Hexham Auction Mart recorded a major day of trading on Friday 14 August 2026, with buyers attending the 31st Anniversary Show and Sale of Store Cattle and Store Sheep. Hexham and Northern Marts reported 904 catalogued store cattle, 1,189 cast ewes and tups, and 4,886 store lambs sold during the event.
The strongest cattle price was £3,400 for an outstanding red Limousin cross heifer from A & D Proctor of Swarland Old Hall. The animal won the overall championship and was bought by B & T Kitson of Northallerton.
Limousin heifer takes the top award
The pre-sale cattle show was judged by Somerset finisher Harry Cobden. A & D Proctor’s heifer received the Hexham Auction Mart Co. Ltd Perpetual Challenge Trophy, while R Green of Heckley High House was reserve overall champion.
The winner attracted strong interest before selling at £3,400. The champion Angus cross steer, also from R Green, reached £2,460. The cattle sale was supported by buyers from across the country, with the mart saying animals from every class attracted competitive bidding.
Among the other leading cattle results, a Charolais cross steer from the Five Houses team at Northallerton made £2,860. Limousin cross steers from G & EA Herdman of Luns House reached £2,750, while a Charolais cross heifer from R H Thompson & Son of Fitches Grange sold for £2,670.
R Green & Sons presented a run of 60 Angus cross steers aged 14 to 16 months. The cattle sold to £2,460 and £2,420 for a bunch of five, with the run averaging £2,245.17. A further run of 31 Limousin crosses from T W Oliver of Cawfields, aged 13 to 15 months, reached £2,420 for steers and £2,200 for heifers.
Younger cattle also attracted demand. A 10-month Limousin cross blue from R Carr of Little Bavington made £2,280, while 10-month Limousin cross steers from B Storey of Woodhead reached £2,220. The leading younger heifer was a Limousin cross from Reed Partners of Dyke Nook at £2,160.
Hexham and Northern Marts said buyers remained active late in the day. Limousin crosses from Hector and Roger Rutherford of Low Eshells, sold after 5pm, reached £2,460 for steers and £2,320 for heifers. Young bulls reached £2,260 for a Black Limousin cross from A & D Proctor.
Cast sheep trade remains strong
The mart sold 1,189 cast ewes and tups. It described the trade as strong overall, although smaller, leaner ewes were harder to place.
Quickeningcote Partnership won the annual show of pens of five cast ewes with a pen of Texels. The champion pen sold for £315 to Colin Simpson on behalf of Pak Mecca Meats Ltd. A pen from J Ferguson of The Bellion reached £288, while another Quickeningcote pen made £285.
Other leading cast-ewe prices included £218 for Blue Texels from E Watson of East Thorn Farm, £210 for Bluefaced Leicesters from Quickeningcote Partnership, £192 for North Country Cheviots from F T Walton of Flotterton and £188 for North of England Mules from Quickeningcote.
Cast tups sold to a top price of £232 for a Blue Texel from J A Sowerby of Amos Hill. Texels reached £222, while Hampshire Down tups made £212.
Store lamb numbers rise by 1,515
The annual Store Lambs Show and Sale attracted 4,886 lambs, an increase of 1,515 on the previous year. The reported average was £126.10, up £3.96 on the year.
C R Fawcett & Son of Well House won the overall championship for the second consecutive year with a pen of 22 Beltex cross lambs. They sold for £222. Other Beltex cross lambs reached £175 from R E Williamson of Littleburn, £174 from Younger & Stamp of Watch Hill and £167 from P & E B Robson of Middle Horsleyhope.
Texel cross lambs reached £165 from J Ridley of Wittonshields. Suffolk cross lambs averaged £131.65 from 731 sold and peaked at £149, while Mule lambs averaged £110.08 from 698 sold and reached £138 from P Bell of West Morrison.
Hexham and Northern Marts said further sheep were needed each week to meet demand. Its second sale of Store Lambs at St John’s Chapel was scheduled for Saturday 22 August, with entries for the next Hexham sale requested by 11am on Monday.