Skipton Auction’s Mart’s summer sale of working sheep dogs was a complete flyer on Friday with the second highest price in the world ever paid at an official sale, plus a four-figure price for a pup under six months old.
Shaun Richards, Hapton, Burnley, achieved the first feat with a 15-month-old black and white dog that made 5000gns, while Beverley Fort, Steeton, Keighley, sold a five-and-a-half-months-old brown and white bitch pup for 1000gns.
Mr Richards’ classy dog Marchup Sam, an excellent prospect for the trials field, was bred locally by Andrew Throup, of Silsden. Her dam is Calderdale Sue, while the sire is Aled Owen’s Roy, with whom he won the International Sheep Dog Society-organised World Trials in 2008 and the 2007 International Supreme.
It was Mr Richards’ best-ever performance in terms of price at the North Yorkshire venue. He said the achievement was even more fulfilling, as he had only been working with Marchup Sam for a little over a month. While he sold locally and will be used as both a work and trials dog, the buyer requested anonymity.
In addition, Mr Richards made 3500gns with his two-year black and white bitch Poppy, who found a new home in Aberdeenshire. Poppy is also by Mr Owen’s Roy, out of Maddie, bred in Caton, Lancashire, by Tom Huddleston, secretary and treasurer of the English National Sheep Dog Trials, which take place this Thursday to Saturday (Aug 2-4) at Over Kellet, Carnforth.
Beverley Fort’s 1000gns bitch Marchup Roxy was also bred in Silsden by Andrew Throup. She is a daughter of Jace, while the sire is Staff, from J Richardson, who has produced many winning trials dogs. Roxy’s new Scottish Highlands owner, Tracey Sutherland, of Caithness, is hopeful her smart acquisition will also go to prove herself on the trials field in next year’s nurseries.
The second highest price of the day at 3800gns fell to an exciting nursery prospect, Hillmoor Blu, a 22-month-old tri-coloured bitch from Skipton sale debutant John Atkinson, who is shepherd on the Escrick Park Estate near York, owned by renowned conservationist and sporting gun Charlie Forbes-Adams.
Blu is yet another product of Mr Owen’s prolific sire Roy, out of S E Mobberley’s Irwell Mika, whose own sire Sid is a former World Sheep Dog Trials runner-up in the hands of Bacup-based trialing legend Jim Cropper. Buyer of this Joe McRobert, of Cheviot Sheepdogs, based in the Scottish Borders at Fingland, near Biggar, Lanarkshire.
The penultimate dog to take to the trials field sold for the day’s third highest price of 3300gns. The 18-month-old red and white bitch, by Alistair Lyttle’s Jack, was presented by Ireland’s Brian White, of Dermotstown, Dublin.
Another late runner, Moss, a September, 2010-born home-bred black and white dog from Weshman B Williams, of Bryn Amlwg, Bridgend, made 3000gns when joining Arthur Temple, Holmrook, Cumbria, a regular buyer at Skipton.
Northumbrian breeder Tony Ilsey, near Alnwick, achieved 2700gns for his 23-month-old black and white dog Rick, by Tan Hill-based Alec Baines’ Rick, out of Gem, from J B Fothergill, Hawes.
Also selling at 2700gns was a much younger entrant, the 12-month-old red and white dog, Highgate Glen, by R Saxon’s Cammen Rip, out of WG Hallam’s Harriot, from South Yorkshire-based Derek Cheetham, who is a shepherd on the Broomhead Estate, near Sheffield. Buyer was Trevor Smith, Lancashire.
An unregistered dog, Fly, a 17-month-old black and white bitch from Peter Hallam, Foxt, Staffordshire, performed notably well when selling for 2300gns.
Averages: 83 dogs and pups £2302 (up by £397 on last May sale); Registered part-broken dogs £1010; unregistered broken dogs £1,319; registered pups £390; unregistered pups £150 (CCM Auctions).
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