Larne-bred Fly flies to 7200gns top and Norway at CCM live working sheep dog sale

The five times ISDS International Supreme Champion, who last year added both the Welsh and Supreme Championships to his ever-growing tally, was one of the early runners on the trials field with Fly, fully home-bred in Northern Ireland by John Connolly, of Larne, Co Antrim, by Craig, out of Yellowhill Nella, herself a daughter of Littledale-based Ricky Hutchinson’s celebrated multiple trials-winning Sweep.

Often top of the shop on price at both live and online sales at the leading North Yorkshire venue, Kevin regularly sees his charges sell to overseas buyers and that was again the case when Fly fell to an online buyer and triallist from Norway.

From the same stable and boosting his day’s earnings to 11400gns was a second younger black and white fully home-bred dog, the October, 2023, Beacons Brodie, another well-bred son of the Welshman’s Swedish import, Middery Frank, an Open Trials winner, out of Foxridge Gail, herself a daughter of high-class stud dog Red Spot, a further Evans import, this time from Germany. Brodie heads north of the border at 4200gns after being claimed by Perth’s William Bell on behalf of his wife Kirsten to be utilised as a work dog on a flock of up to 1500 Texel sheep.

“He is settling in nicely,” noted Kirsten.

From the Isle of Man, Richard Crowe, who regularly buys and sells dogs at Skipton, excelled in the latter category when taking second top call of 5400gns, his highest-ever sale price, with 18-month-old tri-coloured bitch, Tanhill Jess, by Hendre Taff, from Cumbria’s Rob Hutchinson, out of Tanhill Wattie. One of the last of her breeding from Kirkby Stephen working sheep dog and trialling legend, the late Alec Baines, Jess headed to East Yorkshire with an unnamed buyer.

Richard boosted his day’s earnings to over 10000gns when selling another two fully broken dogs for a combined 5000gns. First up was the16-month-old black, white and brown Bruno, at 2400gns, bettered at 2600gns late in the sale by a June, 2023-born red and white dog, Gilfach-Y-Fran Joe.

Farming commercial beef and sheep, the Crowes host the annual Mannanan Sheep Dog Trials at their Kirk Michael farm, an event which has raised over £2000 for local charities over the four years they have been running it. Richard often enters dogs himself and won last year’s qualifier, with 15-year-old son Freddie now readily following in his father’s footsteps.

Back on the trials field, next best at 4600gns, top among the broken dogs, was Lancastrian John Huddleston, of Caton, with his four-year-old black and white Tiktok, described as “quite simply the best dog I have ever owned”.

He is by fellow Lancastrian Ricky Hutchinson's Jonah, another multiple trials-winning stud dog from the Red Rose handler, out of Cumbrian breeder Hannah Taylor’s Redgate Midge.

Tiktok, already placed in nursery and open trials and with eight open points to his name, clearly ticked all the right boxes when snapped up on the field by the Republic of Ireland’s Brian Casey, who had travelled over purposely from Upper Burncourt, a small village near Cahir in Co Tipperary, in the shadow of the Galtee Mountains.

He will work his new acquisition on sheep in those self-same mountains and, once the duo are better acquainted, he says he will relish the opportunity of having a crack at open trials with Tiktok. Brian is already an accomplished triallist of 45 years standing, having achieved multiple successes, representing the Irish National team and standing reserve champion in the International in Thurles back in the 1997.

Hitting 4000gns was local handler and on-field regular Roy Canning, from Keighley, with a 15-month-old tri and mottled dog, Mic. Work-ready and a ready nursery prospect, the Welsh purchasers were Ceredigion’s DT Owen and Sons. The same vendor also claimed 2200gns with an unregistered newly-trained 20-month-old black and white bitch, Bet.

From Kirklees, Jack Haigh, of Wholestone Sheep Dogs, Huddersfield, made 3100gns with his two-year-old tri and mottled bitch, Pentir Mave, by Wholestone Duke, said to be an outstanding work dog owned by wife Hannah, out of Pentir Jen, bred in North Wales by Glynne Jones and also mother to Wholestone Silk, a young pup that claimed £1500 second top in the unbroken pen at last November’s online-only sale at Skipton.Mave went to Wales with Ellis Rees, of Rhayader, Powys.

A quartet of field-run entries commanded 3000gns. First up was local North Craven handler Shaun Richards, of Pen-y-Borough Sheep Dogs, Eldroth, with his rising three-year-old Ty’r Banc Todd, by another leading Welsh handler and triallist, Dewi Jenkins’ top-notch stud dog Clwyd Bob, out of JH Jones’ Jot.

The Scottish buyers were WJHL Sloan and Co, of New Cumnock, Ayrshire. Shaun, who has sent out multiple top-priced runners since the inception of sheep dog sales at Skipton in 1996, also made 1800gns with an unregistered two-and-a-half-year-old fully broken black and white dog, Mac.

From Garstang, Henry Gorst proved advancing years are no barrier to performance on the trials field when also making 3000gns with his September, 2021, black and white dog, Dan, an accomplished and versatile all-rounder from two renowned breeders.

He is by Northumberland shepherdess and triallist Michelle Anderson’s Dunelle Harry, out of Elan Valley Jess, bred in mid-Wales by Powys mother and daughter hill farmers Tanya and Erinna Rogers. Dan, the first dog to be sold at Skipton by Mr Gorst, though he had bought there previously, went to Cumbria with Bampton’s Andrew Metcalfe.

Another 3000gns performer was the oldest entry on the day, a five-year-old tri-coloured bitch, Non, from Norfolk’s Graham Baldry, of Hillington, also a well-known sheep dog trials organiser.

Non is related to not one, but two former World Sheep Dog Trials champions, being a direct daughter of Netherlands-based Serge Van Der Sweep's Gary, with back breeding on the dam’s side to Seth, from Co Donegal’s James McGee. She sold online and heads to the Hebridean Islands and the community-owned Isle of Gigha to join Rhona McDonald.

Completing the 3000gns sales was another working sheep dog stalwart Alf Kyme, from Stacksteads, Rossendale, with his rising three-year-old black and white dog, Jaff, who found a new home near Middlesbrough with M Hodgson, of Chopgate.

Also from Rossendale, venue regular Janine Ashworth, who runs Valley View Sheepdogs and Shepherding, had originally entered her 11-month-old black and white dog, Tim, in the unbroken pen, but further progress at home prompted her to try a run on the trials field.

Fully home-bred by another familiar Northern Ireland face, Co Tyrone’s Willie Torrens, and with back breeding to two trialling legends - Ricky Hutchinson’s Sweep and Aled Owen’s Cap - Non proved up to the challenge when netting 1900gns.

Catching the eye in the unbroken pen was Derbyshire’s Matt Tomlinson, from Mugginton, who topped the section at 700gns with his seven-month-old lilac tri-coloured dog, Parkhills Nip, going to the Isle of Man with Daniel Moore.

Matt also sold a little sister, Parkhills Molly, at 300gns, having earlier had a tilt on the trials field and making 2000gns with a tri-coloured bitch, Parkhill Peggy,

Field-run dogs could be bought from as little as a few hundred pounds, with others available from both 1000gns and 2000gns upwards.

The winter fixture, which again offered a real-time bidding facility for prospective purchasers unable to attend in person, attracted a solid overall entry of 59 dogs.

There was a nice clearance on the trials field, with 29 of the 38 broken dogs successfully finding new homes.

Prices and averages: Broken - registered dogs from 450g to 4600g (average £2618), registered bitches from 1850g to 7200g (average £3138), unregistered dogs to 1700g, unregistered bitches from 2200g to 3000g (average £2730). Part/unbroken - registered dogs from 200g to 1900g (average £699), registered bitch to 200g, unregistered dog to 250g.

Skipton’s next working sheep dog sale on Wednesday, April 2, is an online-only fixture (closing date for entries March 17), following by another live field-run sale on Friday, May 23 (closing date May 5).