Middery Nip sells for £9000 at Skipton working sheepdog sale

Mr Evans, of Llwynfedwen, near Brecon, topped the sale with the rising two-year-old grey, white and tan dog, Middery Nip, bred by Perthshire’s Carl-Magnus – or Mosse – Magnusson and his wife Lotta, a Swedish-born couple both renowned in the sheep dog trialling world.

Nip was acquired by Mr Evans as a pup because of his breeding. He is by Mr Magnusson’s Don, whose own sire was the prolific Welshman’s Derwen Doug, a European Nursery champion and dual Welsh and International Brace champion. The mother is Mrs Magnusson’s Ruby, by another top-notch Evans dog, Tanhill Glen, a former European Nursery and Royal Welsh champion

Fully trained at home by Mr Evans, Nip attracted avid online interest and multiple bids, before falling for £9000 to an unnamed overseas buyer from Switzerland.
Mr Evans sold three dogs online, netting a total of £17,800. Next best at £5900 was Caz, a fully trained February, 2020-born black and white bitch by fellow Ross Games’ top trials dog, Roy. She is out of Caerphilly-based Lee Bowden’s Mainstay Cria, and sold to north-west Germany with Frauke Spengler, of Niedersachsen, or Lower Saxony.
Galashiels-based Sion Morgan, sold the second top priced entry, Mainstay Bell, at £7500 to Liam Broster, of Brosters Farm Shop, Linley Moor, Huddersfield. The breeding behind this young black and white bitch, includes R Laurie’s Grosfaen Nap, bred from Mr Morgan’s own Jess, a grand-daughter of Tanhill Glen. 

North Wales trainer Sion Jones, of Cefn Eithin Sheep Dogs, Corwen, sold two part-broken nursery prospects for a combined £11,400.

Dearest at £6400 was the 10-month-old Tanhill Glen black and white daughter, Cefneithin Gypsy, out of Mr Jones’ own solid work bitch Freebirch Mist. She travels to Lancashire with Philip Martindale, of Blackrod, Bolton.

Sutherland-based Neil Sutherland, then went to £5000 for Mr Jones’ 10-month-old black and white dog, Cefneithin Spot, a son of Kevin Evans’ Red Spot, out of another farm work bitch, Bodtegir Jan. 

Pups sold to £2600 for a two-week entry from Welsh handler, David Bevan, Builth Wells. This  silver grey bitch, aptly named Silver, boasted some first-rate genetics, being one of a litter of five pups by Ross Games’ Caefelin Clem, which produced the world’s highest priced £27,000 sheepdog, and a full sister to Kevin Evans’ Pink – the 2019-born tan and white bitch that made £14,300 here last year. Father and son dairy and pig farmers, Norman and Chris Bell in Cowling, were the final bidders who aim to breed from her in future.

Other broken dogs reached £5600 for Dan Purtill’s three-year-old black and white bitch, Sal, from Bolton. She is by Ross Games’ top trials dog, Roy and out of Aled Owen’s Welsh National and International supreme champion, Llangwm Cap. Sal heads to the Hambleton hills in North Yorkshire with Osmotherley’s Ashley Watson.
The first German dog sold at Skipton made £3500 to Alice Muir, Caithness. The near two-year-old fully broken Belway Ace, was offered by Hendrich Kienker, of Wolde, and is by his own Mick, out of B De Kerf’s Kemi Liz, Ace.

Ayrshire-based sheep farmers, J Blackwood and Sons, Maybole, went to £4600 for Eve, a fully broken September, 2020-born, black and white bitch from Willie Torrens, of Castlederg in Co Tyrone. Eve is out of Mr Torrens’ own Glencregg Jyp and by WJ Irwin’s Graylees Kori.

In an all Scottish transaction, Aberdeenshire’s George Simpson, Huntly, received £4100 for his September, 2019-born, tri-coloured bitch, Trish, a daughter of his own Elwy Jack, out of WG Davidson’s Mona. Trish finished third out of 32 in the Highland League Nursey and sold to Anne MacPherson, Daviot, Inverness.

Another heading north, Ayrshire’s Ian McFadzean, went to £3500 for Rock, a 22-month-old black and white dog from Welshman Andrew Green, of Bronwydd, Carmarthen, whose litter sister sold for £9800. He is also by Tanhill Glen.
Just behind, on £3000, Kenneth Wood, Stirling, bought, Joy an eight-month-old black and white bitch from Oliver Watson, of Millom, in Cumbria.