Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their opening sale of store lambs alongside their weekly sale of cast cattle, store and breeding stock on Monday 20th July 2026. Forward were 256 cattle and 955 sheep.
35 Cast Cows/OTM sold to 368ppk or £2918
3 Stock Bulls sold to 304ppk or £2253
2 Cows & Calves sold to £3600
25 Young Bulls sold to £2100
57 Store Steers sold to £2310
132 Store Heifers sold to £2200
917 Store Lambs sold to £167
38 Feeding Ewes/Rams sold to £245
Opening Sale of Store Lambs – Averages up at the first sale of the season by over twenty pounds per head on the year to see them level at £123.02. The fat lambs are few and far between at our sales, a genuine show of stores assembled, the only resistance at the moment is from the weather as for the second season running many parts find themselves desperately short of rainfall. Shorter keep lambs that will go on to a hopper now look a strong tariff, the top four-hundred sold over £130, the long-term projects remain way up on the year but there is perhaps some milage in them for those able to play the long game, just over one-hundred failed to make three figures. Texels took the top spots, two from William Gibson, Middleton-St-George led proceedings at £167, fifteen from GH Lister, Holebeck House followed at £165 ahead of MC Rutter, Greengill at £162 and M Fawcett, Avenida at £160. Blue Texels sold to £159 from T & C Smith, Thorsgill whilst a strong showing of Suffolk’s topped at £151 from the aforementioned M Fawcett.
Store Lambs:
Texel – £167 William Gibson. £165 £142 GH Lister. £162 £151.50 £131 MC Rutter. £160 M Fawcett. £156 £137×2 £124 M&A Gaskin. £151 £140 £134 B Lowson. £144 £131 E Sims. £143 £129 S Pyebourne. £143 £117 L Daley. £142 £138 £132 A&R Thompson. £134 K Liversedge. £131 GS Dixon. £129 £126 T&C Smith.
Continental – £159 T&C Smith. £145 £124 J&S Thompson. £141 RL Carter. £140 £128 PA Stacey. £140 GW Dobson & Son. £136×2 £134 £120 High Mains Partnership. £132 GT&M Tweddle. £130 £126 J Wigham. £129 E Sims. £118 T&C Smith.
Suffolk – £151 £147 M Fawcett. £145 £128 JJM Lonsdale. £134 GW Dobson & Son. £121 £118.50T&C Smith.
Feeding Sheep:
Texel – £245 £180 £142 William Gibson. £178 B Lowson. £172 J Burberry. £160 £122 MC Rutter. £132 GS Dixon.
Beltex – £188 C Everitt. £165 B Lowson.
Mule – £178 £137 R&RE Everitt. £139 S Pyebourne.
BFL – £170 £155 R&RE Everitt.
Continental – £142 P Schellhorne. £128 £105 C Everitt.
Zwartbles – £138 C Moffett.
Jacob £88×2 S Dodsworth.
Cast Cattle – Cows sharper by a good ten pence on the week, a seasonally light showing found a full complement of buyers all with renewed optimism around the cow trade to see them average 275ppk and £1867, feeding continental cows would be the most sought after. An excellent 5-year-old British Blonde cow from Rebecca Appleton, East Murton led the prices when she sold for 368 pence; the five following between 340ppk and 359ppk all hailed from the Tindale twins of Paradise Farm, Shadforth. A thumping Aberdeen Angus cow led the prices in the lump, a cracking 986kg 10-year-old sold for an impressive £2918. South Devon’s aren’t so common in these parts however mention must go to an excellent 13-year-old from TJ Carr, Ridge House when she sold for 288ppk and £2344. Friesian cows dearer also, tops this week went to a 4-year-old from R & A Chapman, Easby Grange at 262ppk and a 10-year-old from R & W Todd, Toft Hill at £1870. Stock bulls sold to a top of 304ppk for a British Blue OTM from GN Blair & Partners, Corngrave Farm or to £2253 for a Limousin from HS Hutchinson, White House Farm.
Cast Cows – Top prices ppk 368 Rebecca Appleton. 359 358 356 William Tindale. 348 340 Anthony Tindale. 312 292 280 KO Stones. 310 308 Messrs Beckwith. 310 296 262 D & TJ Farms. 306 300 282 ER&GI Younger. 288 TJ Carr. 286 280 I&RA Watson. 282 IR Appleton. 270 226 W Denham. 262 R&A Chapman. 245 228 218 AR&C Booth & Sons. 244 238 228 212 R&W Todd.
Lead Grossing Cast Cows £2918 £2411 £2305 D & TJ Farms. £2590 Rebecca Appleton. £2434 £2296 £2126 William Tindale. £2344 TJ Carr. £2257 £1915 Messrs Beckwith. £2199 £2035 £1999 KO Stones. £2171 £2040 Anthony Tindale. £1917 IR Appleton. £1898 W Denham. £1870 £1847 R&W Todd. £1844 £1702 I&RA Watson. £1795 AR&C Booth & Sons. £1713 £1695 ER&GI Younger. £1689 R&A Chapman.
Cast Bulls – Top prices ppk 304 GM Blair & Partners. 266 258 HS Hutchinson.
Lead Grossing Cast Bulls £2253 £2203 HS Hutchinson. £2167 GM Blair & Partners.
Store & Breeding Cattle – Kicking off proceedings were a lovely pair of Limousin heifers and calves from JWR & M Suddes, Towdy Potts Farm which sold well at £3600 and £3300. Store cattle trade continues to rally with all classes nudging northwards week by week. Top today at £2310 was a strong Limousin steer from WO Grix & Partners, Hillhead Farm, the same good feeding followed with steers at £2290 and £2250. Sticking with the steers and a smart pair from GW & L Marsay, Manor Farm sold at £2220 followed by Aberdeen Angus from W Faill, Hedley West Riding at £2140. Heifers hit highs of £2200 from DR Smith, East Roughlea with a strong Aberdeen Angus, the on-song Smith pen followed again at £2150 with a Charolais whilst next on the heifer list at £2110 was a sweet 14-month-old Limousin from F Ward, Rogerley Hall. Bull trade had earlier brought with it more success to Hillhead Farm when WO Grix & Partners sold a pair of 16-month-old Limousins at £2100.
Breeding Cattle – Heifers & Calves £3600 £3300 JWR&M Suddes.
Store Bulls £2100×2 £1310×2 WO Grix & Partners. £1910 £1800 £1720 £1710 RL Dent. £1510 £1450 £1370 £1300 ER&GI Younger. £1410 £1390 £1300 £1240 £1230 Springhill Partnership. £1380 £1250×2 G Williamson. £1370 £1100 TT Hall & Son.
Store Steers £2310 £2290 £2250 WO Grix & Partners. £2200×2 GW&L Marsay. £2140×2 £2050 £200×2 £1950 £1860×2 £1820 £1800 W Faill. £2100 £2040 £1900 £1760 TJ Carr. £1980 £1900×2 £1880 F Ward. £1980 £1930 £1860 £1850 £1820 J&EM Lawson. £1770×2 R&RE Everitt. £1770 31660 £1620 £1520 BJS Farms. £1740 £1600 JD Teasdale. £1620×2 G Anderson.
Store Heifers £2200 £2150 £2050 £1960 £1930 £1810 DR Smith. £2110 £1990×2 £1980×2 £1920 F Ward. £2050 £2040 £1980×2 £1950×2 £1900 £1890 £1810 £1790 P Tindale. £2000×2 £1900 £1840 £1830×3 £1800 JP Phelan. £1940 £1880 ER&GI Younger. £1900 £1890×2 £1830 D Walker. £1890 £1840 £1790×2 P Leese. £1810 £1780×2 William Tindale. £1810 Anthony Tindale.
