Darlington mart – North East Limousin / Rachels Dispersal / Multi Breed – 17th May 2025
DARLINGTON Farmers Auction Mart held the North East Limousin breeders club sale incorporating
the complete dispersal of the Rachels herd plus a multi-breed cattle sale on Saturday 17 th May 2025.
Forward were 96 head.
20 Pedigree Limousin Bulls sold to 13,000 guineas (av. 7490 guineas)
14 Pedigree Limousin Heifers sold to 7500 guineas (av. 4900 guineas)
5 Pedigree Limousin Cows with Calves sold to 8500 guineas (av. 7287 guineas)
8 Pedigree Limousin Cows sold to 5500 guineas (av. 4475 guineas)
Multi Breed
1 Breeding Bull sold for 6200 guineas
20 Breeding Heifers sold to 3200 guineas
18 Cows & Calves sold to 3700 guineas
Pedigree Limousin
Show Classes – A fine show assembled before our judge Mr Keith Redpath who kindly made the trip
down from the Scottish borders to oversee proceedings. Tapped out as champion was the wonderful
winner of class two, Cornsay Ulrich from the prolific herd of the Suddes family, South Farm, Cornsay.
Ulrich is a sired by Lukeroyal Robin and boasts a long home bred line on the side of his dam Cornsay
Regina. Reserve champion went to the baby of the bunch in the final line up Lissett Vulcan from J H
Tennant Ltd, Bridlington; a January 2024 bull full of scope which looks sure to grow forever more he
is sired by Lissett Osten and out of the French cow Maizena.
Sale – Record’s tumbled galore at the North East Limousin Breeders club sale as demand outstripped
supply to see a total clearance, two new centre records in the space of a few minutes plus a record
average of 7490 guineas which is a marvellous 3390 guinea increase on the year. First mention in the
sale report goes to Willie Barron, Burnhope with his cracking young 14-month-old bull Barrons
Valour who was the first to break the centre record on the day at 11,200 guineas. Valour is sired by
this club sales champion last year Wanthwaite Rolo and out of a terrific cow Procters Rowen. The
centre record tumbled shortly afterwards during the Rachels herd dispersal which is reported on
below. Other notable achievements in the club sale went to the Jorica herd of Josh Knaggs with his
two bulls Unionjack and Umpire selling at 9200 and 9000 guineas respectively. A stunning run of
bulls from the Cornsay herd of W I Suddes & Sons which saw Ulrich and Victor sell for 9000 guineas
with UFO following at 8500 guineas alongside Barrons Viper and Dovetree Upmarket at that price.
A full list of the show results and also the extraordinary prices can be seen below.
Class 1
1 st Jorica Unionjack sold for 9500 guineas to A&K Hall, Bishop Auckland
Class 2
1 st Cornsay Ulrich sold for 9000 guineas to WA Richardson Ltd, Hutton Magna
2 nd Holywell Ultimate sold for 6000 guineas to WR Thompson, Etherley
3 rd Dovetree Upmarket sold for 8500 guineas to Rodney Brothers, Masham
Class 3
1 st Jorica Umpire sold for 9200 guineas to A&K Hall, Bishop Auckland
2 nd Barrons Viper sold for 8500 guineas to RA & SL Wearmouth, Stockton
3 rd Hightown Virgil sold for 8000 guineas to GN & V Bayles, Richmond
4 th Lissett Unclebuck sold for 6500 guineas to F Hickson & Sons, Capheaton
5 th Cornsay Victor sold for 9000 guineas to D&A Livestock, Harrogate
Class 4
1 st Lissett Vulcan sold for 8000 guineas to J Gowthorpe & Sons, York
2 nd Barrons Valour sold for 11,200 guineas to RN Gent, Irving
3 rd Cornsay Vampire sold for 6000 guineas to RL Ritchie & Son, Skegness
4 th Springs Viking sold for 6000 guineas to R & BK Wise, Skipton on Swale
5 th Barrons Viscount sold for 6200 guineas to EH North & Sons, Leeds
Rachels Herd Dispersal
Darlington Farmers Auction Mart were privileged to be given the instruction from Mark Woolhouse
to disperse the Rachels herd of pedigree Limousin cattle. A fabulous collection of cattle put together
by Mark and his parents Rachel and Derek over the past forty-nine years quite rightly attracted one
of the biggest crowds ever seen in Darlington. Breeders from all four corners of the UK assembled in
recognition of the quality and history involved on this one-off occasion; in doing so they assured a
terrific trade from start to finish.
The top call and new centre record of 13,000 guineas went to the 27-month-old bull Rachels Umbro
which was knocked down to RA & SL Wearmouth, Middletown Farm, Stockton-on-Tees. Umbro is
testament to the home bred success story as he is sired by Rachels Perseus and out of Rachels Izzy
boasting both Lissett and Wilodge lines through his grandparents. Cow and calf trade topped at 8500
guineas for the stunning 2021 born Rachels Siete with her superb Barrons Sammie sired heifer calf at
foot Rachels Angel. More proof in doing things the Woolhouse way as Siete too was from home bred
lines with her sire Rachels Oggy and her dam Rachels Ocho. Top of the cows from the herd was
Rachels Prosecco, a 2019 born daughter of Lissett Madmax and Steves Jess she was sold due in July
to Barrons Sammie. Heifers from the herd enjoyed perhaps the trade of the day and twice peaked at
7500 guineas, firstly for Rachels Venice a January 2024 born Liverpool Pirate daughter out of Rachels
Santiago and just two lots later for the double muscled February 2024 born Rachels Veluptuous who
is a Barrons Sammie daughter out of Rachels Samantha.
Note from DfAM
Darlington Auction Mart would like to take this opportunity to thank Mark for the opportunity to
conduct this sale. The cattle and the vendor have both been an absolute pleasure to work with,
Limousin with temperaments second to none and a gentleman at the helm. An understandably
emotional day for Mark can be considered a great success, knowing his dedication and desire to do
his cattle and his parents proud we are truly delighted as a company to have helped him achieve
this.
Note from Mark Woolhouse, Rachels Herd
I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Darlington Mart and all their staff for their
tireless work and professionalism throughout. All of the staff including auctioneers, clerical staff,
drovers and the girls in Dot’s Café alike have made us most welcome. I am very pleased that I made
the decision to use Darlington mart to disperse the herd.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me both recently and
in the past on my Limousin journey.
Finally I would like to thank everyone who came today and bid for my cattle, they have been an
enormous part of my life for forty-nine years and I have no doubts that they will do those who
purchased them well. I am humbled by the support of everyone today and felt it only appropriate to
thank you all sincerely.
Rachels Herd Leading Prices (Guineas)
Bulls – 13,000 6500 3200(x2)
Cows & Calves – 8500 8000 7000 6400 4800
Cows – 5500 5000(x2) 4800 4500 4000 3800 3200
Heifers – 7500(x2) 7000 5500 5000 4800 4500 4000(x3) 2600
Limousin Leading Prices (Guineas)
Bulls – 11200 8500 6200 W Barron. 9500 9200 Josh Knaggs. 9000(x2) 8500 6000 W I Suddes & Son.
8500 D Lumley. 8000 J W Smith-Jackson. 8000 6500 J H Tennant. 6000 M J Marley. 6000 R D
Anderson.
Heifers – 4800 4200 3200 A & J A Iveson.
Multi Breed Cattle
The multi breed sale merged with our Limousin day maintained a sizeable crowd and with that the
sharp trade continued. First in the ring was a shapely two-year-old British Blue bull from Eileen
Wilson, White Hills which sold for a pleasing 6200 guineas. The top call for a female went to an
eight-year-old pedigree Aberdeen Angus cow with a bull calf at foot from RE Dickson, Stubdale Farm
with a bull calf at foot reaching 3700 guineas. Other cows with calves from the Dickson reduction
sale sold for 3600 and 3400 guineas. Pedigree Beef Shorthorn’s topped the heifer trade as a two-
year-old (3200 guineas) and a 16-month-old (3000 guineas) from RG & HE Thompson, Bennison
House Farm went under the hammer. Upsall Castle Farms sold a smart run of Beef Shorthorn heifers
aged 12-16-months and topped at 2400 guineas whilst the top call for a Belted Galloway was 1500
guineas for a cow and calf from D Walker, High Woodifield Farm East.
Leading Prices (Guineas)
Bull – 6200 E Wilson.
Cows & Calves – 3700 3600 3400 3300(x2) 3200(x2) 3100 3000 2800 2780 2500 R E Dickson.
1500(x2) D Walker. 1150 1100 N A Thompson.
Heifers – 3200 3000 RG & HE Thompson. 2400 2000(x9) 1900(x2) Upsall Castle Farms.
