Mart prices, September 30

OTM. British Blue: 120.5p Urpeth North, 109.5p Urpeth North. Limousin: 119.5p Kingswood, 100.5p Pry Hill. Simmental: 116.5p High Wooley, 112.5p Struthers. Limousin: £848.45 Kingswood. British Blue: £819.40 Urpeth North. Simmental: £797.63 Struthers, £737.45 High Wooley.

Prime sheep. Prime lambs. Similar numbers to last week. Mixed show forward including a large number of heavy lambs with the average weight being 45.4kg. As with the national trend lambs were easier on the week. Top price per head £94 for Beltex x from TW Dinning & Son, Watch Currock. Top price per kilo 204.9p also Beltex from Walker Bros. Satley.

Texel x: £90 Watch Currock & West Shields, £89.50 Moss Barns, £88.50 Harwood Shield, £87.50 Aydonshields & Nilston Rigg, £86.50 Nunwick, £86 Nunwick & Rare Dean, £85.50 Aydonshields & Lingey Field, £84.50 High Fotherley, Harwood Shield, Great Chesters & Nunwick, £84 High Fotherley, Cheeseburn Grange (x2), Grange House & Nilston Rigg, £83.50 Nilston Rigg, £83 St Oswalds, Cheeseburn Grange, Nilston Rigg & Nunwick, £82.80 Aydonshields & Nilston Rigg, 197.6p Watch Currock, 196.5p Nunwick, 195.1p Burn Tongues & Middle Dukesfield, 192.9p Cheeseburn Grange 192.7p Linacres, 191.9p Great Chesters, 191p Cheeseburn Grange, 190.5p Nunwick, 188.4p Nunwick, 188.1p Grange House, 186.7p Cheeseburn Grange185.9p Nilston Rigg, 184.4p & 183.8p St Oswalds, 183.3p Lingey Field, 182.9p Aydonshields & Moss Barns, 180p Watch Currock. Suffolk x: £90 & £88 (x2) Thockrington, £87 Steel Hall, £86.50 Rare Dean, £86 & £83 Thockrington, £82.50 Rare Dean, £81.50 Steel Hall, £80.50 West Kirkheaton (x2) & Rare Dean, £80 Nilston Rigg (x2), £78.50 Steel Hall, £78 Grange Farm, £77.50 West Kirkheaton, £77 Gunnerton South, £76 Thockrington, £75 Grange Farm (x2), 172.1p Satley, 166.7p Nilston Rigg, 166p Thockrington, 164.9p West Kirkheaton, 164.3p West Kirkheaton & Rare Dean, 163.6p Whitechapel, 163.5p Steel Hall, 163.4p Wolsingham Park, 163p Steel Hall, 161.8p Rare Dean, 161.7p Thockrington, 161.1p Steel Hall, 161p Wolsingham Park. Charollais: £77.50 & 184.5p Middle Dukesfield. Charollais x: £82.50 & £78.80 Satley, £77 Gunnerton South 175.5p & 171.3p Satley. Beltex x: £94 Watch Currock, £91 Longlea, £86.80 Linacres, £84 Grange House & Satley, £83 Nilston Rigg, £82.50 Linacres, £82 Watch Currock, £81.50 Linacres, £78.50 Short Thorns, £78 Satley, £77 Grange House, 204.9p Satley, 204.4p Watch Currock, 202.2p Longlea, 200p Grange House, 197.6p Nilston Rigg, 197.3p& 191.9p Linacres, 190.7p Watch Currock, 189.5p Linacres, 185.7p Satley, 183.3p Grange House, 182.6p Short Thorns. Bleu D’Maine: £72 & 171.4p Low Staples. Leicester: £83 The Stobbs. Mule: £79.80 Harwood Shield, £77 The Stobbs, £76.50 Warksfield Head, £75.50 Camphill, £74 Whitechapel, £73 Bulls Hill, £70.40 Camphill, £70 Belsay Barns, £68 Bulls Hill, £67 Watch Currock, £66.50 North Cocklake, £65.50 Cheeseburn Grange, £65 Stone Stile & Belsay Barns, 179.1p The Stobbs, 167.6p Camphill, 162.8p Belsay Barns, 160.6p Camphill, 159.4p Warksfield Head, 154.8p Stone Stile & Belsay Barns, 154.6p Bulls Hill, 152.3p Watch Currock, 151.1p North Cocklake, 151p Whitechapel, 150.6p Harwood Shield. Blackface: £51 Longlea

Cast ewes and rams. Texel x: £70 Lingey Field, £61 Low Staples. Cheviot: £58 Lonbrough.

ON Friday, Hexham & Northern Marts at their weekly sale of store cattle had forward an entry of 330 head of predominantly suckler bred animals from eight to 26 months of age. Trade was largely easier on the week once again for a mixed show of quality with the best end of heifers of all classes seeing the greatest demand. The sale peaked at £1350 for a big Simmental cross beast from Geoff Ogle. Blackburn at 18 months which was followed by a super Charolais cross heifer at 20 months from Derek & Vin Milburn, Holling Hill. £1320 was paid twice; first for another big Simmental bullock from Messrs Walker Bros, Satley then again for a smart Charolais steer from John & David Longlands, Tone Hall. The Birtley based brothers sold 11 super well-grown Charolais cross steers at 15-16 months in tremendous store condition so much so that bidding was fast and frequent for these sought after types and the load averaged a worthy £1232 per head.

Many heifers sold in excess of £1100 per head including a shapely Angus cross Blue from David Johnson, Blackhalls which reached £1195 and demand for all types was evident. Noted pens included eight well grown Charolais cross ladies from Messrs Sedgewick, Errington Red House at 15-17 months which averaged £1084 and nine shapely Limousin crosses from Messrs Clarkson, Elrington Hall which sold to average £1057.

Messrs Robson, Chesterhope, West Woodburn brought forward their last consignment of store cattle to be sold at Hexham Auction Mart after many decades of staunch support from their Rede Valley holding. The company were pleased to sell quality Limousin cross steers to a top of £900 and heifers to £930 for Bill & son Billy Robson, we thank them for their custom over the years and loyalty at both Bellingham and latterly Hexham markets and wish the family well in the future.

Younger cattle sold well on the day with nine month old heifers from Messrs Walton, Burnbank selling to £945 and steers at the same age to £915 from Messrs Reed, Dyke Nook.

Cattle 23–30 months. Charolais x heifers: £1345, £1270 (x2), £1250, £1145 & £1100 Holling Hill. Limousin x steers: £1275 Satley, £1230 Fairley, £1200 Braeside (x2), £1190 Gunnerton South, £1180 Colwell Hill, £1075 Fairley. Limousin x heifers: £1190 Holling Hill, £1070 Fairley. British Blue x steers: £1090 Low Bishopton. Simmental x heifers: £1080 Fairley.

Cattle 17–22 months. Charolais x steers: £1300 & £1255 Satley, £1200 & £1160 Gallowhill, £1130 Errington Red House, £1060 & £1050 Gallowhill, £1030 Colwell Demesne, £1015 Colwell Demesne, £1000 Harewalls. Charolais x heifers: £1170 Holling Hill, £1165 Errington Red House, £1160 Holling Hill, £1110 Errington Red House, £1080 White House Birtley, £1075 High Staward, £1070 Colwell Hill, £1040 White House Birtley, £1035 & £1010 High Staward, £985 Harewalls. Limousin x steers: £1100 Low Bishopton, £1090 Harewalls, £1075 South Kirkheaton & Cowburn Rigg, £1045 Hetherington, £1035 Harewalls, £1005 South Kirkheaton & Harewalls. Limousin x heifers: £1140 South Kirkheaton, £1080 Elrington Hall, £1065 High Staward, £1040 Elrington Hall, £970 South Kirkheaton. British Blue x steers: £1070 South Kirkheaton. Blonde x steers: £1290 & £1280 Satley. Simmental x steers: £1350 Blackburn, £1320 Satley. South Devon x heifers: £1085 & £1050 The Granary. Angus x steers: £1200 Fairley. Angus x heifers: £1145 Fairley, £910 East Flass, £900 Hetherington.

Cattle 11–16 months. Charolais x steers: £1320 Tone Hall, £1310 Blackburn, £1305 Rusheylaw, £1280 & £1260 (x2) Tone Hall, £1255 Rusheylaw, £1245 Blackburn & Rusheylaw, £1225 Rusheylaw, £1200 Blackburn & Tone Hall, £1170 Rusheylaw, £1165 & £1140 Tone Hall, £1110 Rusheylaw, £1045 & £1040 Gallowhill. Charolais x heifers: £1100 & £1060 Errington Red House, £1030 Woodhead, £1015 Colwell Hill, £1000 Hartburn Grange, £990 High Staward. Limousin x steers: £1260 Tone Hall, £1230 & £1225 Cowburn Rigg, £1170 Colwell Demesne, £1150 Tone Hall, £1135 Rusheylaw, £1130 Colwell Demesne, £1115 Cowburn Rigg, £1080 Woodhead, £1010 & £970 Rusheylaw, £930 Blackhalls. Limousin x heifers: £1150 & £1105 Cowburn Rigg, £1010 Blackhalls, £1000 Comb Hills, £980 & £960 Blackhalls, £930 Chesterhope, £900 Woodhead. Blonde x heifers: £1045 Comb Hills, £1010 Colwell Demesne. British Blue x heifers: £1095 Blackhalls, £1020 Glendue, £955 Blackhalls. Angus x heifers: £1195 Blackhalls.

Cattle 10 months and under. Limousin x steers: £915 & £910 Dyke Nook. Limousin x heifers: £945 Burnbank

ALSO on Friday, Hexham and Northern Marts held their weekly sale of 6012 cast ewes and store lambs. Incorporated into this week’s sale was the annual prize show of Blackface, Swaledale, Cheviot and Mule store lambs. Credit must go to all producers as an absolutely outstanding show of lambs was put before the expert judge Chris Siswick, Longhorsley, who awarded the championship to M/s Scott, of The Brigg, with their pen of Blackface lambs which later went on to realise £68 to the judge.

Texel x: £89 Ingram, £80 Greyside & Dukesfield Hall (x2). Suffolk x: £78 Dukesfield Hall, £71 Greyside. Bleu D’Maine: £80 Low Staples. Mule: £68 Horton Low House, £65 South Kirkheaton & Blakelaw, £64 Greyside, £61 Old Blacksmith Shop, £60 The Tofts, Dukesfield Hall, High Fotherley & Tarset Hall. Blackface: £58 Cleughfoot, £53 Sewingshields, £51 Greyside, £50 Monkseaton. Swaledale: £49 High Town & The Brigg, £44 High Town, £42 Monkseaton & Harewalls. Crossbred: £88 Greyside, £75 Monkseaton.

Topping the sale were two Texel lambs consigned by M/s A Wilkinson, New Rift, realising £86.

Texel x (Av £63.40): £86 New Rift, £81 North Penny Hill (x2), £79.50 Willimoteswick, £79 Cornhills, £77 Whitchester & Chapel House, £76 Willimoteswick, £75 Whitchester & Rowley Gillots, £74.50 Rinnion Hills & Willimoteswick, £74 Ironsign & Ellfoot (x2), £73.50 Ellfoot (x2) & Greyside, £73 (x2) Greyside, £71.50 Ellfoot, £70 Cornhills. Dutch Texel: £67 Greenside. Suffolk x (Av £65.10): £85 Grindon Hill, £78 Greyside, £77.50 Piatroon, £71 Low Huntwell, £69.50 Greyside, £68.50 Ricknall Grange, £68 Grindon Hill, £66 North Penny Hill & Ricknall Grange. Charollais x (Av £66.24): £70.50 Ricknall Grange. Beltex x (Av £70.60): £77 Closehead & Cornhills. Zwartbles x: £67 & £66.50 New Rift. Cheviot x (Av £48.75): £64.50 & £56.50 Barrasford Green, £56 Greenside, £53 Bellshiel.

A fantastic show of Mule lambs forward were easily sold and more required on a weekly basis. Topping this section was a fantastic pen of 20 consigned by M/s HG Walton & Sons, Greyside realising £80.

Mule (Av £57.13): £80 Greyside, £77 Hotbank, £70 Brieredge, £64.50 Greyside, £63.50 Brieredge, £63 Nunstainton, £61 Stone House, £60.50 Low Acton, £60 Blakelaw & Hotbank. Blackface (Av £46.61): £68 The Brigg, £66.50 Greyside, £65 Townshields, £56 Featherwood & Hotbank, £52.50 Townshields & Greyside, £52 Featherwood, £51.50 Hotbank, £50.50 Kirkley Hall, £50 Cleughfoot, Sewingshields & West End Town. Swaledale (Av £31): £45 East Plenmeller, £39 Blakelaw, £31 East Plenmeller & Gleedlee. Crossbred (Av £50.71): £55 Lorbottle Steads.

LAST Wednesday, at Hexham Mart, the Bluefaced Leicester sale was combined with the annual sale of all breed rams. A good ring of buyers was present for the entry of sheep. A sharp trade was obtained for the quality show of sheep that was forward.

The champion shearling ram was shown by well-known breeder James Herdman, Edlingham flock, who took home the Hexham Auction Mart Trophy and the Percy Telfer Memorial Shearling Trophy. This was later sold at £1100 to GH Walton & Sons, Greyside. However, the top price of the day was £1300, also shown by well-known breeders TL Forster & Son, Lowes Fell. The champion lamb was shown by D Henderson, Burndale Flock. This was sold at £400.

Shearling rams: £1300 Lowes Fell, £1100 Edlingham, £800 Lowes Fell, £750 Edlingham, £600 Hexhamshire & Lowes Fell, £550 Hexhamshire & The Shield, £500 Hott Bank, The Shield & Lowes Fell, £480 Lowes Fell, £450 Hexhamshire, Edlingham, The Shield & Lowes Fell, £420 West Butsfield, Edlingham & Lowes Fell, £400 Hott Bank, Edlingham, The Shield & Lowes Fell, £380 Hott Bank, West Butsfield & The Shield, £350 Edlingham. Ram lambs: £400 & £360 Burndale. Gimmer shearlings: £200 (x2) The Shield.

ALSO last Wednesday, Hexham & Northern Marts held their opening prize show and sale of breeding rams and offered for sale a great entry of 535 Texel, Suffolk, Continental, Cross Bred, and Bluefaced Leicester rams. Prior to the sale, in the show, sponsored by Hodgson Toyota Newcastle, rams were judged in their appropriate breed classes.

The Texel entry was judged by Roman Wall stockmen Willie Woodman and Billy Nicholson, Great Chesters, who from an initial offering of 21 shearlings worked swiftly to their eventual line up of six rams, all from noted local breeders and all of outstanding quality that would be welcomed into any ‘high-end’ commercial sheep flock. It was a sheep from brothers Steven and Andrew Reed, Lands Farm, Westgate in Weardale, that took the Texel Championship and The Arthur Iveson Perpetual Memorial Trophy. The triumph marked a brace of successes for the Reed Bros and their relatively newly established flock within this annual show and sale, having also taken the same championship 12 months ago. Stood alongside as reserve to the champion was another great sheep from the Townfoot, West Woodburn, flock of Mrs Jackie Raine who also figures highly at this sale from one year to the next. The third prize rosette iwas also awarded to another lady exhibitor with a great following for her tups at Hexham; Mrs Anne Hunter, Brinkburn New Houses, Longframlington.

With the ceremony of the show over the sale commenced and in a year when both smart, optimum weight fat lambs and super heavyweights are in equal demand in the prime lamb ring and more-so if bred with sharp, white heads and tight skins the entire entry of Texel rams saw unsurpassed demand at this centre. With no fewer than 52 shearlings, almost 20 per cent of the offering selling in excess of four figures the auctioneers are pleased to report an average of £678 for all Texels sold. The majority of consignments from noted and regular exhibitors saw the best end of their trade in excess of £1000 with many flock averages up by several hundred pounds per head on the year.

For the second year in a row, and twice this year the company saw the centre record price for a Texel ram broken on both occasions by the astounding pen of sheep brought forward by Messrs Reed, Lands Farm. Their first to be sold was signalled by an air of anticipation around the sale ring and despite a late draw in the ballot purchasers had ‘kept their powder dry’ all day and this first sheep by a ‘Midlock’ sire blew the record selling at £3600 to Barry & Kevin Wharf, Burradon Windyside, exceeding last year’s £3300 figure from the same vendors. Yet to enter the ring was their show champion and the feeling of tension was palpable as bidding for trophy winner took off to swiftly rise over £3000 at the desire of two steadfast bidders, settling eventually at £3800 in favour of Messrs Scott, Falla, Roxburghshire to set the new Tyne Green Centre record. The Reed Bros enjoyed another at the notable price of £2000 as did Messrs Dixon, West Heddon.

Texel rams. Shearlings: £3800 & £3600 Lands Farm, £2000 West Heddon & Lands Farm, £1750 Middle Dukesfield, £1600 Townfoot Woodburn & Brinkburn Newhouses, £1500 Lands Farm & Blackburn, £1450 Cornhills, £1400 Townfoot Woodburn, £1300 Middle Dukesfield, £1250 Lough Green, £1200 Fell House, Middle Dukesfield, Low Ardley, Brinkburn Newhouses (x2) & Lands Farm, £1100 Butterknowes & Townfoot Woodburn (x2), Cornhills, West Heddon, Low Ardley (x2), Brinkburn Newhouses (x2) & Lands Farm, £1050 Middle Dukesfield & Low Ardley, £1000 Butterknowes, Cornhills (x5), Fell House, Middle Dukesfield, West Heddon (x2), Low Ardley (x2), Brinkburn Newhouses (x4), Dotland Park, Lands Farm (x2) & Yatesfield Cottage. Ram lambs:£140 Little Burtholme

A fantastic show of high quality Suffolk rams forward sold to a very busy ring of potential purchasers ensuring all vendors went home highly delighted. The pre-sale show was judged by John Elliot of Roxborough Mains. He awarded his pre-sale champion to a lot consigned by M/s Leiper of Black Heddon, who also won the Reserve Championship. Both sheep realising £900. Topping the sale was an absolute tank of a tup consigned by M/s FT Walton, Flotterton, realising £1200.

Shearlings: £1200 & £1100 Flotterton, £1050 Black Heddon, £1000 Goatstones, £900 Flotterton & Black Hedley (x3), £850 Flotterton & Black Heddon, £800 (x2) & £750 Black Heddon, £700 Goatstones, Black Heddon, Roseden & Newlands Haugh, £650 Flotterton, Goatstones, Black Heddon (x2) & Newlands Haugh (x4), £620 Edlingham Demesne & Black Heddon (x2), £600 Edlingham Demesne, Black Heddon (x2) & Roseden, £580 Newlands Haugh, £550 Edlingham Demesne, Black Heddon, Roseden & Newlands Haugh, £520 Rugley & Black Heddon, £500 Goatstones (x2), Edlingham Demesne (x2), West Wharmley & Newlands Haugh. Lambs: £240 Ash Knowe

A cracking show of Continental and Continental Cross rams met a buoyant trade with some vendors up £100 on the year. These were judged by M/s B&T Cockburn, Kingside, Peebles, awarding first prize dhearling to a very powerful Beltex x Suffolk ram consigned by M/s J Leiper & Sons, Black Heddon. This tup later realised a joint top price of £880. The other tup at this price was a very smart and powerful Dutch Texel from regular consignors M/s WR Sparke & Son, Little Swinburne.

Dutch Texel. Shearlings: £880, £800, £750, £720, £700 (x2), £600 & £580 Little Swinburne. Lambs: £180 Ash Knowe. Beltex shearlings: £800, £750, £740 & £720 High Castle Dene, £640 Morrow Edge, £620 High Castle Dene & Cornhills, £600 Cornhills, £580 High Castle Dene (x3) & Cornhills, £550 Steeley Farm & High Castle Dene, £500 Black Heddon. Charollais shearlings: £600 Black Heddon. Texel x shearlings: £500 New Acres. Texel x Leicester shearlings: £330 The Shield. Suffolk x Beltex shearlings: £880, £750, £650 & £420 Black Heddon. Jacob shearlings: £210 Pens Close.

LAST Wednesday, Scots Gap Auction Mart sold a smart show of both cast and prime sheep, due in the main to standstills and ram sales. Once again William Hall, Hallington New Houses, came forward with a smashing show of well bred lambs and topped at £94 for 42kg and 225ppkg for 40kg both selling to James Curle. In line with other centres the entire sale returned an average of £73.85 for 42.5kg and an SQQ figure of 177.8ppkg

Texel x: £94, £92, £90 (x3) Hallington New Houses, £86 High House, £85.50 Gallowhill, £85 (x2) High House, £85 Hallington New Houses, £85 (x3) & £84 (x2) The Chesters, £84 Cartington, 225.0p (x2), 223.8p, 214.3p, 212.5p & 204.4p Hallington New Houses, 200.0p, 197.4p, 194.4p & 193.4p Thornbrough, 193.2p The Chesters, 184.6p Cartington, 184.6p Bridgeford, 184.2p The Brigg, 180.5p Rugley Walls, 180.5p Cartington. Suffolk x: £84 (x2) The Chesters, £80 New Houses, £76 Rugley Walls, £73 Gallowhill, £71 (x2) Gallows Hill 176.3p, Gallowhill, 174.5p Gallows Hill, 170.2p New Houses, 168.0p (x2) The Chesters. Beltex x: £82, £80 & £78 Hallington New Houses, 173.3p. Mule: £66.50 Gallowhill, 163.2p. Blackface: £66 The Brigg & £60 Gallowhill & 173.7p. Cheviot x: £66 The Brigg & 173.7p.

Cast ewes and rams. Leicester ram: £89 Dunns Houses. Texel x: £73.50 Molesden, £67 Gunnerton. Mule: £60 Buckshaw, £60 Gunnerton, £59 Dunns Houses, £57 Buckshaw, £57 Molesden, £54.50 Buckshaw, £54 (x2) Gunnerton. Blackface: £59 & £52 Dunns Houses, £43 Buckshaw, £41 Gallowhill, £41 Molesden, £40 Buckshaw.