Irish trainer Willie Torrens with his top price Skipton sale dog Jed.

SHEEP dogs sold for up to A$10,000 in the latest Skipton Auction Mart Summer sale in the United Kingdom last month.

Moule Media principal Robin Moule said all but two of a select entry of fully broken working sheep dogs sold at the sale on 27 July, with a top price of 5100gns (£5355 or A$10,370).

The top price was paid for a rising two year-old red and white collie dog, Jed, from Northern Ireland trainer Willie Torrens, of Killen, Castlederg in County Tyrone, by a Scottish Borders who requested anonymity.

Jed is by another Jed, from Andrew Procter in Great Musgrave, Kirkby Stephen, acquired for £6,900 at a timed online Skipton sale in 2020. The top price performer’s dam is a daughter of Tyngraig Queen, another red and white bitch sold online at Skipton in 2021 for £15,200 by leading Ceredigon breeder and triallist Dewi Jenkins, of Talybont, Aberystwyth.

Jed was bought privately five months before the sale, has performed on the Skipton trials field and has the potential to make a first-class nursery dog.

Mr Torrens also made 1800gns with Jill, a recently broken March, 2021, black and white bitch, by DTA Williams’ Kemi Doc, out of the same breeder’s Eryri Jill, which also joined the unnamed Scottish Borders buyer. The Irish handler was also in action in the unbroken pen, claiming 800gns with his 4.5 month-old black and white dog, Duke, a son of top Welsh handler and trialist Kevin Evan’s German import, red Spot, out of a daughter of the same handler’s European Nursery Champion and dual Welsh and International Brace Champion Derwen Doug. Duke goes to Pendle with Wycoller’s Mick Harker.

A further red and white dog, this time a bitch, became the first 4000gns sale for another venue regular, Tony Birkett, of Carnforth. His two-year-old Lady is a litter sister to another dog sold by the Lancastrian handler and also making 4000gns at the previous live Skipton sale this May. Like her sibling, she is also by Kevin Evans’ red Spot, out of Tony’s own Ruby, herself a daughter of Ricky Hutchinson’s 2015 Reserve Supreme Champion, Sweep. Lady also went to the unnamed Scottish Borders buyer.

The second 4000gns price fell to Craig Kempson, from Waterfoot in Rossendale, with his aptly named 18 month-old red and white dog, Red, by Don, from Richard Saxon, of Leek, out of Jonathan Shorrock’s Pip, bred in nearby Burnley. She sold on the field to regular North Wales buyer John Roberts, of Betws-y-Coed, Conwy. Himself an accomplished trialist, Craig, is due to compete in this year’s forthcoming English National Trial with another trials-winning dog, Flo.

Craven Cattle Mart’s general manager and auctioneer Jeremy Eaton said the consistent quality of the dogs, the sheep and the trade seemed to meet positive comment from everyone.

“A good crowd from all over the UK and Ireland despite the small entry underlined the fact that there is a move on the part of some buyers to be at the field side to see a dog run and confirm or otherwise their conclusions drawn from the pre-sale videos. Meanwhile, plenty of dogs also sold to online bidders who watched the sale realtime.”

Click here to read the full Moue Media sale report.