A 4,700GNS (£4,935) top call for a broken dog and a 2,000gns (£2,100) new record high for a youngster sold in the unbroken pup pen were the highlights of the opening 2017 working sheep dog sale at Skipton mart.

The top price was paid for Rock, a September 2015-born black-and-white dog from top Irish trialist William Gallagher, of County Donegal. He was bought by Welsh trialist Nigel Watkins, of Llangadog, who will keep Rock as a promising trials prospect.

The 2,000gns record price for a youngster was paid for eight-month-old black and white dog, Solo, from Cotswolds farm manager Dick Roper, the reigning One Man and His Dog champion and International Sheep Dog Society (ISDS) English national president.

Solo, sired by Spot, his 2015 national champion, out of Emma, whose own dam was supreme international champion, Brownlie Mo Solo was bought by telephone bidder, Sandy Fraser, a crofter on the Shetland Isles.

Weardale’s John Bell, of Frosterley, sold his wife, Dorothy’s, December, 2015, black-and-white dog, Jed, for 3,600gns to a County Durham buyer.

The sale saw 78 successful sales producing a clearance rate of 87 per cent for field-run dogs and 71 per cent clearance in the unbroken pen.

Prices and Averages: broken section: 30 registered dogs from 600gns to 4,700gns (av £1,955); 17 registered bitches from 850gns to 4,000gns (av £2,233); 1 unregistered bitch at 320gns. Unbroken section: 10 registered dogs from 80gns to 2,000gns (av £634); 20 registered bitches from 200gns to 1,150gns (av £613).

Future working sheep dog sales at Skipton will be on on Fridays, May 12, July 21 and October 13.