Sheepdogs sold to 5,300gn at the first sale of the season at Skipton.
Achieving that was Sweep, a 14-month-old black and white dog from Shaun Richards, of Watson Laithe, Hapton, Burnley.
Sweep, bred by Welsh trialist Medwyn Evans, is sired by Shep, an all Wales nursery finalist, and out of Jan, who was fifth in the 2012 Welsh national trials.
Buyer was US-based sheepdog trialist Michelle Prescott-Guderian, a real estate agent and realtor in Minnesota. She said: “I first viewed him on YouTube and obviously liked what I saw. I have been involved with Border collies and trialing strictly as a hobby since 1999 and have had moderate success in the past, simply because I am so busy with my work that I have not been able to put the serious time into working my dogs to achieve top success.
“I am hoping that now is the time in my life that I have that extra time and plan to try to achieve higher goals with Sweep. I have complete faith in Shaun and his dogs and really look forward to Sweep getting to Minnesota.”
The sale attracted 94 dogs and 68 sold – a 68% clearance. Next at 4,000gn was Don, a 30-month-old tri-coloured dog from Jo de Meyst, of Belgium, to Arthur Temple, of Holmrook, Cumbria. Don is Welsh-bred and has won five nursery trials in England and Belgium.
Sheep farmer Dean Aitken, of Uppercleuch, Lockerbie, sold Tweeddale Jess, a black and white bitch, for 3,700gn to Sandy and Jemma Forrest, of Hillend, Roberton, Biggar.
Tommy McPhee, of Reiss, Caithness, sold Gael, an 18-month-old black and white bitch, for 2,950gn, his best price at Skipton.
Gael is by Omega Moss, a son of Roy who was international supreme and International Sheep Dog Society World Trials champion in 2007.
At 2,200gn to Rothiemay’s Corsekelly Farms was Meg, a July 2011 tri-colour bitch from Welshman D.W.Davies, of Tal-y-Lynn. She qualified for last year’s north Wales nursery final.
Averages were: broken registered dogs at £2,286; part-broken registered dogs at £664; unbroken registered dogs at £299; unregistered broken dogs at £1,102.