NORTH Yorkshire’s John Bell notched up another top price at Skipton Auction Mart’s 2015 opening working sheep dogs sale with an outstanding young black and white bitch with impeccable breeding credentials that sold for 4,500gns (£4,725).

Park Farm Jess is a 12 month-old by Moss, last year's All-Wales Nursery Final winner, who was himself by Clyde who finished fourth in the 2011 World Sheep Dog Trials, and sold to Seamus Gormley the noted trainer, handler and trialist from County Derry who will use Jess for work and trials.

Mr Bell of Howden, Selby, also sold Jill a sister of Jess to a Scottish buyer, for 2,800gns (£2,940) and a 12 month-old red and white dog Pen-y-Borough Vic for 2,500gns (£2,625).

Leading the field on price for much of the day at 4,300gns (£4,515) was Tom Huddlestone of Brookhouse, near Lancaster, with his well-bred December, 2011, black and white bitch, Udale Deni, who already has 12 national points to her name.

She is by Littledale-based English trialist Ricky Hutchinson’s popular stud dog Sweep, who finished third in last year’s World Sheep Dog Trials in Scotland and also won 10 opens in his first two seasons, as well as lifting the International Brace Championship twice.

Deni sold to Jock Sutherland from Sangormore, Durness, the most north westerly village on mainland Britain.

The sale was the first on Skipton’s new-look trials field which reflects its growing worldwide interest among both sheep dog buyers and handlers.

Shaun Richards, who sent out the top-priced dogs at all but one of Skipton’s sales last year, and the second top price at the other, secured the day’s third highest price of 3,400gns (£3,570), with his August, 2012 black and white bitch, Calderdale Pat. Mr Richards also achieved 2,200gns (£2,310) for a younger black and white dog, the December, 2013-born Pen-y-Borough Rob, by Katy Cropper’s Zac, out of his own Meg.

Irishman David Lyttle, of County Donegal, sold his two-year-old black and white bitch Nell for 3,200gns (£3,360) to John Atkinson, of White Rose Sheep Dogs in Escrick, York, who is also shepherd on the Escrick Park Estate.

Broken registered dogs proved popular on the day, selling to the 4,500gns high, with an overall average of £2,203. Part-broken registered dogs sold to 950gns at an average of £518.

Further Skipton working sheep dog sales in 2015, all staged on Fridays, are scheduled for May 15, July 3 and October 23.