averages: 27 registered dogs, £2443; 21 registered bitches, £2478; four unregistered dogs, £1614.

IRISH entries proved the star attraction at CCM Auctions' annual autumn sale of working sheep dogs at Skipton, last week, when the four lead priced dogs were sold by breeders from Ireland, with the majority of those prices paid by Scottish buyers.

Sale leader at 7000gns and achieving a personal best for Country Antrim's Daniel McAllister, who keeps a few sheep at home near Cargan but has several wins at trials under his belt, was Torr, a 13-month-old slate and white dog by Tweedale Buzz, bred by another well-known Scottish breeder, Dean Aitken from Lockerbie. Acquired last October from Alan Frame, Mid Quarter, Hamilton, Lanarkshire, Torr heads back to the district with Mr Fleming, who will use him on his flock of 3000 Blackface ewes and as a trails dog.

Next best at 4600gns was a 16-month-old black and white bitch, Glan y Gors Erin from Irish breeders, Brian White and Aoife Smith, Naul, Co Dublin. Having sold their dearest dog at 9200gns here last year, this year's top was bought privately at 11-weeks-old from Welsh breeder, Ian Carroll. Bred out of his quality bitch, Nell, and by the well-known Sid, a dog bred in Co Donegal by former World Sheep Dog Trials champion, James McGee of Glencregg Sheepdogs in Crreggan, Ballybofey, she heads to work with Welsh handler and trialist, Nigel Watkins of Panthowell, Llanoldewsant, Llangadog.

Kieran McFadden from Derryreel in Co Donegal, sold his 16-month-old dog, Duke, for 4500gns to hill sheep farmer Ian Lockhart, Dalrymple, Ayrshire. This tri-coloured dog is bred out of his own Open trial-winning bitch Nell and by fellow breeder James McCloskey's Open and International trials-winning dog, Sweep.

Joe McRoberts of Cheviot Sheepdogs at Fingland, near Biggar, forked out 3900gns for Michael McAlister's one-year-old dog, Ross, bred exactly the same way as the sale leader. Mr McAlister who hails from Glenariffe, Co Antrim, also received 2200gns from Ireland's John Kinney for his brown, white and mottled, Nell, a home-bred, 11-month-old bitch.

Local breeder and handler, Beverley Fort of Brighton House Farm, Steeton, sold her nine-month-old black and white dog, Bill, for 3300gns – the highest price dog under 12-months-old. By Northumberland shepherdess' Emma Gray's 2016 Nursery champion, Tweedale Jamie, he sold to Red Rose trailing legend, Jim Cropper from Bacup.

A second Sweep grandson from Beverley, this time a 14-month-old black and white named Max, made 2900gns when bought by Sharon Baxter of Marshall Walker Farms, Maud, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

Making 3100gns was another Sweep grandson, Moss, from Welsh handler and trialist Brynley Williams of Ysceifiog, near Holywell in Flintshire. This one also found a new home north of the border with Norman McEwan of Glenesk, Brechin.

Welshman Kevin Evans of Penclyn Farm, Modrydd, Brecon, Powys, sold North Hill Swift, a September 2015-born black and white bitch by Tanhill Glen, out of R Lewis' Swift, for 3000gns to Chris Fawbert, Masham.

Two dogs, all from Wales, made 3000gns apiece. First at that price was a December 2015-born black and white bitch, Heather Hill Flash from Ross Games, of Talgarth in Powys. Trained to a good nursery standard, she sold to Norman McEwan. The other at that price was Holystone Kate, a January 2017-born black and white bitch from Barry Hopwood of Mold. Fully home-bred by Chris Watmore, of the Holystone Estate, near Rothbury in Northumberland, Kate was purchased by A Wilkie from Kirriemuir, Angus.

A top call of 1600gns in the unbroken pen fell to West Yorkshire handler, Harry Griffiths from Birstall, Batley. This was for his five-month-old black and white dog, Smithymoor Nip by Kevin Evans' Derwen Doug, the 2018 European Nursery champion, out of Mr Griffiths’ own Wainstalls Gem, bred in Calderdale. He sold down to Devon with Terry ‘Jim’ Nicholls and his wife Judith, who farm at Buckland Brewer, near Bideford.

In all, overall averages saw broken registered dogs average £2458 and unregistered broken dogs level at £1838. The unbroken registered dogs cashed in at £560, while unbroken registered bitches averaged £799.