NORTH County Dublin’s Brian White and Aoife Smith were again the standout performers by a country mile when heading the day’s prices at 7,200 guineas (£7,560) and selling four dogs in total for a combined 20,100gns (£21,105) at Skipton Auction Mart’s summer sale of working sheep dogs, which also saw a new all-time record high price of 2,500gns in the unbroken pen.

It proved the most successful day ever at the UK’s leading working dogs sale venue for the young Irish farming couple, who hail from Naul and have taken the dog world by storm of late with their impeccably-bred top-notch charges. Their latest quartet was again subject to intense pre-sale interest when promoted via social media on Brian White Sheepdogs’ Facebook and you tube pages.

Brian set the ringside alight right at the outset when just the second entrant to take to the trials field with his first dog, Ben, who sparkled to become top dog on price. The 17-month-old black and white is by Littledale-based Ricky Hutchinson's celebrated International Reserve Supreme Champion Sweep, who has bred numerous trial winners across the globe and was also responsible for Brian and Aoife’s Moss, who clinched top call of 9,200gns (£9,660) at Skipton’s previous sale in May.

Out of fellow Irish breeder and triallist Pat Murphy’s Ballyglass Rosie, Ben was claimed as another highly promising prospect by a familiar face and regular top price buyer at Skipton, renowned Welsh handler and triallist Nigel Watkins, of Panthowell, Llanoldewsant, Llangadog.

The couple also achieved the day’s second highest price of 5,700gns with their 29-month-old black and white dog, Jack, fully home-bred by another fellow Irishman Pat Byrne, of Knockcroghery in County Roscommon, who took home the highly talented Moss back in May.

Jack, by Mr Byrne’s Lad, out of Kerri, was purchased by Welshman Kevin Evans, of Penclyn Farm, Modrydd, Brecon, Powys, another well-known handler and leading triallist, who regularly purchases quality dogs at Skipton.

Brian returned to the field late on with the penultimate runner and the couple’s only bitch on the day, the 21-month-old Malta Bess, bred by Northern Ireland’s Carlaine Thom, of Malta Border Collies in County Tyrone. The sire was Jake, from Scottish team member Norman McDonald, of Dalbeattie in Dumfries and Galloway.

Bess, another accomplished all-rounder, fell to a successful phone bid of 3,800gns from Kathy Acres, a Canadian-born private buyer now living in Hedon, near Hull, who keeps a small flock of Hebridean and mixed Swaledale sheep in a field near her home, on whom Bess will go to work.

The new record venue unbroken pen price of 2,500gns, beating the previous record by 500gns, fell to Roy, a seven-month-old black and white dog from first-time Welsh vendor Eifion Hope, of Trefelli Farm St Davids in Pembrokeshire.

Skipton’s next and final dog sale of 2017 is scheduled for Friday, October 13. Catalogue entries close on September 29.