Welsh shepherd, John Griffiths, near Brecon in Powys, sold the top price working sheep dog to 9000gns at CCM Skipton's Autumn highlight sale.

The three-year-old fully broken black and white bitch, Oaktree Dot, christened Ellie, is by Tanhill Alex, bred in Cumbria by Alec Baines, a dog that finished third in the 2017 International supreme trial in the hands of fellow Welsh handler Nigel Watkins, out of Thornbury Meg, whose own sire was Kevin Evans’ ‘old’ Spot, a multiple winner for the Welsh trialling legend. Ellie was bred in mid-Wales by Glyn Davies, and now found a new home with Duncan Hawley, of Henley-in-Arden.

Read more: North of England auction mart fit for the future

A total of clearance was achieved for the 33 dogs sold, with a joint second top call of 4300gns achieved, firstly for the two-year-old black and white bitch, Miss from Colin Birkett, of Carnforth. She is by Malcolm Cottam’s Irtlands Rex, out of Nip, and sold to Cheshire buyer Edward Simms, of Northwich.

On the same money was the rising two-year-old black, white and mottled dog, Jim, from Brynley Williams, of Holywell in Flintshire, which joined Frank Hickson in Jedbergh.

Prices for part-broken dogs peaked at 2400gns for Copperthorns Gem, an eight-month-old black and white bitch sold in the pup pen for Paul Bouch, Kirkoswald, Cumbria, Lower Eden Valley. By Liddledale-based Ricky Hutchinson’s Jonah, one of the Brace champions at this year’s recent International Sheep Dog Society (ISDS) Trials, Gem is out of a solid farm dog, Kim. She found a new home in Holmrook, Cumbria, with the Harrison family.

Back with the fully broken dogs, two made 4000gns, the first from another Welsh regular, Emrys Jones, of Tal y Bont in Gwynedd, with his two-year-old black and white dog, Venn Tweed, by Kevin Evans’ Derwen Doug, a European Nursery Champion and dual Welsh and International Brace Champion. Out of JD Mills’ Flax, the dog travelled to Hope in Derbyshire’s High Peaks with Frank Marrison.

Read more: CCM Auctions, sold store and breeding cattle to a top of £3100

The same money was paid for Fly, a two-year-old black and white bitch from Scottish traveller Tommy McPhee, of Reiss, near John O’Groats. With solid breeding going back to Bobby Dalziel’s Spot, Ricky Hutchinson’s Sweep and Murray McTier’s Ben, Fly flew north-east with Guisborough’s Richard Bostock.

Farn, a young black and white bitch achieved 3700gns for Arran Games, of Talgarth in Powys. This one-year-old is by Twm, from Northern Ireland's Alastair Lyttle, of Pettigo, County Donegal, a dog that ran in the supreme final, and sold to an undisclosed buyer.