WELSH handler, David Bevan, of Builth Wells in Powys, achieved the remarkable price of £2,600 at the Skipton sale of working sheepdogs for an unbroken pup just two-weeks-old and still to be weaned.

However, his silver grey bitch, aptly named Silver, has first-rate breeding. She is one of a litter of five pups by Ross Games’ Caefelin Clem, who also produced the world’s highest priced £27,000 sheepdog, and a full sister to Kevin Evans’ Pink, a 2019-born tan and white bitch that topped the selling prices at £14,300 at Skipton’s opening sale of 2021.

The youngster sold locally to father and son dairy and pig farmers, Norman and Chris Bell in Cowling, and will be used solely as a work dog.

The Bells run a 100-strong Holstein Friesian dairy herd, some of which are sold at Skipton, along with dairy-bred rearing calves.

Asked why they had purchased a pup so young, Mr Bell Snr explained: “We have an old work dog who is ready to retire and thought let’s start again. We just liked her and the long-term plan is to potentially breed off her.”

Skipton’s online sale again offered a comprehensive selection of fully broken part-broken and unbroken dogs for both farm work and as trial prospects to suit most tastes and pockets, with selling prices from as little as £250. In fact, outside the principals ten dogs sold for three-figure prices, with seven more making £1,000-£2,000, a further seven £2,000-£3,000.

Jeremy Eaton commented: “As anticipated, with lambing time upon us trade for unbroken, part-broken dogs and pups was selective, but trade for well-broken dogs (well filmed) was as strong as ever.”

Skipton’s next working sheepdog sale is scheduled for Friday, May 21. It will be a live sale with field trials for broken dogs, with an online and telephone bidding facility also available for all lots.

Details will be online at: https://www.ccmauctions.com/ where all upcoming sales will be featured.