One of the most successful working sheep dog sales at Skipton Auction Mart produced a record autumn catalogued entry of 163, a top price of 7600gns, and a best ever average of £2910 for broken registered dogs.

The sale also witnessed the second highest price to date in the unbroken pen at 2450gns along with a brace of 6000gns plus sales and eight at 4000gns or more.

In addition,15 dogs sold up to 1500gns with six selling at 1500gns-2000gns, a further 18 at 2000-3000gns, and nine others up to 4000gns.

Top dog on price at 7600gns was Ross Games' black and white dog Bill, from Talgarth in southern Powys, which sold up to a sheep farm in the Scottish Highlands. His fully home-bred August, 2018-born dog is by Caefelin Clem, acquired from fellow Welsh breeder Maxy Edwards, and out of Nel, bred by Mr Games’ father, Danny.

National Hunt jockey Michael McAlister, Glenariffe, Co Antrim, also secured a personal best, selling his March 2018-born tri-coloured dog, Nap for 6800gns. He was acquired unbroken eight months ago from fellow Irish handler Jake Hamilton and is by Brendan McAllister’s much-acclaimed Spot, out of Eamon McAuley’s Jill. Nap has since won an intermediate trial in Ireland and finished in the top five in both his nursery trials. He returned to Ireland and Co Londonderry with Limvady’s Wilton Goligher, who was also represented on the trials field with the four-year-old tri-coloured dog, Gyp, a son of James McGee’s famous Seth (Sid), which made 3100gns when claimed by Co Tyrone’s Aidan Ward.

Welsh handler, Dewi Jenkins, of Tal-y-bont, Aberystwyth, sold a brace for a combined 11,100gns. Best at 6500gns was his 18-month-old red and white bitch, Graylees Dollar, bred in Northumberland by Bellingham-based Michelle Anderson’s Red, out of near neighbour, Emma Gray’s Glan y Gors Peg. Full sister to Mr Jenkins' 8500gns dog sold here in May, Dollar headed home to the Scottish Borders with Frank Hickson, Jedburgh.

The remainder of the brace made 4600gns for the Welsh handler, selling to Kim Barker, a phone bidder from Pennsylvania in the US. This was paid for the 14-month-old black, white and mottled dog, Tynygraig Mac, the first to be sold by Mr Jenkins’ new main stud dog, Jock, bred in Mid-Wales by Martha Morgan, from a litter out of his own Malta Jess

Another Welsh handler selling a brace for a combined 9000gns was Brynley Williams, of Holywell in Flintshire. Doing best at 4900gns was his May, 2018-born black and white dog, Foxbridge Dale, by Ace, out of DW Edwards Tanhill Lilly. Dale was claimed by Seamus Gormley, of Kilcreen Sheep Dog Centre in Claudy, Co Derry.

Earlier, Mr Williams achieved 4100gns with his similarly aged black, white and mottled bitch, Madog Nel, by Gary Lewis’s Sam, out of C Pritchard’s Groesfaen Fern. It caught the eye of Kevin Evans, Modrydd, Brecon in Powys, who also went to 4400gns for Nell, a November 2017-born black and white bitch from Irishman Willie Torrens, of Killen, Castlederg. Fully home-bred in Ireland by Pat Byrne’s Moss, Nell is out of Gem – the grand-daughter of Ricky Hutchinson’s legendary trials dog, Sweep.

Another flying the flag for Ireland, John Kinney, Ballycastle, sold his July 2018-born tri and mottled dog, Shilo, for 4600gns, to J Thompson, Thornhill, Dumfries. He is by DR Wood’s Blue, out of AJ McKeegan’s Meg.

Mr Thompson also went to 3600gns for the five-year-old tri-coloured bitch, Nell, from Colm Doherty, of Tromaty in Co Donegal.

Skipton regular Emrys Jones, of Tal y Bont, Gwynedd, had a rewarding day, first claiming 4100gns with a field-run bitch and later selling one of her sons for the second highest Skipton price in the unbroken pen of 2450gns – just 50gns short of the centre record price established in 2017.

His broken dog was the September, 2017-born Tam, by Martin Evans’ Mac, out of Skipton regular, Penant Williams’ Bet.

Tam returned to Mid-Wales with Aled Bebb, of Llwydiarth, in Powys, while the unbroken five-month-old, Sarn Faen Spot, found a new home in Dumfriesshire with Colin Armstrong, shepherd manager on the Archbank Farm Estate in Moffat, and will work on Cheviot ewes.

Scottish handler and leading trialist, Jock McMillan, Carse of Clary, Newton Stewart, was another in the money, selling his three-year-old black and white dog, Straid Zac, for 4000gns. He is by Mr McMillan's own trials-winning dog, Lamp, out of Straid Gypsy, bred by fellow Scotsman Dave Young, from New Cumnock. Zac sold to North Wales buyer John Roberts, purchasing on behalf of a fellow Welshman.

Matching that price was the three-year-old bitch, Ruby, from Willie Bell, from Foulridge. She is by D Henderson’s Burndale Brad, out of S Atkinson’s Upland Gem and found a new home in the Lake District with Keswick’s G Fearon.

A good clearance rate of the 141 dogs forward saw 58 field-run entries and 39 in the unbroken pen change hands. Broken registered dogs averaged £2910 and broken registered bitches levelled at £2798.

The unbroken pen saw registered dogs cash in at £707 with bitches at £623.