Jet soars to 8400gns top at Skipton Auction Mart’s working sheepdog sale

Jet, by Rob’s own Hendre Taff, fast developing into a top stud dog, out of Co Durham handler Frank Whitfield’s Heyshaw Molly, had a very successful nursery season, winning several trials and being placed on most occasions.

Rob, who runs a prize-winning 800-strong pedigree Swaledale sheep flock and also farms 35 Limousin-cross and British Blue-cross suckler cattle, was only selling dogs at Skipton for the third time, with Jet going to an undisclosed phone bidder north of the border.

Leading Welsh handler and trialist Dewi Jenkins, from Tynygraig, near Aberystwyth, who has held pole position on price on many occasions at Skipton at both live and online sales, had to settle for second top call when his sole home-bred entry, the March 2023-born black and white bitch, Gwydr Jill, out of Gwydr Lily, sired by his own 2016-born Clwyd Bob - himself from a fine line of champions and son of his stud dog and International Supreme Champion, Jock - was knocked down for 7400gns. She travels to Derbyshire with Gordon Birchenall, Hollow Shaw Farm, Chinley, where he keeps Herdwicks and Texel-crosses on an 18 acre smallholding.

There was international interest at the sale too when Robert Eder, a sheep farmer, restaurateur and Alpine adventure retreat owner - alongside his wife, Elisabeth - at Kohlschnait Mountain Inn, Gries im Pinzgau, Salzburg, Austria, flew over purposely to secure a dog for his flocks of Lleyn, Meatlinc and Stone sheep, the meat of which ends up in their restaurant, served alongside their own home-brewed beer.

Robert, attending the sale with his sons David and Philip, said it was his third visit to Skipton. The first one was to observe, the second some years back when he bought a bitch and on this occasion when he was seeking another quality dog.

He was the successful bidder at 3900gns for Sweep, an alert and sleek black, white and mottled February ‘23-born dog sold by Richard Holt, Great House Farm, Rossendale. Sweep has unquestionably excellent lineage, being sired by Dewi Jenkins’ aforementioned Jock and home-bred out of Fly, a daughter of top handler and trialist Kevin Evans’ dual European Nursery and Royal Welsh champion, Tanhill Glen, who has had a major impact on selling prices at the leading North Yorkshire venue in recent years.

There was further interest in the day's proceedings when sale-goers learned Channel Five TV cameras were following Hellifield’s Ellie Street, Hull House, as she expertly juggled putting her bitch and two dogs through their paces in the field while cradling 10-month-old son, Hendrix, in a baby sling.

Ellie and her partner, Ed Thornalley, have been in Hellifield for around five years, having located to the area from Suffolk. The cameras, as well as a discreet drone, closely followed all three of her sales to be shown on the channel’s ‘Our Great Yorkshire Life’ reality TV programme at a date to be determined.

Describing Ellie as a tremendous multi-tasker, CCM auctioneer Jeremy Eaton quickly had bidders competing for her two-year-old classy black white and tan bitch, Sugarhill Kate.

Home-bred out of Tilly by Vicky Ibbotson’s Gore Hill Chap, Kate - litter sister to Vicky’s multiple nursery trial winner, Moss - trained by Ellie herself, sold for the day’s fourth high price of 5200gns (£5460). She was bought by phone bidder Chris Purdham, Appleby.

Skipton regular Shaun Richards, Pen-y-Borough Sheep Dogs, Eldroth, had four charges forward, which all sold, with his tri-coloured bitch, Bella, securing the third highest price on the day at 5700gns. Bella, by Jaff, out of Flowerscar Jess, sold to Howard Kitching, Northallerton.

Five further entries made 4000gns and over. Craig Kempson, Cowpe Bottoms Farm, Rossendale, secured 4800gns for his November ‘22-born tri-coloured dog, Elstan Glen, which boasts multi-winnings at nursery trials and the Yorkshire Championship. He is by GRN Saxon’s Don, out of R Chadwick’s Brobar Gem. He went to an undisclosed buyer.

Shepherdess and trialist Janine Ashworth, Hurst Green Farm, Rossendale, arrived with her December ‘22-born bitch, Sally, another of her well-bred dogs by Kevin Evans’ Hendre Sam, a Welsh Nursery Champion and multiple Open trials trials winner who is line bred to dual European Nursery and Royal Welsh champion, Tanhill Glen. Out of C Settle’s Maggie, Sally sold for a very tidy 4600gns to a buyer in Scotland.

A brace of entries from Northern Ireland’s Gerard Moss, Lismulladuff, Co Donegal, also achieved over the four thousand mark. Ben, a black and white July 2023-born dog by the vendor’s own Zack, out of B Doherty’s Midge, went for 4200gns and his June 2022-born black and white bitch Jill, by A Wallace’s, Cap, out of K McLaughlin’s, Penny, sold for 4100gns. Respective purchasers were Co Durham’s Jean Howes and K Fawcett, Kirkby Stephen.

Jean Howes herself claimed 3500gns with Three Trees Dime, a 26-month-old almost fully trained black and white bitch bred by MF Doherty out of Glenshane Country Rose and sired by Prince. Dime goes to Aberystwyth, Wales, with Aled Davies.

Craig Kempson with his second entry of the day made 3000gns with the smart and stylish Brobar Rock, sired by Spot, another of Kevin Evans’ proteges, out of G Brierley’s Ruby. .

Prices and averages: Broken registered dogs from 500gns to 4800gns, average £2827, broken registered bitches from 2000gns to 8400gns, average £4862. Unbroken unregistered bitches to 950gns. Puppies: Registered dogs to 120gns, registered bitches to 50gns, unregistered dogs to 200gns