AN 89-strong catalogue entry for Skipton Auction Mart’s summer sale of working sheep dogs, on Tuesday, June 14 - it’s an online timed format with live bidding - comprises 36 fully broken, 30 part broken and 23 unbroken dogs.

There’ a notably strong Irish entry, complemented by others from across England, Wales and Scotland, along with the Isle of Man, plus four dogs from a handler in Finland.

Leading handlers and trialists are again represented, among them Welsh legend Kevin Evans, of Brecon, who has made such a major impact at both live and online Skipton sheep dog sales in recent years, regularly heading the selling prices with his own dogs, among them several at five-figure sales, some setting new world records, while others of his breeding in different hands which are also entered in the sale have also commanded solid prices.

Kevin has two fully broken early 2021-born dogs on offer, the first a bitch by his own Derwen Doug, a European Nursery Champion and dual Welsh and International Brace Champion, and a full sister to a Welsh Nursery champion. The bitch has pups due in July to a solid stud dog.

The second is a son of his Royal Welsh Champion, Tanhill Glen, who continues to leave such a strong stamp on Evans breeding, and on previous leading price achievers at the North Yorkshire venue. Kevin also has a part-broken August, 2021, dog, again by Derwen Doug, while his father David offers up an unbroken 12-week-old red and white pup by his son’s Red Spot.

From Northern Ireland, Seamus Gormley, of Kilcreen Sheep Dogs in Co. Derry, has a strong hand, including six six-month-old unbroken dogs from the same litter, along with a brace of fully broken dogs, plus one part broken. All are related to top-notch trials dogs, champions among them.

Co. Donegal’s Donal Mullaney, who has sold promising up-and-coming young dogs at Skipton, some at world record prices, is represented by a ten-month-old unbroken son of Tanhill Glen, while, locally, interest revolves around three fully broken 2020 dogs from Oakworth handlers Philip Mellin and Atkins Sheepdogs.

Finland’s representative, Mustajoentie’s I Dodd has two fully broken entries, a 15-month-old dog and 2020 bitch, plus a brace of unbroken pups from the same litter. All contain bloodlines from proven Evans’ stud and trial dogs.

Skipton Auction Mart’s general manager and auctioneer Jeremy Eaton said: “The power of the online selling system has been well illustrated at previous sales by the fact that we have been able to match dogs from handlers from both at home and abroad with buyers globally.

“The upcoming sale again offers 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.”

A sales catalogue detailing all entries, their breeding and attributed, is available online under the ‘sale day’ link at www.ccmauctions.com