| 2013-10-21 |    |
Hexham Limousin Cross Suckled Calves and Store Cattle
Hexham & Northern Marts held their annual special prize show and sale solely for Limousin cross bred suckled calves and store cattle. on Friday 18th October 2013. The auctioneers were pleased to offer a catalogued entry of 1394 head of cattle, that figure showing an increase of over 250 head on the year.
Prior to the sale the prize show was generously sponsored by Armstrong
Watson Accountants & Financial Advisors, The Farmers Guardian & The
Limousin Cattle Society and supported by Natural Stockcare Ltd.
Hexham Mart Store Cattle Sale Ring
Having made the long trip down from Broxburn, West Lothian, Mr Walter Dandie presided as judge for the group and preliminary breed classes and a wonderful entry of Thirty-Seven Cattle were brought out before him. From a quality display of Six pens of Fours Mr Dandie awarded The North Western Limousin Cattle Breeders Trophy for the champion pen to his first prize pen of black steers from John & Andrew Hunter, The Steel, with the Bellingham based family also taking the Reserve award for their first prize pen of black heifers.
From a smart and powerful entry of individual steer calves it was a clean sweep for brothers John & Michael Reed, West Biggens, Frosterley as they took the 1st, 2nd & 3rd prize rosettes home to Weardale. Indeed their success continued further with both 1st & 2nd prize in the heifer class followed up by a worthy 3rd place halter led heifer from Nicky & Ian Robinson, Bog Hall, Capheaton.
Following on from his landmark birthday and presentation from the auction company last week the honour of Overall Championship judge fell to Centenarian Mr Walter Bainbridge of Greystones Farm, Seamer and the 100 year old Hexham ringside stalwart carried out his task with due professionalism and consideration. Faced with the 1st prize steer and 1st prize heifer, both tremendous, top quality black ¾ bred cattle from the noted County Durham producers Mr Bainbridge gave each beast full inspection and remained true to his usual preference and awarded The George Stappard Memorial Challenge Cup and Overall Champion Rosette and Sash to the heifer and The Reserve award to the steer. Both cattle were brought forward to the sale ring at 12 noon and a packed ringside saw the Champion sell for £1550 to Mr Bainbridge whilst the Reserve Champion sold at a mere Fifty pounds less to Mr Dandie.
| PRIZE LIST | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Best 4 Limousin x Steer Calves | J Hunter & Sons The Steel | J Hunter & Sons | |
| Best Limousin x Heifer Calves | J Hunter & Sons | C Harle & Sons Brandon Hall | |
| Best Single Limousin x Steer | WM Reed & Sons West Biggens | WM Reed & Sons | WM Reed & Sons |
| Best Single Limousin x Heifer | WM Reed & Sons | WM Reed & Sons | TF & C Robinson & Son Bog Hall |
| OVERALL CHAMPION | WM Reed & Sons West Biggens (Heifer) | ||
| RESERVE CHAMPION | WM Reed & Sons West Biggens (Steer) | ||
| Best Pen of 4 | J Hunter & Sons The Steel | ||
Besides the entry of show cattle a fantastic offering of Limousin cross bred cattle were presented for sale at what has now become regarded as one of the leading sales in the country for such beast. With consignments from top commercial herds throughout Northumberland, County Durham & Cumbria numbers this year were swelled further with far travelled cattle from over the Border and the noted cattle producing regions of Roxburghshire, Peebleshire & Wigtownshire.
The first third of the catalogue saw over 300 stronger, forward sorts offered and these met a fast trade throughout peaking at £1520 for a huge red Limmy bullock from Raymond Little, Holly Hill West, followed by another from Alan & Peter Forster, Lowes Fell at £1490. This was closely followed by a massive bullock from Dougie Carmichael, Berwick Hill which at 29 months hit £1470 proving this centre as the place to sell those cattle nearing and even over the Thirty month threshold.
With a number of return purchasers coming back to the ringside after various absences strong cattle were certainly in demand, no more so the heifers sold which peaked at £1410 for a shapely lady from George Herdman, Senior and Junior, Lunns House, Iveston which was followed by another County Durham lady at £1350 from Andrew Moralee, Senior and Junior, Lowfield, Willington.
However the main focus of the day were the consignments of yearling suckled calves which attracted purchasers from all over the UK. Undoubted highlight of this section were indeed the run of Sixty cattle from Messrs Reed, West Biggens which besides show winners topped at £1500 for steers and £1330 for heifers although many such prices were achieved for top draws of cattle from noted herds. With a great show of cattle presented before a full ringside of buyers during the eight hours of selling the auctioneers were delighted to report an increase of £101 on the year to average £1006 for all cattle sold.
Leading prices;
Cattle 23 – 30 Months
Limousin x steers – £1500 & £1470 Berwick Hill, £1460 East Knitsley, £1420
(x2), £1290 & £1220 Berwick Hill
Limousin x heifers – £1145 Fairley & Lowfield, £1075 & £1060 Fairley, £1050 Lowfield, £1015 & £980 Fairley
Cattle 17 – 22 Months
Limousin x steers – £1520 Holly Hill West, £1500 West Biggens,
£1490 Lowes Fell, £1440 Highwood, £1430 Cornhills, £1420 Highwood,
£1410 Cornhills, £1400 Cornhills & Lowfield, £1390 Shitlington
Hall, Cornhills, East Knitsley, Lee Hall & Old Deanham, £1380
Lowes Fell, £1370 Highwood & Kirkhouse, £1350 High Studdon,
£1340 Shitlington Hall, £1330 Shitlington Hall & Lee Hall,
£1320 Blackburn & Thornton Tower, £1305 Shitlington Hall,
£1300 Highwood, High Studdon & Hownam Grange, £1280 Holly
Hill West, Shitlington Hall & Lee Hall, £1270 Shitlington
Hall & Blackburn, £1250 East Knitsley, £1240 Lee Hall, £1225
Highwood & Allenshields, £1205 Fairley (x2) & High Studdon
Limousin x heifers – £1410 Lunns House, £1360 Lowfield, £1350 Lunns House & Brandon Hall, £1320 Brandon Hall, £1300 Lunns House, £1275 Lowes Fell, £1240 Lowfield, £1230 Lunns House (x2) & Shitlington Hall, £1215 Old Deanham, £1205 Low Ardley, £1200 Thornton Tower, Old Deanham & Lowfield, £1190 Lunns House & Old Deanham, £1170 Shitlington Hall, £1160 Wingates South, £1140 Brandon Hall, £1120 Lunns House & Hownam Grange, £1115 Wingates South High Studdon & Burmoor, £1110 Barker House, £1105 Burmoor, £1100 Lunns House, Barker House & Lee Hall, £1090 Lunns House, Cornhills, £1080 Lowfield, £1070 Wingates South, £1055 High Studdon, Lee Hall, Thornton Tower & Old Deanham
Cattle
11 – 16 Months
Limousin x steers – £1500 & £1490 West Biggens, £1460 Lee Hall,
£1450 The Steel, £1435 West Biggens, £1420 (x2) The Steel, £1410 West
Biggens, £1405 Morley Hill, £1400 (x2) West Biggens, £1375 Old Deanham,
£1350 Kirkhouse, £1345 Agars Hill, £1340 Bog Hall, £1335 The Steel & Morley
Hill, £1305 Reaygarth & Agars Hill, £1300 West Biggens & Morley
Hill, £1295 Rawfoot, £1290 West Biggens & Morley Hill, £1285 Morley
Hill, £1280 Agars Hill & Low Ardley, £1250 Kingside, West Biggens & Morley
Hill, £1245 Garretlea, £1220 West Biggens & Low Ardley, £1210 West
Biggens, Low Ardley & Morley Hill
Limousin x heifers – £1550 & £1330 West Biggens, £1270 Low Ardley, £1240 Bog Hall, £1235 The Steel, £1205 Burntongues, £1200 Kirkhouse, £1195 The Steel, £1180 Lee Hall, Kingside & Pitland Hills, £1175 West Biggens, £1150 The Steel, £1140 Cornhills, £1130 Woodhead (x2) & Morley Hill, £1110 Brandon Hall, Thornton Tower & Harwood Shield, £1105 Pitland Hills, £1100 Kirkhouse, Cornhills (x2), Brandon Hall (x3), Warksfield Head, Agars Hill, The Steel, Paradise Farm & Morley Hill, £1095 Kingside, West Biggens & Low Ardley, £1090 West Biggens & Low Ardley, £1080 Agars Hill & Lowfield
Cattle 10 months and under
Limousin x steers – £1155 Hepburn, £1140 Woodhead, £1120 Harlow Bower
(x3), £1110 Hownam Grange, £1060 Harlow Bower, £1000 Hepburn, £925
Bridgehouse, £910 Burmoor & Harlow Bower, £900 Harlow Bower (x2)
Limousin x heifers – £1260 Bog Hall, £1100 The Steel, £1050 Allenshields, £1040 Harwood Shield, £990 Bog Hall, £950 Harwood Shield, £940 Harlow Bower, £930 Harwood Shield, £910 Bog Hall, £860 Harlow Bower, £800 Hole Farm
Store Sheep
Hexham and Northern Marts held their weekly sale of 4460 Store and
Feeding sheep.
Breeding Ewes
Mule Ewe Lambs - £68 Moss House
Feeding Ewes
Once more ewes sold to a fast trade with a full ring of local and distant
purchasers.
Texel – £62 Grange House
Texel x - £70 & £65 Haining Head, £64 Settlingstones, £57.50 Wingates
Moor, £55.50 Blakelaw, £54 Haining Head
Suffolk x - £69 Settlingstones, £65.50 Grange House
Cheviot x - £54.50 Steel Hall, £48 Westlands
Mule - £53.50 Park End, £53 Blakelaw, £52.50 Settlingstones, £51.50
Steel Hall, £50.50 Whiteside Haltwhistle, £49.50 The Hott, £47.50 Belsay
Barns, £47 Park End, £46 Grange House, Haining Head & Wingates
Moor
Blackface - £44 The Brigg, Chirdon & Townshields, £39 Park End,
£38 Moss House, Shitlington Hall & Blakelaw
Swaledale - £29.50 Buckshot, £27.50 Linshiels
Crossbred - £70 Blakelaw
Store Hoggs
Once again all classes of lambs proved easy to cash resulting in vendors
going home with a smile. Topping the sale was a pen of 55 Texel x lambs
consigned by M/s J Green & Sons, Follions, Thropton realizing £84.80
Texel x – £84.80 Follions, £75.50 Burdonside, £74 Low Brunton & Billerley,
£73.50 Billerley & Barrasford Green, £73 Greyside, £72 Grindon
Hill, £71.50 Billerley, £70 West Kirkheaton, Parkside & Dinley
Hill
Dutch Texel - £78 Willimoteswick
Suffolk x – £79 Low Brunton, £74 Settlingstones, £67 East Highridge,
£66.50 Low Huntwell, £65.50 Black Hedley, £65 Willey Lodge & Park
End
Meatlink - £66.50 & £57.50 East Parks
Mule - £63 Low Acton, £59.50 Greyside, £59 East Highridge, £58 Redburn & Horton
Low House, £56.50 The Shield, £56 Wolsingham Park, £55 Ambling Gate
Cheviot – £54 Burdonside, £48 Dunterley
Blackface - £57.50 Rookland, £54.50 Stone House, £52 The Brigg, £50
Rookland, £49.50 Rookland & Laings Hill, £49 White House Birtley,
£48.50 Stone House & Laings Hill, £47.50 Grasslees, £46.50 Featherwood & Burdonside
Swaledale - £36 Buckshot, £33.50 Parkside
