Hexham Christmas Primestock Show

Hexham Auction Mart

02.12.2025

Cattle

This years Christmas Primestock Show was very ably judged by Mr J Fawcett on behalf of the Kitsons Butchers, Five Houses Farm Shop, Yarm. Mr Fawcett had a fabulous show of cattle brought before him and credit must go to all those that presented cattle and it was mentioned more than once that it was one of the finest shows of Prime Cattle seen at the centre.

This years sale was once again kindly sponsored by Lloyds Bank & Mole Valley.

The Championship and the Lloyds Bank Trophy this year once again went to Ian & Nathan Grainger, Kiln Close, Wigton with a truly outstanding Blue cross heifer. This heifer that oozed meat and cover went on to realise 605p/kg and sold to the judge.

Standing reserve was the Young Farmers Class winner, a black Limousin cross heifer from Miss Rachael Graham, Miller Hill. This went on to achieve 603.5p/kg and £3965.00.

This years Champion steer went to a Limousin cross steer also from Messrs Graham, Miller Hill which sold to 439.5p/kg selling to Ashfold Quality Meats, Rochdale.

A noted mention must go to the Reserve Champion Heifer from J & A Moralee, Hard Riding. A terrific black, Blue cross heifer which stood second to the overall champion in a very tight class. This colossal heifer weighed 660kg and sold to 524.5p/kg selling to the judge.

Full Prime List:

Best Beef Bred Cast Cow

1^st – R R Reay & Sons, West Moorhouses

2^nd – F & R Simpson, Square House

3^rd – M W & C M Ridley, Shitlington Hall

Best Dairy Bred Cast Cow

1^st – G G Baynes & Son, Marley Cote Walls

2^nd – R Pattinson, Temon

3^rd – R Pattinson, Temon

Best Steer or Heifer shown by a YFC Member

1^st – Rachael Graham, Miller Hill (Brampton YFC)

2^nd – Amy Graham, Miller Hill (Brampton YFC)

Limousin Cross Heifer

1^st – I Grainger, Kiln Close

2^nd – T W Dinning & Son, Watch Currock

3^rd – H Clark & Sons, Paxton Dene

Limousin Cross Steer

1^st – Messrs Graham, Miller Hill

British Blue Cross Heifer

1^st – I Grainger, Kiln Close

2^nd – J & A Moralee, Hard Riding

Native Bred Steer or Heifer

1^st – Angus x heifer – Reay & Walton, St Oswalds

Young Bull

1^st – J G Milburn & Sons, Loadman

2^nd – J G Milburn & Sons, Loadman

3^rd – J G Milburn & Sons, Loadman

Male Champion – Messrs Graham, Miller Hill

Female Champion – I Grainger, Kiln Close

Female Reserve Champion – J & A Moralee, Hard Riding

Supreme Overall Championship – I Grainger, Kiln Close

Reserve Overall Championship – Rachael Graham, Miller Hill

Away from the show cattle a nice trade was achieved throughout. This being helped by a well finished show of cattle that carried great flesh and credit again must go to all that created a fantastic sale which created a solid average of 454p/kg right through.

Annual consignor W H Davison & Son, Lough Green sold a very stylish Limousin cross handy weight heifer to 507.5p/kg which sold to R Pearson Wholesale Butchers, Bradford.

Thanks must go to our judge Mr J Fawcett of B & T Kitson’s, our sponsors Lloyds Bank and Mole Valley Country Stores, our faithful weekly purchasers who have helped to create a very competitive ring side for both the Cast Cattle and Prime Cattle and great thanks must go to our loyal vendors who have contributed greatly for entrusting us with your stock on a weekly basis.

Leading prices;

Prime Cattle

Limousin Heifers – £3965.00p Miller Hill, £3735.31 Kiln Close, £3049.83 & £2922.68 Watch Currock, £2895.45 Kiln Close, £2877.53 Lough Green, £2851.88 Paxton Dene, £2847.90 Watch Currock, £2826.13 & £2821.21 Kiln Close, £2790.15 Hard Riding, £2787.30 Watch Currock, £2722.28 Miller Hill, £2681.32 Kiln Close, £2679.03 Hard Riding, £2669.13 Watch Currock, £2549.58 Paxton Dene, £2516.25 West Moorhouses, £2505.78 Hard Riding

603.5p Miller Hill, 507.5p Lough Green, 499.5p Miller Hill, 497.5p & 491.5p Kiln Close, 489.5p Hard Riding, 487.5p Paxton Dene, 479.5p Kiln Close, 463.5p Watch Currock & Hard Riding, 461.5p Kiln Close, 457.5p West Moorhouses & Lough Green, 445.5p Paxton Dene, 443.5p Hard Riding, 439.5p & 431.5p Watch Currock, 428.5p Paxton Dene, 427.5p Watch Currock, 419.5p St Oswalds

British Blue Heifers – £3841.75 Kiln Close, £3461.70 Hard Riding, £2830.23 Shitlington Hall, £2699.25 Hard Riding, £2491.10 Paxton Dene

604.5p Kiln Close, 524.5p & 457.5p Hard Riding, 429.5p Paxton Dene, 417.5p & 409.5p South Acton

Angus Heifers – £1957.14 St Oswalds

373.5p St Oswalds

Limousin Steers – £2964.50 Watch Currock, £2900.70 Miller Hill, £2768.70 Watch Currock

439.5p Miller Hill, 423.5p & 419.5p Watch Currock

Young Bulls

A handful of Young Bulls forward but many more could have been handled and sold to advantage. First prized winning bull this year went to a Pure Charolais from JG Milburn & Sons, Loadman Farm which later sold to 387.5p/kg and £3262.75 to annual supporters of the sale; R Pearson Wholesale Butchers, Bradford.

Leading prices;

Charolais – £3262.75, £2759.53 & £2300.80 Loadman

287.5p, 365.5p & 359.5 Loadman

Cast Cows & OTM

Hexham and Northern Marts held its weekly Prime & Cast Cattle sale which saw another 100 plus entry and this week incorporated the annual Christmas Primestock Sale. An entry that was extremely varied and resembled the cast of a well-known spaghetti western.  This said another nice trade was witnessed. Fleshed cows once again easily sold, with many exceeding 300p/kg. Leaner, feeding types slightly easier compared to last weeks extreme rates. The 101 cast cows and bulls went on to leave an average of 271.5p/kg.

The pre sale show was very ably judged by weekly supporter and well renowned beef “connoisseur”, Mr Granville Moore, Hawick. Mr Moore chose an outstanding Limousin cross cow from R R Reay & Son, West Moorhouses as his 1^st prized Beef bred cow which later went on to achieve a very respectable 389.5p/kg selling to Mr O Llyr, Ruthin.

Mr Moore gave the first prize in the dairy class to Ayrshire from G G Baynes & Sons, Marley Cote Walls which realised 227.5p/kg. 

Leading the sale was a great Pure Limousin cow from Mr J Smith – Jackson, Lipwood which sold to an extraordinary 397.5p/kg to the judge.

Big Pure Charolais cows from Messrs Curry, Low Burradon grossed to £3110.38 and another to £3032.13.

A handful of Stock Bulls forward today, those that carried flesh sold very well and saw a high of 349.5p/kg (£3477.53) for a Limousin from G & EA Herdman, Luns House. A well finished Galloway stock bull from A & C L Bell, Woodhall sold to 241.5p/kg and £2101.05.

Leading prices;

Limousin – £2233.95 Lipwood Well, £2192.25 East Matfen, £2146.10 Redburn

397.5p Lipwood Well, 283.5p Redburn, 279.5p Midgeholme

Limousin x – £3151.06 West Moorhouses, £2902.60 Square House, £2902.20 Shitlington Hall, £2898.56 Square House, £2734.20 Thornton Tower, £2725.53 & £2635.60 Square House, £2621.25 Lonlee, £2554.13 & £2538.13 Shitlington Hall, £2458.60 Nilston Rigg, £2398.50 The Steel, £2364.00 Luns House, £2351.70 Devonport

389.5p West Moorhouses, 349.5p Longlee, 347.5p, 345.5p & 327.5p Shitlington Hall, 325.5p Thornton Towers, 323.5p Square House & Nilston Rigg, 319.5p Temon, 315.5p Square House, 307.5p The Steel, 301.5p Devonport, 299.5p Square House & Middle Heads

Charolais – £3110.48 & £3032.13 Low Burradon, £2791.34 Thrunton, £2555.23 Harnham Hall, £2400.06 Thrunton

331.5p Thrunton, 317.5p & 309.5p Low Burradon, 299.5p Thrunton

Blonde x – £2413.88 Houselope Grange

307.5p Houselope Grange

Angus – £2617.95 Fell House, £2010.23 High Barns

281.5p Fell House, 273.5p High Barns

Angus x – £1988.35 Catcherside, £1982.68 High Barns

313.5p High Barns, 273.5p Catcherside

British Blue – £2760.75 Lipwood Well, £2396.25 Hedley Park, £2373.54 Littleburn, £2316.00 Thornton Towers

337.5p Lipwood Well, 331.5p Littleburn, 319.5p Hedley Park

Simmental x – £2562.08 Hartley West, £1787.90 & £1507.05 Beacon Rigg

301.5p & 295.5p Beacon Rigg, 289.5p Hartley West

Beef Shorthorn – £2009.61 Gilside, £1954.80 Redsteads, £1789.88 Catcherside, £1725.38 Redsteads

279.5p Gilside, 277.5p Catcherside, 271.5p & 267.5p Redsteads, 263.5p x2 Catcherside

Hereford – £1673.10 Hartley West

253.5p Hartley West

Hereford x – £1501.01 West Shaftoe

261.5p West Shaftoe

Galloway – £1408.29 & £1259.53 Stell Green

235.5p Stell Green

Dairy Shorthorn – £1377.65 Marley Cote Walls

233.5p Marley Cote Walls

Ayrshire – £1353.63 & £1295.78 Marley Cote Walls

227.5p & 221.5p Marley Cote Walls

British Friesian – £1212.10 Temon

195.5p Temon

Stock Bull

Limousin – £3477.53 Luns House

349.5p Luns House

Angus – £2413.80 high Barns

223.5p High Barns

Galloway – £2101.05 Woodhall

241.5p Woodhall

Prime Sheep

Hexham & Northern Marts sold 1580 Prime Lambs to a better-than-expected trade with lighter, handier weight lambs seeing a premium.

Within the sale it included the Christmas Show with 36 pens of 3 in front of judge Mr Morgan Helliwell who ably made his way through the classes and awarded the Overall Championship being awarded to G R Hindmarsh & Sons, Linden Hill Head with their first prime Texel x trio. These lambs went on to sell to the judge for £300 or 555.6ppk.

Reserve champion went to Reay & Walton, St Oswalds with their Beltex x trio selling for £205 or 436.2ppk.

Full Prize List:

Texel

1^st – G R Hindmarsh & Sons, Linden Hill Head

2^nd – I Burn & Sons, Grange House

3^rd – D A, P Burn & Sons, Aydonshields

Beltex

1^st – Reay & Walton, St Oswalds

2^nd – Reay & Walton, St Oswalds

Dutch Texel

1^st – Reay & Walton, St Oswalds

2^nd – D Patrick, Longsteads

Other

1^st – Reay & Walton, St Oswalds

2^nd – D Patrick, Longsteads

3^rd – Reay & Walton, St Oswalds

Suffolk

1^st – M C & M D Sparke, Salmonfield

2^nd – Foley Bros, Mirlaw House

3^rd – D A, P Burn & Sons, Aydonshields

Mule

1^st – F T Walton, Flotterton

2^nd – F T Walton, Flotterton

3^rd – Foley Bros, Mirlaw House

Blackface

1^st – Dudlees Partnership, Dudlees

2^nd – Dudlees Partnership, Dudlees

3^rd – Dudlees Partnership, Dudlees

Swale

1^st – R R E Robson, Allenheads

Cheviot

1^st – F T Walton, Flotterton

2^nd – Quickeningcote Partners, Quickeningcote

3^rd – F T Walton, Flotterton

Out with the show trios, the lambs topped at £198 from Linden Hill Head, heading to A & S Green, Penshaw Farm Shop.

Please continue to enter your lambs.

Jack 07739 440457

Harrison 07895 761102

Andrw 07955 275403

Neil 07955 268459

Leading prices;

Prime Lambs

Texel x – £300 Linden Hill Head, £198 Linden Hill Head, £180 Grange House, £178 Rugley Walls, £177 Bankfoot, £175 Rugley Walls, £174 Linden Hill Head, £172 Linden Hill Head, Grange House & Rugley Walls, £170 Old Town, St Oswalds, Comb Hills, Grange House, Glendale & West Shields, £168 High Eshells, Old Town & Mirlaw House, £167 Aydonshields, £166 Haggate & Salmonfield, £165 Warkshaugh x2, Chesters & Baal Hill, £164 Linden Hill Head & Mirlaw House, £162 Aydonshields, £161 St Oswalds, Aydonshields, Chesters, East Uppertown & Baal Hill, £160 Haggate, Linden Hill Head x2 & Warkshaugh, £159 Tenter House, £158 Low Eshells, Linden Hill Head, Mirlaw House, Chesters x3 & Baal Hill, £157 High Eshells, £156 Mirlaw House, Crescent Farm & West Shields, £155.50 Haggate, £155 Haggate x2, Warkshaugh, Holly Hill West, Bankfoot & Whitelea, £154 Warkshaugh, Colepike, Grange House & Holly Hill West, £153 St Oswalds, Old Town & Tenter House, £152.50 Colepike & Woodcroft, £152 Haggate, Lowes Fell, Comb Hills & Rugley Walls, £151.50 High Eshells, £150.50 Tenter House, £150 Haggate x2, Salmonfield x2, Littlebeck, Low Leam x2 & Whitelea

556.0p Linden Hill Head, 425.0p & 383.0p St Oswalds, 367.0p Grange House, 364.0p St Oswalds, 363.0p Tenter House, 362.0p Tenter House, 361.0p Whitelea, 358.0p East Uppertown, 357.0p St Oswalds & Salmonfield, 352.0p Holly Hill West, 350.0p Mirlaw House, 347.0p Woodcroft, 344.0p Haggate & Linden Hill Head, 343.0p Chesters, 341.0p & 340.0p Linden Hill Head, 338.0p Comb Hills, 335.0p Mirlaw House, Tenter House & Grange House, 334.0p St Oswalds, 333.0p Linden Hill Head & Comb Hills, 332.0p Low Eshells, 331.0p Grange House & St Oswalds, 330.0p Warkshaugh, Baal Hill, Low Eshells & New Dotland, 326.0p Salmonfield, Littlebeck & Whitelea, 325.0p Linden Hill Head, 324.0p Ravenside, Rugley Walls & Aydonshields, 323.0p Lowes Fell, Warkshaugh & Littlebeck, 322.0p Mirlaw House, Chesters, Haggate, Partridge Nest, High Warden House, Heugh Farm, Flotterton & Linden Hill Head, 321.0p Tenter House x2, Heugh Farm, Colepike & Haggate, 320.0p Low Eshells

Blue Texel – £205 Longsteads

526.0p Longsteads

Dutch Texel – £180 St Oswalds, £175 Longsteads, £150 x2, £146 & £143 Willimoteswick

398.0p Longsteads, 383.0p St Oswalds, 357.0p & 348.0p Willimoteswick

Beltex x – £205 & £175 St Oswalds, £166 Crescent, £155 St Oswalds

436.0p & 417.0p St Oswalds, 319.0p Crescent, 310.0p St Oswalds

Suffolk x – £185 Mirlaw House, £175 Old Town & Chesters, £168 Salmonfield, £166 Old Town, £164 Chesters & Baal Hill, £163 Bankfoot, £162 Old Town, £161 Mirlaw House, £160 Salmonfield, Black Heddon & Chesters, £159.50 Chesters, £158 Rugley Walls, £157 Colepike, £156.50 Mirlaw House, £155 Bankfoot, £153.50 Chesters, £153 Salmonfield, £152 Whitelea, £151 Sunniside, £150 Haggate, Stewartshield Meadows x2 & Flotterton, £149 Old Town & Mirlaw House, £148 Haggate & St Oswalds, £146 Aydonshields, Flotterton & Heugh Farm, £145.50 West Shields, £145 High Keenley Fell, Sunniside & Rugley Walls, £144 Chesters, £142.50 New Dotland, £142 Stewartshield Meadows, £141 St Oswalds, Brokenheugh & Bankfoot, £140 Salmonfield

366.0p Stewartshield Meadows, 329.0p Haggate & St Oswalds, 328.0p St Oswalds, 317.0p Flotterton, 314.0p & 313.0p Brokenheugh, 311.0p Salmonfield & Aydonshields, 310.0p Mirlaw House x2 & New Dotland, 309.0p Stewartshield Meadows, 308.0p Salmonfield, 307.0p Chesters, Mirlaw House, Sunniside & Chesters, 306.0p Chesters, Haggate, Flotterton & Salmonfield x2, 304.0p Heugh Farm, 303.0p Mirlaw House, 302.0p New Dotland

Charolais x – £169 Black Heddon

277.0p Black Heddon

Rouge x – £168 St Oswalds

382.0p St Oswalds

Cheviot Mule – £158.50 Chesters, £153, £147 & £144 Flotterton, £141 Chesters x2, £140 Flotterton

300.0p Quickeningcote, 294.0p Flotterton & Chesters, 292.0p Flotterton, 291.0p Lowes Fell

Mule – £154 & £148 Mirlaw House, £146 Flotterton, £145 Woodcroft, £144 Ravenside, £143.50 Flotterton, £138 Flotterton, Mirlaw House & Rugley Walls

294.0p Flotterton x2 & Mirlaw House, 293.0p & 292.0p Flotterton, 287.0p Holly Hill West & Tenter House

Cheviot – £146, £144 & £135 Flotterton

321.0p, 311.0p & 310.0p Flotterton

Blackface – £145, £140, £137, £135.50 x2 & £131 Dudlees

292.0p, 291.0p & 288.0p x2 Dudlees, 287.0p New Dotland

Swaledale – £127 & £120 Allenheads

295.30p & 289.0p Allenheads