Two new world record prices for young dogs were set at Skipton Auction Mart’s first virtual online sale, with a dog under a year old selling for a staggering £12,000 and an unbroken five-month-old pup making £2350.

The first record-breaker and second top priced overall lot was a fully home-bred black and white bitch from Welshman, Dewi Jenkins, Tal-y-bont, Ceredigion. His Tynygraig Jet, a 10-month-old bitch, surpassed the previous centre record of £7035 paid for a dog under 12-months of age.

A daughter of Mr Jenkins’ Kemi Taff, which made £7980 at Bala, last October, Jet is out of Fly, a full sister to his main stud dog, Jock, which has been responsible for several other high price dogs. Jock is also the dog Mr Jenkins will be represented with at next year’s rearranged World Sheep Dog Trials, at Castle Howard Estate, near York.

Jet’s buyer was Philip Wood, who farms some 2700 acres in partnership with his younger brother, Michael, at Kinnerton Hall Farm, on the Welsh borders, south of Shrewsbury. Jet will be used as a work dog on a mixed flock of up to 4000 breeding ewes.

The two-day virtual timed online sale then saw Jim, a five-month-old black and white pup from Irishman, Donal Mullaney, of Letterkenny, Co Donegal, sell for £2350, breaking the previous best of £2100 paid for an eight-month-old in 2017.

Jim is sired by fellow Irishman Martin Feeney’s trials dog, Jack, a multiple open winner, out of Mr Mullaney’s own Queen, herself a daughter of another Irish breeder Pat Byrne’s Lad. The pup was purchased by Stirling’s Jack Shaw on behalf of fellow shepherd, Kenneth Woods, of Witches Craig.

Both work as shepherds at Dumyat Farm in the Ochil Hills, though Mr Woods, having turned 60, said he was looking forward to resuming trialling with Jim.

Sale leader, at £12,550, was Eve, one of two well-bred fully broken bitches from Welsh handler and trialist, Kevin Evans, who is based at Modrydd, Brecon, in Powys.

His 18-month-old Eve is by Mr Evans’ own Derwen Doug, a European Nursery champion and dual Welsh and International brace champion. She is out of fellow Welsh breeder Andrew Green’s Preseli Queen, a full sister to Preseli Ci, twice International supreme champion in the hands of Mr Evans in 2016 and 2018.

Final bidder was Carol Mellin, buying on behalf of her partner Colin Townson, who farms above Oakworth, in West Yorkshire.

Mr Evans also got £10,200 for the two-year-old Kemi Floss. Fully home-bred, she is by Mr Evans’ Hybeck Blake, a supreme champion, out of his own Knockmaa Bec, herself an International brace champion.

Floss was bought by American bidder, Dr Karen Thompson, a retired theologian from New Kent County in Virginia, who has been working, training, and breeding Border Collies for more than 38 years.

The Skipton sale attracted an entry of 47 working sheep dogs – 36 fully broken, six part-broken and five unbroken dogs.

The 22 dogs offered on the opening day saw others sell to £5200 for Don, a two-year-old fully trained black and white dog from Dyfed Davies, Sir Benfro, in Pembrokeshire. By JK Davies’ Roy, out of AI Rofe’s Maze, Don returned to Wales with John Tudor-Edwards, of Llantysilio, near Llangollen, in Clwyd.

Day two comprised 25 working dogs from Ireland which sold to £5050 for the two-year-old black and white bitch, Meg, from Tom Daly, of Castlederg in Co Tyrone.

By Simon Cottrell’s Jim, a grandson of Belgian trialling legend Serge van der Sveep’s Gary, out of Mr Daly’s own Ash, he joins fellow Co Tyrone handler Kevin McAleer, in Carrickmore, near Omagh.

Another two dogs made £5000. First was lot No 1, Foxridge Bet (Lace) a November, 2017-born tri-coloured bitch from David Murray, of North Roe, Shetland. One of three Scottish entries, the daughter of Kevin Evans’ Ace, out of DW Edwards’ Tanhill Lilly, found a new home in Wales with Cardiff’s Robert Lewis.

Matching that was the 12-month-old black, white and mottled Welsh bitch, Sian, from Dewi Jones, Abergele, Conwy. By DT Edwards’ Ben, a full brother to Howells Nip, out of HL Pritchard’s Glan y Gors Gail – the dam’s line goes back to Michael Gallagher’s Cap and Richard Millichap’s Ben – Sian was bought by Simon Armstrong in Penrith.

Just behind, on £4950, was Spot, a 14-month-old black and white dog from L McKee, of Derryogue Sheepdogs, in Kilkeel, Co Down, which sold to Sligo’s Martin Feeney, Ireland. Spot is by Mac and out of Mo, both from H McKee.

A total of 37 dogs were sold with six part-trained dogs under 12 months averaging £1416 (excludes Dewi Jenkins record price), 12 dogs 12-24 months, £4220 and 18 dogs 24 months plus levelled at £3000.

Auctioneers: CCM Auctions