Messrs R J & J Raine, Townfoot. Swale ewes sold to £116 from Mr H S Hutchinson & Son, Whitehouse. Leading prices; Texel – £260 & £258 Cornhills Texel x – £202 Lynesack (x2), £200 & £198 Howlett Hall, £190 Cornhills, High Shipley & East Newham, £188 East Newham, £187 High Shiplet & East Newham, £186 East House & Woodlands Place, £184 Cornhills & East Newham, £180 West End, £178 Peartree & West Heddon (x2), £176 Tresco Suffolk x – £196 East Flass, £187 East Newham, £179 Old Hall, £169 Saugh House, £167 Old Hall, £166 Woodlands Place Charolais x – £188, £178 & £174 Old Hall Cheviot – £160 Highwood Cheviot Mule – £ 177 Lynesack Mule – £170 Well House, £169 East Newham, £159 Old Hall, £157 High Alderheads, £153 Woodlands Hall, £149 High Hedleyhope, £145 Old Hall, £144 High Shipley Blackface – £126 Marwood Grange & Townfoot Swaledale – £116 White House Jacob – £131 East Newham Cast Tups A smaller show of cast tups sold to a flying trade, topping at £256 for a Leicester tup from Mr J J & J M Sanders, Bavington Hill Head. Leading prices; Texel – £237 Bavington Hill Head Charollais – £180 Crescent Blackface – £127 Chirdon Leicester – £256 Bavington Hill Head Ewes & Lambs A select entry of ewes and lambs sold to another strong trade with hopefully some warmth and sunshine on the horizon, topping at £149 per life, for outfits with strong Texel x lambs at foot. Ewes & Hoggs with lambs at foot, special sales are just around the corner, with the opening sale Tuesday 30th April, Entries in by Tuesday 23rd of April. Leading prices; Texel x – £149 High Hedleyhope Mule – £98 High Hedleyhope Cross – £110 High Hedleyhope Store Lambs Hexham & Northern Marts sold a catalogued entry of 481 store hoggs, selling to another strong trade for a show reflecting the time of year and the weather. Topping at £224 were a pen of 6 thumping tup hoggs from Mr A W Dixon, West Heddon. Suffolk x hoggs topped at £198 from Messrs N & A Hunter, Woodlands Hall. Cheviot mules topped at £160 from Messrs B & S Teasdale & Son, Lynesack Farm. Leading prices; Texel – £224 & £199 West Heddon Texel x – £206 West Heddon, £198 Willimoteswick, £192 West Heddon, £188 East Newham, £182 Holling Hill, £178 Howlett Hall, £176 West Heddon, £169 Highwood, £166 Rye Hill & Howlett Hall, £165 West Heddon, £164 Howlett Hall & Bankfoot, £162 Rye Hill, £160 Crescent & High Knitsley, £158 Lambshield, £156 Holling Hill, West Heddon & Howlett Hall, £155 Bankfoot, £152 Ochrelands Suffolk x – £198 Woodlands Hall, £174 Holling Hill, £164 Bankfoot, £154 Rugley Walls, £150 Moorlaws Mule – £154 Burn House & Allenheads, £150 Chirdon, £140 Rugley Walls, £136 East Fourstones Cheviot Mule – £160 & £150 Lynesack Blackface – £145 Holling Hill Swaledale – £111 Allenheads Easycare – £114 Moorlaws (x2) Zwartbles – £130 Allenheads Cross – £155 Woodlands Hall Cattle Prime Cattle A handful of clean heifers met a firm trade with Charolais cross heifers from Mr F T Walton, Flotteron selling to 301.5ppk and £1886.65. Leading prices; Charolais x Heifers – £1886.63 & £1751.48 Flotterton 301.52p & 292.5p Flotterton Cast Cows & OTM More numbers forward which met the same extreme trade as last weeks rates of return. The sale consisted predominantly of leaner, feeding sorts that sold very well with Blue cows from Mr R E Williamson, Littleburn reaching 251.5ppk and 244.5ppk. Angus cross cows from Mr D G Clemitson, Byreside peaked at 207.5ppk whilst once calved heifers from Messrs W H Smith & Sons, West Shields sold to 247.5ppk. Leading prices; Limousin – £1518.58 Lee Hall, £1486.28 Baal Hill, £1474.31 Cornhills, £1461.50 Round Meadows, £1445.07 Hard Riding, £1418.05 Kirkley Dam House 26.5p Hard Riding, 225.5p Littleburn, 223.5p Baal Hill, 218.5p Lee Hall, 205.5p Edges Green & Tarset Hall Angus – £1429.68 Byreside 207.5p Byreside Angus x – £1449.32 Kirkley Dam House, £1435.50 West Shields, £1299.68 Linshiels 247.5p West Shields, 201.5p Linshiels British Blue – £1637.28 Lee Hall, £1535.46 Littleburn, £1495.73 Edges Green, £1483.85 Littleburn, £1406.48 Hard Riding 251.5p & 244.5p Littleburn, 239.5p Low Staples, 208.5p The Fawns, 207.5p Stotsfold, 203.5p Edges Green Simmental x – £1541.25 & £1508.90 Heatheridge 197.5p Stotsfold & Heatheridge British Shorthorn – £1589.45 Gallaw Hill 191.5po Gallaw Hill Hereford x – £1279.95 West Shields 185.5p West Shields Saler x – £1143.00 Baal Hill 190.5p Baal Hill Luing – £1081.41 & £872.19 Whitchester 169.5p & 165.5p Whitchester Cast Bull Angus – £1717.65 Byreside 173.5p Byreside Galloway – £956.80 Linshiels 149.5p Linshiels Young Bulls A moderate offering of young bulls that lacked flesh sold to 229.5ppk for a Blue bull from G A & D E Thompson, Howburn. Leading prices; British Blue – £1675.35 Howburn 229.5p Howburn South Devon – £1490.75 The Deans 167.5p The Deans Prime Sheep Hexham & Northern Marts sold 379 Prime Hoggs to another tremendous trade with plenty of weight about. Overall average £190.52, with returning vendors reaping the benefits of straight weights and straight prices. Topping the sale at £249 was a thumping Texel x hogg from Mr J J & J M Sanders, Bavington Hill Head. Texel hoggs sold to 468.1ppk from Mr D Dixon, Middle Heads. Leading prices; Prime Hoggs Texel x – £249 Bavington Hill Head, £226 Woodcroft, £224 & £220 Middle Heads, £216.50 Rare Dean, £216 Tedcastle, £215 Mickley Moor, £214 Claywalls & Rare Dean, £213 Comb Hills 468.1p & 430.8p Middle Heads, 423.2p Bavington Hill Head, 418.6p Middle Heads, 416.7p Bavington Hill Head, 416.3p Middle Heads, 413.5p Mickley Moor, 411.6p South Farm, 411.5p & 411.1p Hill Head

Suffolk x – £241 Steel Hall, £238 & £217 Rare Dean, £214 Steel Hall

396.9p South Farm, 382.1p Steel Hall & Rare Dean, 379.p & 377.4p Middle Heads

Beltex x – £240 Bavington Hill Head Cheviot Mule – £213 & £210.50 Claywalls 401.9p Claywalls Mule – £151 Low Carriteth 359.0p Low

Carriteth Swaledale – £193 & £185 Woodcroft 308.3p Woodcroft Leicester – 405.6p Bavington Hill Head Vendeen – £214 Hill Head 419.6p Hill Head Prime Ewes Another nice entry of 42 Prime Ewes sold slowly to a complete flyer, selling well beyond vendors expectations. Topping at £218 on three occasions were Texels from Mr R W Birbeck & Son, Moss Barns. Leading prices; Texel – £218 Moss Barns (x3) Texel x – £211 Tedcastle, £206 Middle Heads & Low Carriteth, £197 Middle Heads, £195 Moss Barns

Suffolk x – £179 Tedcastle Mule – £159 South Byre Tups

Leicester – £176 Chatterley

DARLINGTON April 22 and 25

Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held its ‘Stars of the Future’ Show and Sale of Store Cattle in conjunction with their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store & Breeding Stock. 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

MARTS

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.

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.

Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held its weekly sale of prime stock. Forward were 183 cattle and 1434 sheep.

39 Prime Bulls sold to 324ppk or £2708

39 Prime Steers sold to 313ppk or £2295

101 Prime Heifers sold to 354ppk or £2105

4 Cast Cattle/OTM sold to 256ppk or £1869

18 New Season Lambs sold to 490ppk or £220

1090 Prime Hoggs sold to 458ppk or £230

326 Cast Sheep sold to £280 Prime Bulls (39) – Numbers remaining tight and once again the best suckler bred types were in short supply and high demand. Five Limousin’s led the way per kilo selling between 318 pence and 324 pence, top of them all was a fabulous fifteen-month-old 813kg bull from W Barron, Morrow Edge Farm. Four of the top five gross values this week went to British Blonde bulls with only the Barron superstar preventing a clean sweep, pick of the bunch was a brilliant 891kg Blonde from P Weightman & Sons, Hallfield Farm selling for £2708. Friesian feeders this week saw the familiar name of R Hall & Son, Kilton Hall top the prices per kilo at 248 pence but a new name led the gross values as A Phillip, Denmark Farm, Arbroath sold strong sorts thrice over £1650. Below are a few of the days leading pen averages.

W Barron, Burnhope sold 2 to average 323ppk and £2418

W & M Knaggs & Son, Sadberge sold 2 to average 319ppk and £2290

F & J S Gargett, Barnard Castle sold 3 to average 299ppk and £2420

J R Knox & Son, Heighington sold 2 to average 299ppk and £2244

Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 324 322 W Barron. 322 WJ Scott Ltd. 321 318 W&M Knaggs & Son. 310 302 285 F&JS Gargett. 304 P Weightman & Sons. 299×2 JR Knox & Son. 288 250 J Richmond. 287 JK&CE Farming. 279 269 267 257 D Robertson. 263 262 257 JK Gregory. 257 247 240 TF Bothroyd & Son.

Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £2708 P Weightman & Sons. £2634 £2202 W Barron. £2535 £2419 £2305 F&JS Gargett. £2299 £2282 W&M Knaggs & Son. £2286 WJ Scott Ltd. £2263 £2224 JR Knox & Son. £2135 JK&CE Farming. £2119 J Richmond. £1849 £1740 D Robertson. £1812 J Richmond. £1804 £1743 £1673 £1661 J Steel & Son. £1720 £1687 £1621 TF Bothroyd & Son.

Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 248 231×2 R Hall & Son. 236 230 227 220 214 A Phillip. 231 228 222 208 JM&S Walton. 222 206 200×2 C&M Atkinson & Sons.

Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1697 £1694 £1654 £1550 £1372 A Phillip. £1605 £1465 ££1454 £1337 JM&S Walton. £1388 £1386 £1374 R Hall & Son. £1327 £1142 C&M Atkinson & Sons.

Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 259 G Te-Lintelo. 237 228 A Phillip. 232 230 I Skea.

Lead Grossing Native Bulls £2305 G Te-Lintelo. £2071 £2019 I Skea. £1576 £1497 A Phillip.

OTM – Top prices ppk 256 W&M Knaggs & Son. 227 210 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 172 J&J Pattullo.

Lead Grossing OTM £1869 J&J Pattullo. £1802 W&M Knaggs & Son. £1717 £1520 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons.

Clean Cattle (140) – A plainer show of quality than witnessed recently and much more weight on offer, the butchers shop spec handier weights look every bit as dear as they have been however the 600kg plus beasts needed real shape and style to keep up. Top price per kilo at 354 pence was a beautiful 516kg Limousin heifer from the Askwiths of Low Mown Meadows, Crook which sold to Taylor’s Butchers, Darlington. Topping the steers per kilo was an excellent home bred 637 British Blue from W J Scott Ltd, Low Leam Farm, West Woodburn when he sold for 313 pence. Moving on to the gross values and it was the West Woodburn wizards from Low Leam who claimed the bragging rights today leading the steers at £2295 with a British Blonde and the heifers at £2067 with a British Blue. Remarkably, the top six heifers all sold within £10 of each other as I Marshall & Sons, Hope House along with the Hirst’s of Neasham and J E Suddes & Son, Cornsay are without doubt well worthy of a mention. Below are some of the days top pen averages. Steers

Askwiths, Crook sold 2 to average 306ppk and £2096

W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 3 to average 294ppk and £2122

L R Welsh & Co, Spennymoor sold 3 to average 290ppk and £2062

Heifers

Askwiths, Crook sold 3 to average 337ppk and £1778

I Marshall & Sons, Bishop Middleham sold 4 to average 324ppk and £2010

P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 5 to average 324ppk and £1776

R W Barker & Sons, Grantham sold 2 to average 322ppk and £1749

W J Scott Ltd, West Woodburn sold 5 to average 318ppk and £2036

Steers- Top Prices PPK 313 306 269 WJ Scott LTD. 309 304 Askwiths. 308 288 284 x2 283 260 245 A&MJ Henshaw. 307 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 305 289 277 LR Welsh & Co. 305 RW Barker & Sons. 293 JE Suddes & Son. 281 JK&CE Farming. 246 244 242 A Phillip. 240 T Watson.

Lead Grossing Steers- £2295 £2079 £1993 WJ Scott LTD. £2207 £2104 £1875 LR Welsh & Co. £2097 £2095 Askwiths. £2022 RW Barker & Sons. £2006 RW Barker & Sons. £1977 JE Suddes & Son. £1888 £1859 £1843 £1814 £1766 £1668 £1656 A&MJ Henshaw. £1802 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £1714 £1680 £1644 A Phillip. £1658 W Lewis & Sons.

Heifers- Top Prices PPK 354 336 324 Askwiths. 345 329 326 I Marshall & Sons. 340 338 336 333 317 316 WA Armstrong. 335 325 x2 319 JV&JA Hodgson. 335 333 327 WJ Scott LTD. 329 324 x2 323 320 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 329 325 324 322 320 318 314 310 R Hirst. 328 JE Suddes. 325 320 RW Barker & Sons. 324 A&MJ Henshaw. 324 SH Watson & Son. 323 320 WF Hustwit.

Lead Grossing Heifers£2067 £2060 £2011 £2008 £1938 WJ Scott LTD. £2066 £2037 £2025 £1913 I Marshall & Sons. £2058 £2057 £2012 £1953 £1920 £1918 £1893 £1864 R Hirst. £2057 £1954 JE Suddes & Son. £2006 £1911 £1906 £1902 £1893 £1878 £1865 JV&JA Hodgson. £1976 £1898 £1839 A&MJ Henshaw. £1944 LR Welsh & Co. £1938 W Lewis & Sons. £1936 £1914 £1904 £1899 WA Armstrong. £1924 RW Barker & Sons. £1920 £1846 £1837.

New Season Lambs (18) – Still early days for the springers to spring in to life and with snow up the dale this morning they will hardly be in a rush this year. An excellent trade for those forward as they all climbed over £200. Top of the day per kilo at 490 pence were four smart 42kg lambs from I Hedley, Barnard Castle with the top gross value going to four thumping 52kg Suffolk lambs from P J Tindale, Preston Tilery Farm at £220.

Spring Lambs- Top Prices PPK 490 450 I Hedley. 463 T Duckitt. 429 423 388 PJ Tindale.

Lead Grossing Spring Lambs- £220 £219 £210 PJ Tindale. £207 £206 I Hedley. £204 T Duckitt.

Prime Hoggs (1090) – A shade dearer on the week to average a weighed straight 375ppk with an SQQ of 391ppk. Top of the day per kilo went to a pen of eight terrific 40kg Beltex from P J & M P Gilhespy, Low House, Ponteland at 458 pence. Three vendors shared the top eighteen prices per kilo as the Gilhespy’s were pushed hard by R Atkinson, Scorton and G Gall, Aberdeenshire; those eighteen lots contained between them over 300 hoggs.

Top of the gross values was a superb single Texel tup hogg from C Moralee & Sons, Blackburn Farm, Langley Park which sold for £230, behind him came an excellent Charollais hogg from Abbey Lane Partnership, Healaugh at £226 before seven super Texels from C A & J G Skidmore, Toronto and several pens from the regular selling A C Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm. See below some of this week’s top runs.

R Atkinson, Scorton sold 251 to average 427ppk

P J & M P Gilhespy, Ponteland sold 66 to average 415ppk

C A & J G Skidmore, Toronto sold 17 to average £213

A C Simpson & Son, Witton-le-Wear sold 42 to average £204

Abbey Lane Partnership, Leeds sold 22 to average £204

J L & J Spensley & Sons, Ripon sold 34 to average £201

A Crowder, Butsfield sold 45 to average £199

Hoggs- Top Prices PPK 458 443 416 415 412 402 x2 PJ&MP Gilhespy. 454 444 442 x2 433 429 419 414 x3 413 R Atkinson. 433 428 387 372 370 G Gall. 400 JD Brannen. 411 381 377 372 AC Simpson & Son. 409 389 x2 379 TN Callender. 408 395 390 376 R&D Harland. 405 396 374 G&S Frankland.

400 391 385 A Crowder. 387 384 x2 JL&J Spensley & Sons. 384 D&B Harding. 375 DA Gill. 374 x2 372 x2 370 x2 PJ Tindale. 373 GC&JC Pullan. 372 RE Dickson.

Lead Grossing Hoggs- £230 C Moralee & Sons. £226 £215 £191 G&S Frankland. £218 £210 CA&JG Skidmore. £218 £215 x2 £213 £210 £207 £205×2 £202 x2 £201 £200 £190 AC Simpson & Son. £210 £192 £190 £189 x2 D&PH Brown. £207 £204.50 £196 £192 A Crowder. £206 £200 x2 £199 x2 £197 £195 x4 £190 R Atkinson. £203 £201.50 £200 x2 JL&J Spensley & Sons. £200 £188 R&D Harland. £197 £194 £187 RE Dickson. £194 £193.50 £191 £190 £187 PJ Tindale. £188 K Tallentire. £187 GC&JC Pullan.

Cast Ewes & Rams (326) – Ewes much, much dearer. A very mixed bag with a few good ewes very much diluted by the downright downtrodden from what’s been a hard lambing.

The sale averaged £128 for ewes and £158 for tups, those numbers tell only some of the story as the below par offering mattered not at all with all types exceeding expectations. Top of the day went to a pure Texel from T Nesbitt & Son, Alwent Hall at £280, plenty more of the fitter lowland bred ewes followed either side of £200.

Mule ewes enjoyed a flyer to average £122 topping thrice at £150 whilst the best of the hill sheep was a pen of fourteen fit Swaledale ewes which sold for £120, it has to be said though that the trade of the day belonged to the ewes with the lambing time blues, escaping the knacker man by the skin of their teeth, even they sold from £50-£70.

Lead Grossing Cast sheep £280 £170 £160 T Nesbitt & Son. £240 C Moralee & Sons. £230 I Hedley. £206 £160 A&EJ Dobinson. £204 J Davis. £200×3 Parkin Butchers. £190 £170 W Denham. £190 £180 £152 JR&M Richardson. £188 £180 £168 £155 JH Johnson. £186 JR Knox & Son. £185 D&PH Brown. £184 £180 £174 JA&A Herbert. £180 GS Bainbridge. £180×2 £170 £160 RA Patterson & Son. £180 J&MJ Walton. £180 £170 £152 W Tindale. £179.50 £170 Tallentire. £162 N&LL Brown & Son. £160 K Hall.