A SCOTTISH buyer secured the top price dog at the sale of working sheep dogs at Skipton Auction Mart, when Jock Sutherland forked out 9500gns to take Michael Gallagher’s Flo home to Durness, in Sutherland. 
The sale was the most successful yet at the centre, recording a record turnover and an all-time record average for broken registered dogs and bitches of £2694. It it was the sole dog on offer from Michael, a trialist based near Armoy, Co Antrim, in Northern Ireland, that led the trade. 
The 20-month-old bitch is by Ricky Hutchinson’s Sweep, an international reserve supreme champion that has bred multiple trial winners, while the dam, Chris McNaughton’s Mist, is also backed by winning genetics and bred Val, a finalist at the World sheep dog trials as a two-year-old for Mr Gallagher. 
Trained to nursery standard, Flo will go to work on Jock’s flock of North Country Cheviots at Sangormore. 
Next highest disclosed price was 5400gns, which was paid on three occasions. 
The first was Simon Wayman’s Moel Dan, a two-year-old dog from Tonteg, Pontypridd. Described as ‘almost human’ by Simon, who was selling the dog on behalf of his son, Harry, he sold to Ceri Rundle, a trialist who was the first lady to qualify for the Welsh national team and bred his dam, Glan y Gors Jen. 
Mr Wayman also sold a home-bred 12-month-old, Page, for 2900gns to J Mitchell and Son, Newton Stewart. 
Also hitting 5400gns was Meg, a promising two-year-old bitch from Scottish consignor, Dean Aitken, of Uppercleugh, Lockerbie. Meg’s breeding includes John Lightfoot’s Cap on to Tom Riley’s Tweeddale Belle, which was bought from Mr Aitken as a pup. She sold back to Scotland with Malcolm Forster. 
Another by Ricky Hutchinson’s Sweep, the 20-month-old Jet, from Brian White and Aoife Smith, Co Dublin, was the last to sell for 5400gns. Out of the breeders’ own Malta Gwen, Jet goes to work with Glyn Gascoigne, Weardale, on Swaledale and Mule flocks. 
Brian White brought in a further 4000gns for  the 18-month-old dog, Malta Mac. He sold back to his breeders, the Thom family, Cookstown, Co Tyrone, and is by Malta Chip and out of Meg. 
Jean Howes, of Redgate Lodge, Weardale, had a good day selling, with a top of 4200gns paid by BM Baker, Bolton, for three-year-old Herdsman Sally, which is out of Ms Howes’ own Redgate Nell. 
The top youngster at 4100gns was Shaun Richards’ yearling, Jess, from Pen-y-Borough Sheepdogs, Eldroth. By Kevin Evans’ runner-up at the world trial, Derwen Doug, and out of Trevor Morgan’s Molly, she sold to a home in the Austrian Alps with Robert Eder. 
Two from Colm Doherty, from Tirbracken, Londonderry, were in the money with his top disclosed price of 4000gns also selling to Scotland, to Kevin MacKinnon, farm manager of Luss Estate, Argyll. Sired by James McGee’s Sid and out of Padraig Doherty’s Queen, four-year-old Roy finished third in the North of Ireland nursery final. 
From 120 dogs, the broken section saw 29 registered dogs average £2157, with bitches at £3294. In the unbroken section, 15 registered dogs levelled at £439 with 10 bitches at £736 – four unregistered dogs averaged £205.