First time Scottish vendor, Matilda Young, made her presence felt at Skipton Auction Mart's timed online sale of sheepdogs selling two of the top priced lots at £5100 and £4700.

Matilda, from Cairnryan, Stranraer, produced the second equal top priced sale when her Lad, a February 2021-born black, white and tan dog sold to an undisclosed buyer from Perthshire. Lad, which was described as a 'solid all-rounder' is by Jordan McGowan's Tony and out of JL McMillan's Page.

Noted Bluefaced Leicester and North of England Mule breeder, Neil Marston, Cockermouth, bought Matilda's second dog at £4700. This was the May, 2020-born Ingleborough Stella, bred by John Kelsall, being a daughter of his Seth, out of Denwyn Jess.

The event saw a top price of £5600 and another two sell at £5100. Sale leader was an entry from Powys-based, Kevin Evans of Llwynfedwen, who had four entries with a brace selling to buyers in America and Germany.

His top dog was Foxridge Flynn, a fully broken two-year-old red and white dog, by his red Spot – a German import that is increasingly proving his worth as a stud dog. Out of David Edwards’ Tanhill Lilly, bred by Kirkby Stephen’s Alec Baines, Flynn returned to Wales with Merthyr Tidfil’s Rory Parker, who runs some 500 Welsh Mountain sheep.

Kemi Nan, another fully broken and home-bred dog from Mr Evans made £5100 to Dr Karen Thompson, New Kent County, Virginia, America. Nan, a June, 2021-born daughter of the European Nursery champion and dual Welsh and International Brace champion, Derwen Doug, is out of Scalpsie Joy, by fellow Welsh handler Ross Games’ accomplished trials dog Roy.

Dr Thompson has imported a number of top-class working dogs from Mr Evans, having previously paid £10,200 in July, 2020 for Kemi Floss.

Mr Evans also topped the unbroken section at £2100, selling the 15-week-old red, tan and white bitch, Kemi Joy, a daughter of the Swedish-bred Midderry Frank and a litter sister to Kemi Ruby, which made £5050 at an online sale.

Joy is out of Dunelle Gwen and sold to Germany with Lara Sander, who runs a small farm with horses, sheep and a few dogs in Bergheim, between Düsseldorf and Cologne

Ceredigion’s Dewi Jenkins, of Talybont, Aberystwyth, also claimed £5100 with his rising two-year-old black and white bitch, Gwyddil Bella, another daughter of Clwyd Bob, himself by the handler’s main stud dog Jock and 2022 International supreme champion. Bella is out of Welshman T Davies’ own Bella, Gwyddil Bella – a full litter sister to Dewi’s Kim that sold for a former record price of £27,100 online.

Three broken entries went under the online hammer at £3500, with two of them from Northern Ireland’s Francis Mongan, of Cullionboy, Co Donegal. The first was Nan, a January, 2021-born black and white bitch, and another daughter of Evans’ red Spot, out of Queen, from Welsh shepherd, John Griffiths, Brecon. She joined Thomas Longton, a member of the well-known Red Rose sheep dog trialling family from Quermore, Lancaster,.

Mr Mongan took the same money for the similarly aged black and white dog, Flash, a son of Nigel Watkins’ Nap, by Brendan McAllister's multiple trials winner Spot, out of ALB Davies’ Meg. Flash heads home to Lincolnshire with Grantham’s Richard Curtis.

Arthur Morgan from Ceredigion, also achieved £3500 with his two-year-old black and white bitch, Bess, another by Evans’ red Spot, out of I Morgan’s Mwnt Floss, herself a Derwen Doug daughter. The Irish buyer was Con McGarry, of Ballyglass, Co Roscommon.