Hexham Auction Mart’s opening sale of Mule ewe lambs delivered a new sale centre record, with a pen of ex-Blackface bred Mules selling for £360 during a busy day at the Hexham venue.
Hexham and Northern Marts said the sale, held on Thursday 3 September 2026, featured a strong entry of tupping lamb types and attracted a packed ringside of prospective purchasers and onlookers. The overall average was £218.11, an increase of £12 on the comparable sale, with a similar number of lambs forward.
Shitlington Hall leads the main Mule sale
The Stuart Ridley Memorial Trophy for the best run of 100 or more Ewe Lambs consigned by a member of NEMSA went to W & CM Ridley of Shitlington Hall, described as serial recipients of the award.
The Shitlington Hall consignment comprised 177 ewe lambs and averaged £258.70. The flock’s top price of £360 broke last year’s record at the sale centre, with the winning second-prize pen bought by a new customer at the mart for a flock in Lancashire.
The Robson & Cowan Trophy for a pen of 25 lambs went to J Hunter & Sons of The Steel. The winning pen was also awarded the NEMSA Championship rosette and sold for £340 to returning customer JH & SM Mason of Keasden Head.
The full prize list for the main Mule competition placed M W & C M Ridley of Shitlington Hall second and J Browell & Sons of Quarry House third. The Quarry House family was among vendors bringing increased numbers to the sale; its leading pen made £250 and was bought by the judge.
Strong prices across breeds
J Hunter & Sons recorded the highest flock average among the leading consignors at £268.85 from 106 lambs. Shitlington Hall followed at £258.70 from 177, while W S Robson & Co of Yatesfield averaged £240 from 50.
Other listed flock averages included £226.50 for R English & Son of Brownleazes, £220 for E Thoburn & Son of Pitland Hills, £218 for G A & B B Ainslie of Linkshead and £214.98 for J Browell & Sons from 214 lambs.
In the wider Mule price list, North of England Mules reached £360 from Shitlington Hall and £340 from The Steel. Prices of £300 were recorded across several consignments, including Brown Leazes, Hole Farm, Great Chesters, Hotbank, Linkshead Farm, Quarry House, Shitlington Hall, The Steel, West Deanraw, Whiteside and Yatesfield.
The Texel cross section also saw increased entries and what the mart described as flying demand. J Stephenson & Son of West Mill Hills won the Texel x Ewe Lambs class, ahead of R Thornton & Sons of Cornhills and K Young & Son of Lamberton. Leading Texel prices included £310 and £255 at Cornhills, while Texel Cross reached £225 and £208 at West Mill Hills.
In the Blackface section, an increased entry was judged by Miss Charlotte Longlands of Rusheylaw. A & S Murray & Sons of West Deanraw won the class and later received the Gordon Swan Trophy, with G & S Paxton of Greenleighton taking both second and third places.
Sale supports air ambulance service
At the conclusion of the Mule sale, 11 lambs were brought forward for a fundraising auction. They sold for up to £300, with the proceeds going to the Great North Air Ambulance Service in memory of the late John Browell.
The mart thanked consignors who donated a lamb or the price of a lamb sold within their run, describing the contribution as a gesture of support for the cause and for Mr Browell’s memory.
Entries are now being sought for the second sale, scheduled for Thursday 17 September. Vendors can contact Drew Patrick on 07854361967 for entries and enquiries.