Welshman Glynne Jones, of Pentir, set a new world record price for an unbroken sheep dog pup with his March 12-born, Pentir Lassie, last week.
The new world record price and four five-figure sales to a top of £13,800 for fully broken dogs were set at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest two-day timed online working sheep dog sale last week. The sale was held on Tuesday, May 18th and Wednesday, May 19th, 2021.
Jones’ Lassie changed hands for £7,100, smashing the previous record of £6,100 established at Skipton’s previous online sale in January for an 11-week-old black and white bitch, Bet.
Pentir Lassie
Setting the world record price for a pup at an official sale was Lassie, an “unusually lilac-coloured” bitch, was described as a “lively, confident and healthy pup”.
She is the product of outstanding parents, coming from the first litter of pups by Reiver Gray, bred by a well-known shepherdess, Emma Gray.
Lassie’s dam, Graylees Cêt, has been owned and trained by Mr Jones since being purchased as an eight-week-old pup in August 2014.
As well as Lassie, who is from Cêt’s sixth and last litter, the outstanding mother has produced several ISDS pedigree pups with Tweeddale Jamie, described as an amazing match from the outset.
Her new owner is Damian Barson, of Tessleymoor Gundogs, a dog behaviourist and gundog trainer based in Woodplumpton, near Preston.
Put in touch with Glynne Jones, Mr Barson explained: “I have trained dogs all my life and have my own pack.”
“I wanted to get the best, a dog with both style and character. It was all down to colour and breeding. I just had to have the wee pup, though I do think I went a bit wild.”
Top dogs yet again on price were Powys father and son breeding and trialling legends, David and Kevin Evans, who, between them, sold six fully broken and unbroken dogs for a combined £50,000-plus.
Sale-topper
David Evans, of Penclyn Farm, Brecon, was May sale topper at £13,800 with a November-2017 black and white dog Pen-y-Borough Spud, by son Kevin’s Kemi Ross. Spud, better known at home as Buddy, is a grandson of dual European Nursery and Royal Welsh Champion, Tanhill Glen.
The dam, Derwen Wot, bred locally by Shaun Richards, of Pen-y-Borough Sheep Dogs in Eldroth, near Settle, is a full sister to another top-notch Evans trials dog, Derwen Doug, a European Nursery Champion and dual Welsh and International Brace Champion.
Other top calls
Kevin Evans, of Llwynfedwen Farm, near Brecon, then achieved second top call of £12,800 with his smart 16-month-old black and white dog, Wyverne Brodie. This is a fully trained son of Derwen Doug, out of David Meek’s Wyverne Meg, herself a daughter of a twice international champion.
A Derwen Doug daughter also made £9,900 for Kevin. His June-2019, black and white bitch, Pat, herself is out of a daughter of Netherlands-based former World Sheep Dog Trials champion Serge van der Sweep’s Gary.
A slightly younger September- 2019, black and white bitch from the same home sold with a £6,200 price tag.
Foxridge Layka is a daughter of Kevin’s Supreme Champion, Hybeck Blake. Furthermore, her dam is DW Edwards’ Tanhill Lilly, a full sister to top stud dog Tanhill Glen, bred by Kirkby Stephen’s Alec Baines.
Back bounced father, David, with a brace of well-sold unbroken pups both by son, Kevin’s own red dog, Spot, acquired from Germany.
The youngest of the duo, Conn, a red and white ten-week-old dog, sold for £5,100. Meanwhile, a five-month-old black, white and mottled bitch, Jess, made £4,050.
Other prices:
- £10,700 for Dewi Jenkins’ sole entry. The “highly promising” home-bred ten-month-old red and white bitch, Tynygraig Lil Red, is by fellow Welshman Ross Games’ chocolate and white dog, Caefelin Clem (Taff), out of Mr Jenkins’ own Mia;
- £10,000 for a two-year-old black and white bitch, Lexi, from Lyn Howells. This entry is by his own red and white dog, Boss, and a granddaughter of Welsh team member David Howell’s Nip, a world sheep dog trials finalist. Litter brothers all sold at online sales for £10,300, £6,000 and £5,000;
- £8,000 for Reece Griffiths’ of Ty Coreswyntoedd, March-2019, fully broken black and white dog, Bryniau Celt;
- £6,900 for a fully home-bred black, white and mottled bitch January, 2019, bitch, Belle, from North Wales handler, Dylan Edwards, of Maes Hendre in Gwynedd;
- £6,300 for Musgrave Skye, a June-2019, black and white bitch, a Caefelin Clem daughter, from Simon Cottrell, of Congleton.
£6,000 and under:
- £6,000 for Philip Mellin’s June-2018, tri-coloured dog, Spot, by Serge van der Zweep‘s Mac, out of a dam by the same handler’s World Sheep Dog Trials-winning Gary;
- £5,800 for a November-2019 black and white bitch, Jet, by Llangwm Dan, from Daniel Purtill, of West Houghton, near Bolton;
- £5,600 by a 20-month-old white and black dog, Snow, a product of New Zealand;
- £4,300 for a ten-month-old black and tan Huntaway bitch, Ruby, whose parents are also New Zealand imports;
- £5,000 for July, 2019, red and white Irish dog, Moidoch Dice, from Greg Leslie, of Ballymagroarty in Co Donegal;
- Same price tag for March- 2019, tri-coloured dog, Shadwell Steve, also by Llangwm Cap, from Goole’s Stuart Walton.
Summary:
A further 14 dogs made between £4,000 and £5,000, another 12 selling in the £3,000s, 28 in the £2,000s, 24 in the £1,000s, plus 15 at three-figure sales down to £500 for the lowest-priced dog.
The sale attracted another record entry of 149 fully broken, part broken and unbroken dogs, of which 108 successfully found new homes.
A spokesperson said: “While trade was good throughout, with some outstanding performers, prices were described as being more realistic than of late.”
They said there were “plenty of readily affordable dogs to suit all tastes and pockets, both solid broken entries for work and up-and-coming youngsters to further bring on and run in trials”.
