THE pup pen stole the show at Skipton mart's Summer working sheepdog sale on Monday.

For while John Bell again took the overall top price of 5,000gns, it was brothers Padraig and Joe Doherty, of County Donegal, who set the unbroken pen alight with a six-month-old black-and-white bitch Ann, which made 1,850gns – the highest price ever paid for a pup at Skipton.

Her sire, Sid, bred in Donegal by trialling legend James McGee, was also responsible for Silver, the youngest-ever International Trials champion. Her dam is the Doherty family’s Sue, whose own sire, Dan, is a half brother to Mr McGee’s 2011 World Sheep Dog Trials supreme champion, Becca.

Ann sold to Cumbria sheep and cattle farmer Trevor Procter, of Great Musgrave, Kirkby Stephen, and will be used as a working dog.

The Doherty bothers also sold two black-and-white dog pups for 1,450gns and 1,020gns to buyers from South Wales and Cumbria, respectively, and a second bitch pup at 850gns.

Another of their dogs was sold privately for an undisclosed sum before the sale to Netherlands handler Serge van der Zweep, who was runner-up in the 2011 World Sheep Dog Trials.

Carol Mellin, of Oakworth, with her home-bred January-born black-and-white dog, Moor Lodge Max, by Mirk, which won the Yorkshire Open Championship at Trawden in May, sold for 1,100gns to Kirklees farmers, Robert and Sarah Nobles.

She also sold his litter sister, Moor Lodge Meg, for 700gns, to a south coast buyer, who also bought John Bell’s price-topping 11-month-old black-and-white dog, Omega Tek.

North Craven’s Shaun Richards was joint second top price performer achieving 3,000gns for his April 2013, black-and-white bitch, Tip. She was bought by Stephen and Helen Robinson, of Dunsop Bridge.

Sam Berry, from New Hall Farm, Bradley, achieved 2,650gns on his debut with Marchup Meg, a two-year-old black-and-white bitch, which sold to John Maxwell, Glasgow.

Harry Bouch, of Copperthorns, Penrith, sold Meg, his September 2013 black-and-white bitch, for 2,400gns to Jock Sutherland, of Durness.

With 76 dogs forward, top prices and selling averages were: registered broken dogs to 5,000gns (av £1,683), registered broken bitches to 3,000gns (£1,916) – overall average £1,774. Unbroken registered dogs to 1,450gns (£606), unbroken registered bitches to 1,850gns (£687). Unbroken unregistered bearded bitch 100gns.

Skipton’s autumn sale of working sheep dogs is on Friday, October 2.