A working Border Collie has sold for a world record price of £19,451, at an on-line sale conducted by Farmers Mart, Dolgellau.

Elan Valley Sally from Brecon producer, David Evans, Penclyn Farm, initially sold for £18,525, which complete with the buyer's premium amounted to £19,451 – more than £500 higher than the previous record paid last year at a Skipton Working Dog sale, for Emma Gray's Megan, which made 18,000gns or £18,900.

Sally, a 19-month-old bitch, was bred by Dean Addison of Pen y Garreg, Rhayader, and is sired by David Evans' son, Kevin's Derwen Doug. She sold to an undisclosed Scottish buyer.

Mr Evans also received £11,025 for the 25-month-old bitch, Non, having bought her from her breeder JE Mumford, Neath.

Second top price was £12,900 paid for D Jenkins' Tynygraig Mal, from Ceredigion, which sold to an undisclosed buyer from Ireland. Mal won six county nursery trials last winter.

Next best was £8050 paid for SC Jones' Cefneithin Gwen, from Cefin Eithin, Corwen.

Two sold for £6650 to include Will from T O’Sullivan, Glebe, County Kerry and D Lambie, Ystrad Bach, Llangwm, received the same money for Corrie.

Other top sellers included Eryri Mali which made £5050 for H Jones, Llwynsarn, Rhydymain and Llangwm Craig, realised £5025, for A Owen, Penyfed, Corwen.

Strong demand for working dogs ensured huge overseas interest with a handful of the entries heading to Ireland, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Canada and the USA.

The farmersmarts.auctionmarts.com website provided a platform for each sheepdog which included photos, videos, remarks and details of their breeding. The sale attracted an entry of 51 trained sheepdogs, 28 partly trained sheepdogs and six pups, which concluded with 15 lots selling for more than £4000 with 75 out of the 86 lots finding new homes to give an 86% clearance. Trained sheepdogs levelled at £4187 to give an overall sale average of £3105.

Rhys Davies, chief executive of Farmers Marts said: “The results of the sale are testament to the quality of sheepdogs bred and trained here in the UK and in Ireland.”

The farmersmarts.auctionmarts.com website provided a platform for each sheepdog which included photos, videos, remarks and details of their breeding.

Sarah Williams, chartered surveyor, who orchestrated the auction: “We had anticipated high prices due to the quality of the sheepdogs entered and the volume of interest in the sale. I was contacted by potential purchasers from all over the world, even so, we never imagined that it would be such an outstanding success!”