The countdown is on to Skipton Auction Mart’s second virtual timed two-day working sheep dog sale, when a much increased 81-strong entry is set to go under the online hammer.

Due to be staged on Monday and Tuesday, August 31 and September 1, the turnout comprises 59 broken, 18 part-broken and four unbroken dogs.

Well over half are from Ireland, who hold by far the biggest entry with 48 dogs, along with 18 from England, 11 from Wales and three from Scotland.

There is a single representative from Belgium.

It builds substantially on the 47 dogs entered for the inaugural sale mid-July, which proved a runaway success when producing not one, but two new world-record prices for working sheep dogs sold at an official sale, with both handlers again holding entries at the latest renewal.

Welshman Dewi Jenkins, of Tal-y-bont in Ceredigion, who established a new world record price of £12,000 for a dog under a year of age with his ten-months-old Tynygraig Jet, returns with a fully broken slightly older black and white dog, the 12-month-old Roy, who is related to top trials dogs and whose mother Bet was sold by Mr Jenkins at Skipton for £8,400 in February last year.

Irishman Donal Mullaney, of Letterkenny in Co. Donegal, who at the previous sale claimed a new world record price of £2,350 for an unbroken pup with his five-month-old Jim, returns with two young up and coming dogs. Likely to create the most interest is an even younger unbroken entry, a three-and-a-half-month-old bitch, Kate, who is by the same sire as Jim - fellow Irishman Martin Feeney’s famous trials dog Jack.

Top Welsh handler and trialist, Kevin Evans, from Modrydd in Powys, who sold two bitches for almost £23,000 in July, including the £12,550 sale leader, returns with another brace of fully broken entries both related to top trials dogs and seen as excellent trials prospects. First up is his November, 2018, Wyverne Tan, immediately followed by the younger February, 2019-born bitch, Barcroft Sophie, who is by Mr Evan’s top-notch trials dog Derwen Doug.

Among the English representatives is Northumberland shepherdess Emma Gray, who at this year’s first sheep dog sale at Skipton in February – the last ‘live’ sale before lockdown – set a new world price of £18,900 with her bitch, Megan.

Emma, from near Morpeth, is selling another well-bred November, 2018, bitch, Hottbank Karla, whose dam was an international brace champion.

Back with the Irish, Co. Sligo’s Martin Feeney will himself be represented by two entries, notably a young February-born bitch Meg, another well-bred daughter of his renowned Jack and full sister to the record-breaking Jim.

Well-known Co. Donegal handlers are again well represented at the online highlight, among them Glendoan’s Martin Sweeney, with Ben, recently turned one-year-old and from top bloodlines, among them World Trials, Reserve Supreme and Irish champions.

International interest is provided by the Belgian entry from W Van Dongen, of Waterlozestraat, who is selling Dave, purchased as a pup from Ireland’s Con McGarry and now at two-and-a-half-years-old said to have one more nursery season left in him.

Skipton Auction Mart’s general manager and auctioneer Jeremy Eaton said: “Once again, and particularly with the much higher entry, the forthcoming sale will offer an across-the-board selection of both solid broken entries for work and up-and-coming youngsters to further bring on and run in trials.

“As usual, there will be readily affordable dogs catering for all tastes and pockets.”

A catalogue detailing all entries is now available at www.ccmauctions.com

A good number have links to live demos of handlers putting dogs through their paces via the CCM website, YouTube and other recognised social media channels.

Irish entries will go under the hammer on the opening day, Monday August 31, from 8am until 7pm the following day, with all other entries to be sold on day two, for which online bidding closes at 7pm on the Wednesday.

A live pre-sale ‘Meet the Handler’ conference facility will again be available by Zoom on Wednesday and Thursday, August 26 & 27.

It takes the form of a buyer and vendor question and answer forum, the latter talking over their video discussing the strengths and weaknesses of their dogs.

Full details of how to access this are also posted online.