Both the top priced broken dog at 8100gns and a 1600gns pup went home in the same vehicle with shepherdesses and near neighbours from the Derbyshire High Peak District following the annual winter sale of working sheep dogs at Skipton.

Forking out the big bid was Rebecca Spooner from Turn Meadow, Chinley, Derbyshire, who went to 8100gns for a 15-month-old black and white bitch she bred, before selling it as a pup to Welshman Dewi Jenkins, Tynygraig Farm, Tal-y-bont, Aberystwyth.

High Peak Gem is by Rebecca's own Benny, whose own father was a full brother to the top trials dog, Seth, from Co Donegal's James McGee, out of Bedlwyn Nell – a grand-daughter of Dewi Tweed. Rebecca, who runs High Peak Sheep Dogs, and also runs a flock of pure Swaledales, retained other dogs from the same litter as Gem.

Also heading in the same vehicle to Derbyshire, Caroline Hamilton, who farms commercial Lonk sheep ‘just over the hill’ in Chisworth, went to 1600gns to claim Ann, a 12-week-old black and white pup from 18-year-old Shaun Procter, who farms sheep and cattle with his father Trevor at Great Musgrave, Kirkby Stephen in Cumbria.

Ann, is a daughter of another Ann, which set a former Skipton record pup price of 1850gns when bought out of the pup pen as a six-month-old in July, 2015 from Welsh handler and triallist Kevin Evans. She is by Derwen Doug, and goes back to the record priced Cap, sold here in 2016 for 14,100gns.

On the other side of the equation, Mr Proctor bought the second top priced lot at 3800gns from North Wales handler, A Jones, Mold. This was Nell, a 25-month-old red and white bitch originally bought out of the pup pen here. She is by Storm and bred from Staffordshire breeder Peter Hallam’s Gem.

Next highest disclosed price was 3300gns paid by Walter and Valerie Leith, Grange, Keith, who went to this money for Meg, an 18-month-old black and white bitch, from North Wales sheep farmer and dog trainer Sion Jones, of Cefn Eithin Sheep Dogs in Corwen. She is by Mr Jones' own Llangwn Rex and out of Arthur Hughes’ Nel.

Also selling at 3300gns was the four-year-old black and white bitch, Glant Gweno, from Idwal Glant Griffiths, of Geryllan, Aberystwyth. Full sister to John Elliott’s Glant Roy, with breeding lines to both Michael Gallagher’s Cap and Kevin Evans’ Jeff, she joined J Uys in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

Sue, a fully trained April 2015-born black and white bitch, from Ben Moore, of Newton-le-Willows, made 3150gns, selling to Scottish buyer, Paulo Berardeli, Spean Bridge. She is a daughter of Littledale-based Ricky Hutchinson’s celebrated International reserve supreme, Sweep and out of DR Harrison’s Highfield Meg.

Another solid turnout of 129 dogs, comprising 60 broken entries and 28 unbroken dogs, saw broken registered dogs sell to 3200gns to average £1821 and broken registered bitches to 8100gns to level at £2661. Broken unregistered dogs peaked at 650gns and broken unregistered bitches to 1900gns to cash in at £1103.

The unbroken registered section saw dogs and bitches sell to 900gns and 1600gns, to average £519 and £659, respectively with unregistered dogs and bitches to 400gns (£173), and 450gns (£315).