World-renowned Welsh handler and triallist, Kevin Evans, was yet again top dog on price at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest online-only March working sheepdog sale on Tuesday, March 9th, 2022.
He commanded a call of £9,000 with his fully broken Scottish-bred rising two-year-old grey, white and tan dog, Midderry Nip.
Nip was bred in the foothills of the Angus Glens in Perthshire by Carl-Magnus – or Mosse – Magnusson and his wife, Lotta.
The Swedish-born couple is renowned in the sheepdog trialling world, having won multiple championships between them at the highest level.
Evans acquired Nip as a pup, purposely because of his own breeding.
He is by Mr Magnusson’s Don, whose own sire was the prolific Welshman’s Derwen Doug, a European Nursery Champion and dual Welsh and International Brace Champion, out of Mrs Magnusson’s Ruby, herself by another top-notch Evans dog, Tanhill Glen.
Fully trained at home by Mr Evans, Nip, has been described as a “solid all-rounder”.
He is said to be a “tremendous” nursery prospect or ready for open trials.
Working sheepdog sale report
The Welsh native sold three dogs online, cashing a total of £17,800.
Next up at £5,900 was Caz, a fully trained February-2020-born black and white bitch by fellow Welshman Ross Games’ top trials dog, Roy and granddaughter of Tanhill Glen. She is out of Caerphilly-based Lee Bowden’s Mainstay Cria.
Mr Evans’ third online entry came in the form of a part-broken dog, the £2,900 ten-month-old black and white bitch, Moli.
This entry is by the breeder’s own Red Spot, acquired from Germany and also making his mark at stud.
Out of a daughter of Tanhill Glen and granddaughter of Hybeck Blake, another eminent trials dog in the hands of Mr Evans – the 2019 Supreme International Championship was one of multiple accolades.
Taking second top call of £7,500 was Sion Morgan, from Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, with his young black and white bitch, Mainstay Bell, by R Lavine’s Grosfaen Nap, himself a product of Welsh, International Supreme and World Sheepdog Trials champions.
This entry is out of the breeder’s own Jess, a granddaughter of Tanhill Glen.
North Wales dog trainer, Sion Jones his mark with two part-broken dogs for a combined £11,400.
At £6,400 was the 10-month-old Tanhill Glen black and white daughter, Cefneithin Gypsy, out of Mr Jones’ own solid work bitch Freebirch Mist.
Jones then took home £5,000 for another 10-month-old black and white dog, Cefneithin Spot, a son of Kevin Evans’ Red Spot, out of another farm work bitch, Bodtegir Jan.
£2,600 for 2-week-old unbroken pup
Another Welsh handler, David Bevan, of Builth Wells in Powys, achieved £2,600 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.
A full sister to Kevin Evans’ Pink, a 2019-born tan and white bitch, 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.
Also in the unbroken section at £2,500 was a fully home-bred and reared six-month-old bitch, Barcroft Nika, from well-known Welsh breeder and photographer, Sophie Holt, of Hendre Brynach, Brecon.
She is by GL Davies’ Dreamwork Fred, out of Sophie’s own Foinaven Ava and a granddaughter of Kevin Evans’ Henna, who sold for a then-world record price of £20,000 at Skipton two years ago.
Northern Ireland:
- £4,600 was Eve, a fully broken September-2020, black and white bitch from Skipton regular, Willie Torrens, of Castlederg in County Tyrone;
- Also from Northern Ireland, Co. Down’s Noel Rutherford, of Hillsborough, claimed £4,300 with a part-broken December-2020, black and white dog, Bert, which sold to an undisclosed North Yorkshire buyer.
Other sheepdog prices [fully trained]:
- Bolton’s Dan Purtill hit £5,600: strong three-year-old black and white bitch, Sal;
- £3,500: The two-year-old fully broken Belway Ace, out of B De Kerf’s Kemi Liz;
- January-2021, part-broken black and white dog, Jpot Jack, for £1,550
- £4,200: Cydros Sky, a May-2019, black and white bitch, a Derwen Doug, daughter;
- £4,100: A September-2019, tri-coloured bitch, Trish, a daughter of his own Elwy Jack, out of WG Davidson’s Mona.
Suiting tastes and pockets
Speaking following the sheepdog sale, the spokesperson said:
“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.”
