Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of prime stock incorporating their annual super single junior handlers show and sale of prime lambs on Thursday 27th August 2026. Forward were 192 cattle and 1447 sheep.
71 Prime Bulls sold to 407ppk or £3789
32 Prime Steers sold to 433ppk or £3084
89 Prime Heifers sold to 488ppk or £3009
1356 Prime Lambs sold to 473ppk or £298
91 Cast Ewes/Rams sold to £280
Super Single Lambs
A brilliant day at this annual event which celebrates the next generation, congratulations must go to the dozen youngsters who produced twenty-seven super lambs for the show this morning. Special thanks certainly go to our judge, Mary Stones of Jameson Feeds, Masham for making a marvellous job of placing the lambs, thanks also go to the team in Dots Café for ensuring the budding youngsters were very well fed and watered following their exertions.
The Walton siblings of The Meadow, Hurworth are so often the ones to beat at this event and in the championship class again this year they found themselves neck and neck with one another. Bragging rights in 2026 go to 10-year-old Katie who scooped the top ticket with her tremendous 69kg Texel lamb; 6-year-old brother Oliver took the reserve ticket with his equally impressive 57kg Beltex. The chasing pack were snapping at their heels, none more so than 8-year-old Harriet Gilson, Old Park Farm, Byers Green who took the top honours in the native class with her Suffolk lamb and also in the any other continental class with a Dutch Spotted.
As always at this show special prizes are given for showmanship and for the best turned out lamb; a genuine top-class showman at the grand old age of 12 is Luke Bell-Percy of Springhill, Jervaulx and he quite rightly won that award. Taking the ticket for the best turned out in her first attempt at this event was 13-year-old Imogen Davies of Lough House Farm, Bolam; all credit to the young lady with her immaculately presented Blue Texel lamb today.
The sale of the lambs followed and huge thanks must go to all the butchers and wholesalers who ensured that the youngsters went home wealthy. Naturally the main prize winners took the top spots but all the show lambs sold very well to average a really pleasing £211.72 per head.
A full break down of the show winners and prices are written below, the commercial lamb report then follows the cattle.
Results
Champion- Katie Walton (Texel) 69kg sold for £298 to JA Jewitt, Spennymoor
Reserve Champion- Oliver Walton (Beltex) 57kg sold for £270 to Thompson Wholesale, Witton-le-Wear
Best Turned Out- Imogen Davies
Best Showmanship- Luke Bell-Percy
Class 1- Beltex sired lamb
1st – Oliver Walton 57kg sold for £270 to Thompson Wholesale, Witton-le-Wear
2nd – Luke Bell-Percy 52kg sold for £240 to Thompson Wholesale, Witton-le-Wear
3rd – Katie Walton 53kg sold for £242 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
4th – William Gilson 48kg sold for £214 to JA Jewitt, Spennymoor
Class 2- Texel sired lamb
1st – Katie Walton 69kg sold for £298 to JA Jewitt, Spennymoor
2nd – Luke Bell-Percy 48kg sold for £198 to Hackney Meat Traders
3rd – Oliver Walton 56kg sold for £247 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
4th – William Gilson 51kg sold for £204 to JA Jewitt, Spennymoor
Class 3 – Native sired lamb
1st – Harriet Gilson (Suff) 57kg sold for £216 to Hackney Meat Traders
2nd – Oliver Walton (Suff) 54kg sold for £218 to Roots Farm Shop, East Rounton
3rd – Bridget Gilson (Suff) 55kg sold for £220 to JA Jewitt, Spennymoor
4th – Luke Bell-Percy (Chev) 44kg sold for £150 to Turknaz Ltd, Whitley Bay
Class 4- Any other continental sired lamb
1st – Harriet Gilson (DSS) 54kg sold for £212 to JA Jewitt, Spennymoor
2nd – Oliver Walton (DSS) 55kg sold for £228 to Lancashire Direct, Blackburn
3rd – Emma Gilson (Char) 47kg sold for £200 to Shans UK, Ossett
4th – Imogen Davies (Blue Tex) 49kg sold for £194 to JA Jewitt, Spennymoor
Prime Bulls (71) – A big bull average this week of £2820 per head as a super show of heavyweights assembled. The average per kilo of 363 pence tells a similar tale to that of late as the bull beef moves along at the same pace without realistically lighting up. Four bulls found the way to 400 pence or more, six followed in the 390’s and nine more in the 380’s. The bull of the day was a tremendous 931kg Limousin from JA Matten & Sons, Avenue Grange when he sold for a whopping 407ppk and £3789. Next per kilo at 403 pence was a smart 732kg British Blue from Cole Hill Farm, Elwick followed by a shapely 775kg Limousin from AC Simpson & Son, McNeil Farm at 401ppk and another 900kg thumper from Messrs Matten at 400ppk. The gross values look really good as the fine show helped eighteen over £3000, of these a quality quartet passed £3500. Top at £3789 was the aforementioned Matten machine, following him at £3730 was a hefty 959kg Limousin from the Simpson’s of McNeil Farm with two more from the motoring Matten’s behind at £3604 and £3547.
Prime Bulls Lead Grossing Top Averages:
JA Matten & Sons sold 3 (927kg) Average £3646
AC Simpson & Son sold 4 (806kg) Average £3152
AS&SM Kemp & Son Ltd sold 6 (806kg) Average £3077
LW Martin sold 2 (851kg) Average £3046
Prime Bulls Top Averages PPK:
JA Matten & Sons sold 3 (927kg) Average 393ppk
Cole Hill Farm Ltd sold 2 (701kg) Average 390ppk
AC Simpson & Son sold 4 (806kg) Average 390ppk
J Layfield sold 3 (743kg) Average 386ppk
Continental Bulls – Top prices ppk 407 400 373 JA Matten & Sons. 403 376 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. 401 394 389 380 AC Simpson & Son. 399 390 389 380 376 AS&SM Kemp & Son. 390 388 380 J Layfield. 390 T&C Smith. 390 W&M Knaggs & Son. 384 373 JC Johnson. 380 377 374 371 K Trotter. 380 376 375 AG Watson & Sons. 376 P Weightman. 373 DH Lawson. 372 WA Wardman Ltd.
Lead Grossing Continental Bulls £3789 £3604 £3547 JA Matten & Sons. £3730 £3107 AC Simpson & son. £3481 P Weightman & Sons. £3283 J Layfield. £3259 £3097 £3073 £3023 £3018 £2991 AS&SM Kemp & Son. £3119 F&JS Gargett. £3112 £3070 £2993 £2991 K Trotter. £3071 £3021 LW Martin. £3032 AG Watson & Sons. £2979 32951 WJ&AS Bowes & Sons. £2949 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £2949 P Langstaff.
Clean Cattle (121) – The clean trade took off this week with all classes significantly dearer, steers averaged 370ppk and £2657 whilst the red-hot heifers surpassed anything seen of late to level at 423ppk and £2602 per head. A sensational run of handy weight butcher’s heifers from W Miller, High Aketon Farm, Wigton produced the top seven prices per kilo, six of which were over 480 pence; the pick from wandering Wigtonian a delicious 548kg Limousin sold for 488 pence. A terrific twenty-one heifers climbed to 450ppk and beyond this week, those closest to the Miller magic proved to be Cole Hill Farm, Elwick at 472ppk and then P & SA Nelson, Rosegill Head at 470ppk. Thirteen steers sold over 400ppk, the top half dozen over 420ppk. Pick of the pack at 433 pence was an excellent 707kg Limousin from AG Watson & Sons, Nunstainton Grange; following at 430ppk was Cole Hill Farm just ahead of another Nunstainton steer at 429ppk and a tidy lad from F Hustwit, Morden Southside at 428ppk. Gross values much more impressive, a superb fifty-four cattle sold over £2700, the top four sold over £3000. Best of all at £3084 was a really well finished 719kg Simmental steer from AG Watson & Sons, the same feeding reached £3061 with their aforementioned 707kg Limousin ahead of W Swinbank & Sons, Greystones with a 687kg Limousin heifer (£3009) and Cole Hill Farm with a 732kg Charolais steer (£3001).
Clean Cattle Lead Grossing Top Averages:
AG Watson & Sons sold 3 (710kg) Average £3035
MJ&EA Sedgewick sold 2 (725kg) Average £2837
PJ&MP Gilhespy sold 6 (701kg) Average £2818
JE Suddes & Son sold 4 (639kg) Average £2782
Clean Cattle Top Averages PPK:
W Miller sold 16 (554kg) Average 466ppk
P&SA Nelson sold 8 (631kg) Average 435ppk
JE Suddes & Son sold 4 (639kg) Average 435ppk
JV&JA Hodgson sold 4 (625kg) Average 433ppk
Steers – Top prices ppk 433 429 420 AG Watson & Sons. 430 416 414×2 410 373 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. 428 410 404 WF Hustwit. 423 M Robinson & Sons. 410 392 A Kitson & Son. 398 384 MJ&EA Sedgewick. 376 LW Martin. 370 365 361 350 336 Messrs R Miller Ltd. 346 AJ Marr & Son. 342 SJ Savile & Sons.
Lead Grossing Steers £3084 £3061 £2961 AG Watson & Sons. £3001 £2972 £2899 £2760 £2724 £2627 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £2906 £2884 £2876 £2787 £2723 £2722 £2671 £2643 32619 Messrs R Miller Ltd. £2905 £2768 MJ&EA Sedgewick. £2904 £2738 A Kitson & Son. £2684 LW Martin. £2461 £2436 £2427 WF Hustwit.
Heifers – Top prices ppk 488 486×2 484×2 481 479 469 466 460 459 453×2 450 W Miller. 472 461 438 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. 470 461 449 440 P&SA Nelson. 468 441 A Kitson & Son. 459 446 441 R Hirst. 458 AJ Marr & Son. 449 444 JV&JA Hodgson. 448 440×2 JE Suddes & Son. 444 439 438 W Swinbank & Sons. 443 A Swinbank & Son. 438 JV&JA Hodgson.
Lead Grossing Heifers £3009 £2862 £2851 £2819 £2748 W Swinbank & Sons. £2949 £2900 £2809 £2778 A Kitson & Son. £2917 £2898 £2876 £2773 £2735 PJ&MP Gilhespy. £2900 £2748 JV&JA Hodgson. £2885 £2825 £2779 £2764 £2754 £2738 P&SA Nelson. £2857 AJ Marr & Son. £2851 £2846 £2800 JE Suddes & Son, £2825 £2784 Cole Hill Farm Ltd. £2775 £2764 A Swinbank & Son. £2775 £2745 £2710 £2707 W Miller.
Prime Lambs (1356) – Lambs much dearer on the week, a good show of meat and weight offered helped the sale average climb up massively to 344ppk and £162.32 per head, with the young handlers removed the average remains at 344ppk but drops slightly to £161.31 per head. Naturally the top prices include many of the youngsters show lambs, the Walton siblings, Gilson cousins and Luke Bell-Percy to mention but a few are high on the lists this week. The commercial feeders were also impressive, particularly the heavier weights. JR Knox & Son, Bracks Farm sold a 57kg Texel at £210, Richmond based F Shield sold a 59kg Charollais at £208; D & PH Brown, Cordilleras Farm sold a heavy trio of Texel’s at £207 and a thumping 61kg pet lamb from I Marshall & Sons, Hope House sold for £206. Top of the commercial lambs per kilo at 422 pence were a lovely pen of eight Beltex lambs weighing 45kg from J & S Barnes, Skipbridge Inn Farm which sold for £190.
Lambs Grossing Top Averages: (excluding young handlers)
JR Knox & Son sold 16 (52kg) Average £189
J&S Barnes sold 21 (48kg) Average £188
Anna Herbert sold 10 (51kg) Average £185
I Marshall & Sons sold 8 (54kg) Average £183
Lambs – Top prices ppk 473 441 414 403 O Walton. 461 412 L Bell-Percy. 456 431 401 K Walton. 445 400 W Gilson. 425 395 E Gilson. 422 372 368 J&S Barnes. 407 392 378 H Gilson. 400 380 B Gilson. 395 I Davies. 395 A Harrop. 393 JV&JA Hodgson. 392 H Harrop. 386 WR Wilson & Partners. 385 P&CM Graham. 384 372 Anna Herbert. 380 375×2 374×2 W&M Knaggs & Son. 377 AWSM Farms. 377 372 W.K M.M Lamb. 376 JA&B Nappey. 376 375 EJV Ventures. 372 K&PM Lough. 372 J Pallister & Sons. 371 PJ Tindale.
Lead Grossing Lambs £298 £249 £242 £220 K Walton. £270 £247 £228 £218 O Walton. £240 £198 L Bell-Percy. £220 £209 B Gilson. £216 £212 £208 H Gilson. £214 £204 W Gilson. £210 £196 £190 JR Knox & Son. £208 £200 £196 F Shield. £207 D&PH Brown. £206 I Marshall & Sons. £202 £190 J&S Barnes. £200 E Gilson. £200 H Harrop. £199 W&M Knaggs & Son. £196 £194 £190 Anna Herbert. £196 O Chapman. £194 I Davies. £193 JJ Horn. £190 A Harrop. £190 J&S Barnes. £190 K Hall. £188 EJV Ventures.
Cast Ewes & Rams (91) – A light show and as a result a very inflated ewe trade, all in the sale averaged £143.90. Top at £280 were a smart trio of Texel ewes from HT Davies & Partners, Lough House Farm. Plenty sold over £200 including a humongous trio of Teeswater ewes from G Horner, Howe Wath at £220.
Lead Grossing Cast Sheep £280 £226 HT Davies & Partners. £220 G Horner. £212 £196 O Chapman & O Parkin. £186 CJM Hedley. £180 £174 £100 JA&B Nappey. £166×2 GP&A Carter. £164 EJV Ventures. £164 £161 JCW Taylor. £152 £136 £111 JP&R Ward.
