SHAUN Richards achieved a hat-trick when selling his three year-old tri-coloured bitch Queen for a sale-topping 4,050gns (£4,252.50) at Skipton mart's autumn sale of working dogs.

Mr Richards, from Eldroth, near Settle, has headed the selling prices at three of this year’s four fixtures at Skipton, and made the second top price at the other.

Sixteen month-old Queen, bred in Northern Ireland by Seamus Gormley, Co Derry, found a new home in north-east Scotland with a buyer who requested anonymity. He will use her as a working dog.

John Bell, of Howden, Selby, sold Floss, his 15 month-old black and white bitch, for the day’s second top call of 4,000gns (£4,200) to Welsh handler and triallist Nigel Watkins, Llangadog. He bought Floss for 1,100gns (£1,155), from the pup pen at the July dogs sale at Skipton from local breeder and handler Beverley Fort, Steeton.

Mr Bell also achieved 3,000gns (£3,450) with his December, 2012-born black and white dog, Jake, to a buyer from Devon, and 2,500gns (£2,625) with his 17 month-old black and white dog William (Will), which sold to a regular buyer from Wales.

David Wood, from Derwent in the Derbyshire Peak District’s Hope Valley, achieved the third top call of 3,750gns (£3,937.50) with his March, 2013-born black and white dog, Moss, which sold to Eric Graham, of Lerwick in the Shetland Isles, and will be used mainly as a work dog.

Selling well at 3,450gns (£3,622.50) was 11 month-old black and white bitch Spotty, from Weardale’s Dorothy Bell, which sold to a Welsh buyer.

John Atkinson, from Escrick, York, made 3,000gns with his January, 2012-born black and white dog Irtlands Spruce. Already a winner of three nursery trials and ready for open competitions, he also found a new home in the Shetland Isles with phone bidder Raymond Garrick, of Sandness.

The sale achieved 87 per cent clearance, with 60 of the 69 dogs sold. Broken registered dogs sold to 4,050gns, averaging £2,153. Unbroken registered dogs sold to a high of 500gns at an average of £362. Part-broken registered dogs sold to 950gns, averaging £737. A part-broken unregistered dog made 1,400gns and a broken unregistered dog 800gns.