Flying away with top call of 7200gns at CCM Skipton’s live field-run working sheep dog sale was
a rising two-year-old fully-broken black and white bitch, Fly, from top-of-his-game Welsh breeder
and triallist, Kevin Evans, of Llwynfedwen, Brecon. (Fri, Feb 28)
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 County
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 & 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 & 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 County 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 (av £2618), registered
bitches from 1850g to 7200g (av £3138), unregistered dogs to 1700g, unregistered bitches from
2200g to 3000g (av £2730). Part/unbroken - registered dogs from 200g to 1900g (av £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