For the second year in succession, an entry from the Swinbank family’s Cold Comfort Farm secured the overall championship at Darlington Auction Mart’s show and sale of 568 suckled calves and store cattle.

The February-born Limousin cross calf by Barrons Scirocco later sold for the top price of £1750, while the reserve a January-born British Blue by Solway View Lenny from the Stones, Nun Cote Nook, made £1690.

Averages improved in all sections with young bulls cashing in at £960 (+£156 on the year for 31 more sold). Top price here was £1590 paid for a Beef Shorthorn from Northumberland-based ME and TD Tailford.

The Northern Farmer: Champion calf from the Swinbank family topped the sale at £1750

Steers and heifers also improved to level at £1146 (£117 for four less) and £985 (+£65 for 97 fewer) respectively. The top 30 calves under 12 months of age all sold for more than £1400 with six of the lead seven prices found amongst the prize winners.

The lead priced heifer, a Limousin from RA and S Wearmouth, Middletown Farm sold for £1430.

Some of the best runs of calves attracted the best averages with the Swinbanks selling 39 to level at £1350, while the Stones from Nun Cote Nook sold 20 calves to average £1321.

The Northern Farmer: Reserve from Nun Cote Nook made £1690

LEADING awards

Heifer calves – Lim – 1, JN Swinbank, Cold Comfort Farm, £1300; 2, MJ Marley, Holywell Farm, £1210; 3, RA and SL Wearmouth, Middletown Farm£1430.

BB – 1, T and C Smith, Thorsgill Farm, £1320.

Steer calves – Lim – 1, JN Swinbank, Cold Comfort Farm, £1750; 2, RA and SL Wearmouth, Middletown, £1600; 3, T and C Smith, Thorsgill Farm, £1510

BB – 1, 2 and 3, KO Stones, Nun Cote Nook, £1690, £1570 and £1580

Any other breed – 1, MJ Marley, Holywell Farm, £1200

Bull calf – 1, RJ and R Greenbank, Foster Flatts, £1190; 2, E Scott and Sons, Middridge Grange, £1180; 3, TH Richardson and Sons, High Moor Hill£1450.

LEADING prices

Stirks – £620 (x2) A W Sanderson; £620, £575, £520 Dowson Bros.

Young bulls – £1590, £1480, ME and TD Tailford; £1450, £1130, TH Richardson and Sons; £1400, £1280, £1190, £1155(x2), £1140(x2), £1100 RJ and R Greenbank; £1390 Rachel Valks; £1380 Messrs Grix; £1265, £1175, £1170, £1120 SG Horn; £1230 (x2), £1190, £1105( x2), £1095 (x2) P Foster; £1200 (x2), £1180(x3) E Scott and Sons; £1200 G Calvert and Sons; £1195 £1105(x2) J A & U M Fawcett; £1170 Duell Partners; £1090 (x5) Allison Devereux Farms.

Steer calves – £1750, £1510, £1500, £1490, £1480, £1460 (x2), £1440 (x3), £1410 (x2), £1400, £1350 (x4), £1330 (x2), £1310, £1300 JN Swinbank; £1690 £1580, £1570, £1550, £1500 (x3), £1430 (x2), £1400 (x2), £1390 (x2) KO Stones; £1600 RA and SL Wearmouth; £1510 T and C Smith; £1500 MJ Marley; £1490, £1360 GW Dent; £1400 (x2) Northfield Farms; £1400, £1380 £1320 JC Thwaite and Son; £1360(x3) BH and S Hodgson; £1350 WA Wardman Ltd; £1300 GH and RG Stobbs; £1300 J Fletcher.

Heifer calves – £1430, £1170 RA and SL Wearmouth; £1370, £1170 (x2) WA Wardman Ltd; £1360 GH and RG Stobbs; £1340, £1200 Northfield Farms; £1320 T and C Smith; £1320 (x2), £1300(x3), £1260 (x2), £1240, £1230 (x2), £1220, £1180 JN Swinbank; £1300 DG and PD Ayre; £1300 (x2) BH and S Hodgson; £1295 G Calvert and Sons; £1250 (x4) Wilkinson and Son; £1210 (x3) MJ Marley; £1200 T Walton; £1170 T and R Quinn; £1170 GW Dent.