DARLINGTON MART JUNIOR HANDLERS’ COMPETITION
DARLINGTON Farmers Auction Mart held their annual ‘Super Singles’ junior handlers prime lamb
competition alongside their weekly sale of prime stock on Thursday August 2025. Forward were 164
cattle and 1594 sheep.
65 Prime Bulls sold to 429ppk or £3773
69 Prime Heifers sold to 480ppk or £3064
30 Prime Steers sold to 459ppk or £3094
1392 Prime Lambs sold to 568ppk or £290
202 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £225
Super Singles – Junior Handlers
The young shepherds and shepherdesses once again reassured us all that our industry lies in safe
hands at the seventh annual single prime lamb competition in DfAM. Twenty-nine lambs from
thirteen young handlers assembled before our judge Wendy Hanson, Highcliffe Farm, Guisborough;
we would like to offer sincere thanks to Wendy for making a thoroughly professional job and giving
up her time at this important annual event, the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
The sibling rivalry between 9-year-old Katie and 5-year-old Oliver Walton is fabulous to witness,
after two years at the top for young Oliver it was today the turn of his big sister to claim the bragging
rights as she claimed the Championship rosette with her winning Beltex lamb.
First time competitor 11-year-old Luke Bell-Percy went extremely close to toppling the Walton’s
off top spot this year with a cracking Texel lamb taking the reserve championship ticket. Competent
showman Luke also claimed the best turned out accolade whilst the winner of the showmanship was
Jake Farrington who impressed the judge with his handling skills.
Thanks go as always to all the parents and guardians who took the time to support this event,
special thanks go to the buyers who ensured that out young entrepreneurs were well rewarded.
Appreciation goes to our annual sponsors who are listed at ringside and ensure an excellent prize
fund and last, but by no means least heartfelt thanks go to Dot and the team in Dot’s Café who
provided some well-earned and fantastic lunches to all of our exhibitors.
The tremendous lambs from our youngsters averaged this year £223.72 which is up £23.65 on
the previous record set last year.
See below a full list of prizes and prices.
Champion – Katie Walton, The Meadow
Beltex 44kg sold for £250 to Andrew Atkinson on behalf of Hartshead Meats
Reserve Champion – Luke Bell-Percy, Springhill
Texel 52kg sold for £272 to Worsley Wholesale Ltd
Class 1 Beltex (5 Entries)
1 st – Katie Walton, The Meadow 44kg sold for £250 to Hartshead Meats
2 nd – Jake Farrington, Whitelass 50kg sold for £252 to Roots Farm Shop
3 rd – Oliver Walton, The Meadow 47kg sold for £240 to Hartshead Meats
4 th – Luke Bell-Percy, Springhill 39kg sold for £180 to West Scottish Lamb Ltd
Class 2 Texel (11 Entries)
1 st – Luke Bell-Percy, Springhill 52kg sold for £272 to Worsley Wholesale Ltd.
2 nd – William Gilson, Old Park Hall 57kg sold for £252 to Worsley Wholesale Ltd
3 rd – Katie Walton, The Meadow 58kg sold for £275 to Hartshead Meats
4 th – Oliver Walton, The Meadow sold for £280 to Hartshead Meats
Class 3 Native (8 Entries)
1 st – Oliver Walton, The Meadow 57kg sold for £270 to J A Jewitt Ltd
2 nd – William Gilson, Old Park Hall 57kg sold for £252 to Worsley Wholesale Ltd
3 rd – Emma Gilson, Old Park Hall 46kg sold for £200 to Hartshead Meats
4 th – Bridget Gilson, Old Park Hall sold for £242 to Worsley Wholesale Ltd
Class 4 Any Other Continental (5 Entries)
1 st – Katie Walton, The Meadow 69kg sold for £290 to J A Jewitt Ltd
2 nd – Oliver Walton, The Meadow 61kg sold for £270 to Worsley Wholesale Ltd
3 rd – Jack Dinning, Watch Currock 48kg sold for £200 to Roots Farm Shop
4 th – Harriet Gilson, Old Park Hall 50kg sold for £230 to J A Jewitt Ltd
Prime Bulls (65) – The bulls took a noticeable jump with all classes up ten pence to see the sale
average 388ppk and £2861. Twenty-eight bulls passed 400 pence per kilo, the top four sold over
420ppk, best of the bunch at 429ppk was a wonderful 775kg Limousin from A G Watson & Sons,
Nunstainton Grange. Some great gross values this week with the leading quartet all over £3500, a
dozen others sold over £3200. Top value in the lump went to the familiar feeding of A C Simpson &
Son, McNeil Farm with a brilliant 892kg Limousin at an impressive £3773. First crossed dairy bulls
aplenty this week with 370ppk to 390ppk readily achievable whilst the natives were best
represented by a Hereford from J A & M Boyes Ltd, Strathmore House at £2845 or an Aberdeen
Angus from W Tindale, Paradise Farm at 388ppk. Friesian bulls in short supply were led by D Walker,
High Woodifield at 305ppk and £1754.
Leading Bull Averages
AC Simpson & Son sold 3 (847kg) Average 422ppk or £3581
BA&C Pearson LTD sold 2 (745kg) Average 416ppk or £3103
WJ&AS Bowes & Sons sold 4 (822kg) Average 413ppk or £3401
WA Wardman LTD sold 4 (721kg) Average 410ppk or £2959
LS Staley sold 2 (819kg) Average 409ppk or £3349
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 429 413 405 402 AG Watson & Sons. 426 423 419 AC Simpson &
Son. 420 419 410 406 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. 418 415 BA&C Pearson Ltd. 417 409 408×2 WA
Wardman Ltd. 415 396 AJ Marr & Son. 414 400 DH Lawson. 412 401 394 PJ&ES Rogerson. 410 408 LS
Staley. 404×2 JC Thwaite. 404 Taylor Bros. 402 J Murray. 399 396 N White.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £3773 £3608 £3364 AC Simpson & Son. £3532 £3456 £3410 £3208
WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £3518 £3328 £3324 ££3261 £3230 £3204 £3179 £3118 £3085 AG Watson &
Sons. £3770 £3329 LS Staley. £3220 £3168 £3002 PJ&ES Rogerson. £3187 DH Lawson. £3164 £3041
BA&C Pearson Ltd. £3137 £3015 WA Wardman Ltd. £3080 N White. £3076 JK&CE Farming.
Native Bulls – Top prices ppk 388 382 378 W Tindale. 376 JA&A Herbert. 350 JA&M Boyes Ltd.
Lead Grossing Native Bulls £2845 JA&M Boyes Ltd. £2259 JA&A Herbert. £1912 £1898 £1806 W
Tindale.
Friesian Bulls – Top prices ppk 305 304 D Walker.
Lead Grossing Friesian Bulls £1754 £1738 D Walker.
Clean Cattle – Anything the bulls can do the clean can do too, a sharper trade across the board with
top prices and pen averages climbing noticeably on recent results. All included this week the steers
averaged 404ppk and £2680 with the heifers 426ppk and £2485. Topping the day at 480 pence per
kilo were two tremendous Limousin heifers from Five Houses, Hutton Rudby; next in line at 479ppk
and 478ppk came the regular selling R Hirst, Neasham Grange followed by a further five heifers in
the 470’s and seven in the 460’s. The fantastic Five Houses feeding also led the steers per kilo with
another stunning pair of Limousin’s, their topper sold at 459ppk with his pen mate not far behind at
456ppk. Gross values, five steers and a heifer broke beyond £3000 today; top of the lot at £3094 was
a cracking 697kg Limousin steer from W A Richardson Ltd, Hutton Fields. Following the Hutton Fields
heroics over the line were a couple of superbly finished steers from R A & B A Ridley & Son Ltd,
Dipton Foot and our top heifer at £3064 which hailed from A & M J Henshaw, Mainsgill.
Leading Clean Cattle Averages
R Hirst sold 5 (566kg) Average 472ppk or £2675
Five Houses sold 10 (610kg) Average 453ppk or £2767
JV&JA Hodgson sold 8 (591kg) Average 453ppk or £2685
Askwiths sold 5 (618kg) Average 443ppk or £2743
P&N Tattersall sold 4 (566kg) Average 436ppk or £2473
Steers – Top prices ppk 459 456 447 444 437 428 Five Houses. 447 444 404 388 378 WA Richardson
Ltd. 446 436 Askwiths. 444 437 432 Taylor Bros. m421 M Wood. 409 398 396 390 386 RA&BA Ridley
& Son. 396 AG Watson & sons. 382 J&A&DA Horn. 368 355 NE Dyson. 364 J Henshaw.
Lead Grossing Steers £3094 £3007 £2848 £2751 £2677 WA Richardson Ltd. £3069 £3056 £2903
£2866 £2821 RA&BA Ridley & Son Ltd. £3038 £2970 Askwiths. £2997 £2887 £2859 £2779 £2730
£2686 Five Houses. £2930 AG Watson & Sons. £2758 £2679 NE Dyson. £2593 £2580 J Henshaw.
£2566 £2453 Taylor Bros.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 480×2 456 452 Five Houses. 479 478 477 465 462 R Hirst. 477 475 460 TW
Clark & Son. 475 469×2 467 446 442 437 JV&JA Hodgson. 474 449 428 J Layfield. 469 440 430
Askwiths. 462 J&A&DA Horn. 452 440 428 M Robinson & Sons. 450 439 A&MJ Henshaw. 449 436
433 429 P&N Tattersall. 442 441 428 JE Suddes & Son. 439 NE Dyson. 435 N White.
Lead Grossing Heifers £3064 £2850 £2785 £2623 A&MJ Henshaw. £2964 £2872 £2635×2 £2617
£2612 £2574 £2568 JV&JA Hodgson. £2948 £2847 £2774 TW Clark & Son. £2918 £2901 £2640 £2621
J Layfield. £2889 £2886 £2612 JE Suddes & Son. £2870 £2698 £2654 Five Houses. £2862 NE Dyson.
£2758 M Robinson & Sons. £2720 £2681 £2676 £2661 £2636 R Hirst. £2710 Askwiths.
Prime Lambs (1392) – The lambs have slipped nationally, trade today aside from our fantastic young
handlers would tell the same story as every other mart report, weight is the key to success. This
week’s sale averaged a weighed straight 318ppk and £146.45 per head, that is still 10ppk and £9.54
per head in front of the same week of 2024. The top spots on the leader board naturally went to the
show stopping kids already mentioned; it may have been quite sometime since John Simpson of Hill
Top East has mixed it with the young farmers however it was not the case today as the Darlington
stalwart topped the commercial lambs per kilo with a top trio of 48kg continentals reaching 422
pence. The big lambs continue to flirt with £200 and can still get there and beyond if heavy enough,
outside of the show lambs today the top spot went to T Lawson & Son, Sands Farm with a thumping
59kg Suffolk at £218, following at £208 was a 57kg Texel from K Hall, North Farm and an excellent
pair of lambs at 57kg from AWSM Farms at £204.
Top Averages (without show lambs)
T Lawson sold 20 (52kg) Average £180 or 344ppk
RG Richardson sold 15 (49kg) Average £175 or 357ppk
AWSM Farms sold 120 (49kg) Average £173 or 352ppk
Lead Grossing Lambs- £290 £275 £250 £245 Katie Walton. £280 £270 x2 £240 Oliver Walton. £272
£180 Luke Bell-Percy. £252 £215 J Farrington. £252 £212 William Gilson. £250 £245 £230 Harriet
Gilson. £250 £200 Emma Gilson. £242 Bridget Gilson. £220 £200 Jack Dinning. £218 £184 £181 £169
T Lawson & Son. £208 £170 x2 K Hall. £204 £185 £183 x2 £184 £178 x2 £177 £176 £172 £170 x2
AWSM Farms. £203 £170 JC Simpson. £200 £180 Rosie Hall. £197 £173 £170 £168 Jack Sewell. £196
F Shield. £191 W Simpson. £188 Wytherstone Farm. £188 £172 £170 I&A Holmes. £186 J Platts. £185
x2 W Hanson. £185 D Richardson & Co LTD. £184 RA Patterson & Son. £182 £168 RG Richardson.
£180 Freddie Dodsworth. £180 W Denham. £178 £173 £171 RO Gilson. £178 £174 £170 JW&GP
Furness. £173 £168 JJ Horn. £170 x3 G Thompson & Sons. £170 M&A Gaskin. £169 x2 DR Smith.
£169 P&CM Graham. £168 Patrick Dodsworth.
Lambs- Top Prices PPK 568 474 420 395 Katie Walton. 523 461 Luke Bell-Percy. 510 473 466 442
Oliver Walton. 504 430 J Farrington. 490 434 Emma Gilson. 460 454 445 Harriet Gilson. 448 Bridget
Gilson. 451 442 William Gilson. 422 361 JC Simpson. 416 392 Jack Dinning. 397 W Simpson. 394 364
346 K Hall. 383 Freddie Dodsworth. 378 346 340 Jack Sewell. 376 347 JJ Horn. 376 I&A Holmes. 375
338 P&CM Graham. 371 342 RG Richardson. 370 343 341 JW&GP Furness. 370 361 360 356 x2 354
352 x2 351 x2 340 338 337 AWSM Farms. 369 M&A Gaskin. 369 348 340 338 T Lawson & Son. 361
360 Wytherstone Farm. 360 Bridie Fisk. 357 B Willis. 357 Patrick Dodsworth. 356 F Shield. 356 x2 353
x2 RO Gilson. 355 339 TW Dinning. 355 JD Brannen. 349 x2 W Hanson. 347 337 W Denham. 346 GF
Whitfield. 339 G Thompson & Sons. 337 J Mitchell & Son.
Cast Ewes & Rams (202) – The ewe trade rumbles along quite nicely without breaking any records,
much like the lambs it is the weight and flesh which pays the best. All in this week the offering
averaged £116.70. Top of the day at £225 was an excellent Texel ewe from I & A Holmes, Middle
Stotfold Farm, following at £221 were Texel’s from both W Kirk & Sons, Bullmire Farm and H T Davies
& Partners, Lough House Farm. Tup trade topped at £220 from C Bainbridge, Sage Cottage whereas
Mule ewes were up to £154 for half a dozen from J G M Brown & Co, Brierton North Farm.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £225 £211×2 £170×2 I&A Holmes. £221 £170 HT Davies & Partners. £221
£136 W Kirk & Sons. £220 £170 C Bainbridge. £196 £125 W Hanson. £195 RG Richardson. £181 HG
Thompson. £180×2 £140×2 TN Callender. £171 £170 J Farrington. £170 £165 £159 JK&CE Farming.
£165×2 £149 G Thompson & Sons. £160 £155 JJ Horn. £160×2 G Te-Lintelo. £155 A Naisbitt. £154
JGM Brown & Co. £152 B Willis.
