Top call of the day at 3,000 guineas (£3,150) fell to a 21-month-old black and white bitch Marchup Fly, bred locally by Andrew Throup, of Middle Marchup Farm, Silsden, and a full litter sister to the renowned Marchup Midge and Marchup Sam.

Both were sold last year at Skipton for 8,000gns (£8,400) and 5,000gns (£5,250) respectively by Red Rose handler Shaun Richards. The former was – and remains - a world record price for a working dog sold at an official sale. All nine pups in Mr Throup’s top-performing Marchup litter – Fly is the last to be sold - are by Roy, the 2008 World Sheep Dog Trials champion and 2007 International Supreme winner from Welshman Aled Owen, of Penyfed, Tŷ-Nant, Corwen, Denbighshire, out of Calderdale Sue, a top quality bitch acquired in 2009 by Mr Throup from Lancashire breeder Stuart Bennett, of Trawden. Described as an excellent young work and trial dog, Marchup Fly joined a buyer on the north-west coast of Scotland and will be used as a working dog on a flock of Suffolk and Texel-cross sheep. Mr Richards, of Watson Laithe, Hapton, Burnley, was again to the fore when selling two fully home-bred dogs by his own Clyde at 2,700gns (£2,835) and 2,500gns (£2,625), the second and joint third highest prices of the day. The former was an 18-month-old black and white dog, Tim, which joined Stephen Robinson, of Sykes Farm, near Dunsop Bridge in the Trough of Bowland. Already working well with both cattle and sheep, Tim will be used for exactly that purpose as a fell dog on Mr Robinson’s hill flock, predominantly Swaledales, along with a number of Cheviots. He also keeps suckler cows. Earlier in the day, Mr Richards achieved 2,500gns with an older dog, Jess, a three-year-old black and white bitch, which sold to a regular buyer from Wales Also selling at 2,500gns was another well-bred three-year-old black and white bitch, Fly, from John Atkinson, who is shepherd on the Escrick Park Estate, near York. He also runs White Rose Sheep Dogs, training top-notch trial dogs, as well as selling them extensively across Europe, Japan and America. Mr Atkinson was making his second appearance as a vendor at Skipton – on his first last year he sold an exciting nursery prospect at 3,800gns (£3,990). His latest offering Fly is by Cap, bred in Northern Ireland by County Antrim’s Michael Gallagher – the duo won the 2010 International Trials and finished third in the 2011 World Sheep Dog Trials. Out of fellow Irish breeder G Montgomery’s Tess and already a nursery trial winner, Fly sold locally to Lothersdale’s Geoff Booth and will be used as a working dog on both cattle and sheep. Mr Booth regularly sells rearing calves at Skipton. A Welsh-bred tri-coloured dog, Taff, from Geoff Gordon, of Llanrhidian in Glamorgan also sold well at 2,400gns (£2,520) to a regular buyer and triallist from the Scottish Borders, Joe McRobert, who runs Cheviot Sheepdogs at Fingland, near Biggar in Lanarkshire. The three-year-old, who turns four next month, is by AJ Corrigan’s Jim, out of CJ Gordon’s Jess, and has already made his mark on the trials fiel d, performing well in nurseries to become the highest pointed novice dog in Glamorgan, now will a tally of six National points. Another regular vendor, John Bell, of Parks Fa rm, Howden, Selby, ac hieved 2,000gns (£2,100) with Zac, a 13-month-old black and white dog he bought out of the pup pen at Skipton at an earlier sale. The selling price again proved true te stament to Mr Bell’s skills in bringing on younger dogs. Zac is by A Moran’s Lad, out of P Sheelan’s Nell. Skipton’s pup pen is proving increasingly popul ar among well-informed buyers seeking young dogs with strong future potential. This was clearly illustrated when local vendor Beverley Fort, of Brighton House Farm, Steeton, made a real im pression when selling her 12-week-old black and white dog pup Beverton Macs for 750gns (£787.50) , an exceptional price for one so young It was also a memorable milestone for the up-and-coming 28-year-old, who has been breeding sheep dogs since she was 15, as she was selling her first-ever home-bred pup under her Beverton prefix. Silsden’s Andrew Throup also had a hand in this talented youngster, as Macs is by his 2011/12 Yorkshire champion Bob, while the dam, Beverton Keira, was also responsible for the trial- winning Beverton Tarn, who came from the same litter. Beverley described Macs as the “pick of the li tter - a very smart pup who is very keen on sheep and showing great courage for a 12-week-old.” He sold to retired Pendle farmer Jack Greenbank, of Salterforth, who, even though well into his 80s, plans to trial his latest acquisition. “It helps keep me in touch and keeps the cogs wo rking!” said Mr Greenbank, an accomplished trials man who also bred and sold dogs extensively to different parts of the world in his younger years. Registered pups sold to a high of 900gns (£945) fo r a ten-month-old red and white bitch, Malta Floss, from South Wales br eeder and contract shepherd Floyd Farthing, of Tan-y-Coed, Swansea, who was selling his first dog at Skipton. By Zac, out of Malta Jill, bred by a good friend of Mr Farthing, Caroline Thom of Cookstown, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, Floss is a granddaughter of Gwynfar Owen’s Zac and looks set to make a high-class work and trial dog. Notable among the unregistered new ly broken dogs was Nell, a 14- month-old bearded collie bitch from Derek Cheetham, of Bolsters tone in the Peak District, whic h sold well at 1,700gns (£1,785) There was a total entry of 97 dogs and pups, with 63 finding new homes. “There was less demand for raw unbroken and part-broken dogs, with a few well-bred exceptions to the rule,” noted CCM’s general manager Jeremy Eaton. Broken registered dogs averaged £1,847, while regi stered part-broken dogs sold to 1,300gns at an average of £596. Broken unregistered dogs so ld to 500gns and part-broken unregistered dogs to 300gns. Unbroken registered pups averaged £347. Among the crowd was Suffolk shepherd Eddie Thor nalley, of Worlington, who bought the world record price sheep dog at Skipt on in October last year. Ask ed about Midge’s progress since, he said: “She is absolutely fantasti c – a real dream to run and so natural and careful with sheep.” CCM Skipton’s next seasonal wo rking sheep dog sale is scheduled for Friday, May 17. Entries close on May 3.