Opening Sale of Tups
Hexham Auction Mart
24.09.2025
Hexham & Northern Marts held their Annual Multi-Breed Prize Show and Sale of 763 Shearling Rams and Ram Lambs kindly sponsored once again by longstanding supporters Stoneacre Motor Group.
Texels
A super entry of 391 Texel rams from noted flockmasters were presented and a tremendous show class of 25 shearling rams were put before the judge Mr Steven Hogg, Saughtree, Scottish Borders. From the initial line up Mr Hogg selected twelve very correct rams any one of which potential purchasers would gladly have taken home and the arrived at his final selections as follows;
Champion – 61, Messrs Varty, Rothley Crag
Reserve – 32, Messrs Campbell, Rosebrough
2nd – 183, Messrs Reed, Lands Farm
3rd – 276, Messrs James, Neuadd Blaenduhonw
4th – 101, C & C Farming, Flotterton Cottage
5th – 153, Messrs Thornton, Cornhills
6th – 40, Messrs Johnson, Tuthill
Best Pen of Three
1st – Messrs Thornton, Cornhills.
2nd – Messrs Clark, Brinkburn Newhouses.
3rd – Messrs Campbell, Rosebrough.
The show classes dispensed with the business proper of the day began and a good crowd were assembled at the ringside for start time. Trade throughout was noticeably faster than that seen twelve months previously with the best end of each consignment selling with ease and lesser sorts also good to cash.
Topping the sale was the third prize ram and pen leader from Messrs Reed, Lands Farm, Weardale which caught the attention of many breeders and commercial men alike and quickly exceeded the latters budget to settle at £6500 selling to regular purchasers at this sale Messrs Smith, Roachburn. A sale highlight every year, the pen from Steven & Andrew Reed went on to take the lead average of a mighty £1827 for 11 shearlings sold and saw the brothers head home happy from Hexham yet again.
Next in the rankings came another cracking tup, this one from first time consignors to this sale Messrs James, Neuadd Blaenduhonw, Builth Wells, Wales who saw their fourth prize shearling scale to a whopping £5000 which was taken home by a delighted Lewis Forster, West Nubbock, Hexham. The well-travelled pen of outstanding rams from the Maesmynis based family were certainly well received round the Hexham ringside and averaged a very worth £1775 for eleven sold.
Leading prices;
(List Leading Prices.)
Leading Flock Averages (in sale order);
Rothley Crag, sold 3, top of £1800, to average £1050.
Whitehill, 3, £1900, £1633.
Rouchester, 3, £1600, £1200.
Flotterton Cottage, 14, £1700, £1135.
Townfoot, 11, £1400, £1004.
Cornhills, 23, £2200, £1319.
Lands Farm, 11, £6500, £1827.
Bowsden Moor, 2, £1600, £1225.
Shaw Wood, 4, £1400, £1012.
Butterknowes, 10, £1800, £1260.
Low Steads, 2, £1100, £1050.
Yatesfield, 11, £1400, £1013.
Duhonw, 12, £5000, £1775.
West Nubbock, 6, £2000, £1090.
Leading prices;
£6500 Lands Farm, £5000 & £2500 Neuadd Blaenduhonu, £2200 Cornhills, £2000 Cornhills, Swarland Old Hall, West Nubbock & Neuadd Blaenduhonu x2, £1900 White Hill, £1800 Edlingham Demesne, Rothley Crag, Lands Farm x2, Butterknowes, Neuadd Blaenduhonu & West Nubbock, £1700 Flotterton x2, Cornhills x2, Lands Farm, Quickeningcote, Butterknowes & South Farm, £1600 White Hill White Hill, Rouchester, Cornhills x2, Bowsden Moor, The Fawns & Swarland Old Hall, £1500 Brinkburn Newhouses, Cornhills x3 & West Heddon
Suffolks
Suffolk Rams sold well with many farmers looking for a Suffolk again.
Topping the sale was the Reserve Champion from Airey Bros, Brownchesters at £2300.
Next up at £2000 was J Lee, The Snape who averaged £990 for 13 sold.
Glenrath had another successful trip to Hexham topping at £1800 with others at £1200 and £1100.
J Collingwood, Stewartshield Meadows had another super trade, topping at £1500 twice and averaging £1325 for 4.
Champion was the strong stylish lamb from J Jones, Cornhill selling to £1400.
Leading prices;
£2300 Brownchesters, £2000 The Snape, £1800 Glenrath, £1700 Tuthill, £1650 Glenrath, £1500 Stewartshield Meadows x2, £1400 Cornhill & Stewartshield Meadows, £1300 The Snape x2, £1200 Glenrath, Edlingham Newtown & The Snape, £1100 Pasture Hill, Flotterton x2, Glenrath & Tuthill, £1050 Wrangham & Cayley Lane, £1000 The Snape x3
Bluefaced Leicester
A larger entry of Bluefaced Leicester tups sold at the 61st Annual Show & Sale which was ably judged by Mr David Henderson.
Overall Championship went to Mr John Davison, Lough Green.
This Shearling ram by a Lowes Felll sire sold to the top price of the day at £1100 to R Peart, Mayland Hall.
At £1000 was a Shearling from Mr & Mrs V C & M Gray, Gerfin with their Mossdale sired tup selling to J N Brown & Son, East White Hill.
Leading prices;
£1100 Lough Green, £1000 Gerfin, £850 Lowes Fell & Gerfin, £750 The Deans x2 & Lowes Fell
Crossbred Tups
Hexham and Northern Marts held its first sale of Beltex, Other Continental and Cross Bred tups which met a nice trade throughout.
Fewer numbers forward this year helped with demand.
This year the pre-sale show was kindly judged by Mr Clive Rowland, Garrowby Estates.
Leading the Beltex trade was the pre-show winner from J Watson & Co, Bowsden Moor which sold to £800.00.
In the Other Continental and Cross Bred class, the Moralee team from Hard Riding dominated proceedings, winning the class with a Dutch Texel and also taking third place. The first prize winner went on to sell for £1300.00 whilst the third prize tup went on to achieve £900.00.
Leading the trade in this section was a ¾ Texel ¼ Beltex Shearling from annual consignors, AS Whitfield, Low Castle Dene. With a great reputation behind these tups, trade was fierce for this consignment and saw a high of £2000.00.
Brian, Will and Mick Storey, Woodhead Farm brought their usual consignment of bare, hard muscled Dutch Texel Tups and saw a high of £1600.00. Not too far behind selling to £1300.00 was another Dutch Texel. This time it was the second prized winner from Mrs A Walby, Westside.
A special mention should go to a superb run of Charollais and Charollais cross tups from BD Milburn, Butterknowes which sold to £1100.00 and averaged £1030.00 for five.
Leading prices;
Texel cross – £2000, £1100, £1000, £900 x2, £850 & £800 High Castle Dene
Dutch Texel – £1300 West Side & Hard Riding, £1100 West Side x2, £900, £850, £780 & £700 x2 Hard Riding
Beltex – £800 Bowsden Moor, £600 Low Espley & Yatesfield, £500 South Farm & Low Espley, £450 Great Tosson
Beltex x – £1250, £900 & £750 Low Espley, £700 Edlingham Demesne, £600 Edlingham Demesne & Great Tosson, £550 & £520 Edlingham Demesne, £500 Great Tosson x2, Dotland Park & Low Espley x2
Charolais – £650 Great Tosson
Charolais x – £1100, £1050 & £1000 x3 Butterknowes
Blue Texel – £620 Edlingham Demesne, £600 Kypie
Leicester Cross – £550 & £400 Low Ardley
The auctioneers were delighted with the turnout of both quality rams and steadfast purchasers which resulted in a very rewarding clearance rate on the day.
