Numbers forward and sale averages improved significantly on the year at Darlington Auction Mart’s April cattle show and sale, where heifers cashed in at £957 (+£176), and the steers balanced out at £1109 (+£233).

Entries were up 38% on the 2020 sale, with the event topped by cattle from Fristlington Hall Farm, Essex, who led both the steers and the heifers at £1700 for a Simmental and £1400 for a South Devon, respectively. The farm’s run of 78 cattle averaged £1164.

Show cattle were judged by Will Hall, who found his champion in a red Limousin steer from the Stones family of Nun Cote Nook, Marrick. It is by the herd’s stock bull, Haltcliffe Index, and sold to the judge for £1600.

Reserve was the first prize Limousin heifer from John Norman of Aysdale Gate, Guisborough, which later made £1380 to M Robinson and Sons, Staindrop.

Young bulls also averaged well at £1086, (+£330), with the top six prices attained by Limousins from LA and PL Ellis and Gottschalk of Valley View, Essex. They sold to £1800, to average £1370.

Texel gimmers with single Beltex cross lambs at foot from Messrs Fletcher and Coates of Short Thorns Farm, Weardale, topped the breeding sheep at £360.

LEADING awards

Steers – 1 and champion, KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook, £1600 to RS Hall and Sons, Driffield; 2, TW and G Corner, Rye Close, £1400 to JV and JA Hodgson, Summerhouse; 3, Fristling Hall, Essex, £1500 to M Robinson and Sons, Staindrop.

Heifers – 1 and reserve, J Norman, Aysdale Gate, £1380 to M Robinson and Sons, Staindrop; 2, JE Jordon and Son, The Brocks, £1310 to MF Hall, Ponteland; 3, Fristling Hall, Essex, £1400 to JV and JA Hodgson, Summerhouse.

Young bulls – 1, BR Lawson, Buddle House, £1165 to R and W Todd, Toft Hill; 2, JR and M Richardson, Etherley House, £1285 to AG Watson and Sons, Rushyford; 3, BR Lawson, Buddle House, £1010 to J Brown, Thirsk.

LEADING prices

Breeding cattle – Cows and calves – £1520 (x2) C Parker; £1200 Fristling Hall; £1150 DW Ogle; £1020 M Radford; £880, £820 High Harbour.

Store bulls – £1800, £1495, £1490 (x2), £1465, £1390, £1340 (x6), £1335, £1270, £1190, £1185, £1155 LA and PL Ellis and Gottschalk; £1375, £1325, £1285, £1260, £1185 TL Holmes and Son; £1355, £1345 (x4), £1295, £1285 (x2), £1235 (x2) JR and M Richardson; £1195 JC Thwaite; £1180 Charlotte Burnett; £1165, £1135, £1010 BR Lawson; £1140, £1020 GW Dobson; £1075, £1045, £1025 DE Stones; £1055 GW Dent; £1055 C and M Burnett; £1000, £995 (x2), £990, £970 (x2) Frank Ward.

Steers – £1700, £1600 (x2), £1580, £1550, £1510 (x2), £1500, £1490, £1450, £1400, £1390, £1380 (x2), £1360, £1320, £1290 (x3), £1180 (x3) Fristling Hall; £1600 KO Stones; £1535, £1525, £1385 (x2) JD and MS Mortimer; £1440, £1275, £1195 J Gilson; £1400, £1355 TW and G Corner; £1340 (x2) GE Raw; £1330, £1260 K Sayer; £1325, £1215 Wilsons; £1300 N Wilson; £1290 (x2), £1185 (x2) GW and M Singleton and Sons; £1265 (x2) WC Barker and Son; £1265 J and MJ Walton;£1245 (x2) JC Thwaite; £1180 DG and PD Ayre; £1175 D Robson and Sons.

Heifers – £1400, £1380 (x2), £1360, £1240, £1210, £1200 (x2), £1190, £1180, £1170 (x2), £1130 (x2), £1120 Fristling Hall; £1380, £1255 J Norman; £1340, £1100 (x2) TT Hall and Son; £1330 Duell Partners; £1310, £1210 JE Jordon and Son; £1280 (x2), £1190, £1150, £1110 FE Pinkney; £1270, £1235 PM Beveridge; £1270, £1150, £1130 F Ward; £1250 C Binks and Son; £1250 (x2) N Medd and Son; £1230, £1215 J Gilson; £1225, £1190, £1140, £1115 WA Wardman; £1215, £1190, £1170 JG Wilkinson and Son; £1185 I and A Davison; £1175 K Sayer; £1165 DG and PD Ayre; £1135 GW and M Singleton and Sons; £1135 WB Rutter and Sons.

Ewes and lambs – £360, £310, £300, £225, £195, £170 Fletcher and Coates; £260 K Hall; £250, £200, £180 Ainsty Farm Shop; £230, £225, £205 I Spedding; £228, £225 JJM Lonsdale.

Feeding ewes – £145, £130, £125, £101 JM Shotton; £130, £123, £99 GH and RG Stobbs; £129 J Burbury; £115 N and MJ Parkin; £115 PD and JA Adamski; £100 A Swinbank; £100, £99, £93 C Longstaff; £91 D Clarke.

Store hoggs – £136 JM Shotton; £96, £81, £61 GH and RG Stobbs; £88 J Burbury.