Welshman Dewi Jenkins was 'top dog' again at Skipton Auction Mart’s latest online-only sale of working sheepdogs, with a £18,100 sale.
Dewi, a frequent price topper at the North Yorkshire venue, both at live and online sales, far eclipsed his £7,000 top price at the previous online sale last December.
At the recent event, he sold his black and white dog Gwyddil Ben, a 12-month-old son of Clwyd Bob, himself by the handler’s main stud dog Jock, the reigning 2022 International Supreme Champion, and with whom he also represented Wales at last year’s BBC One Man and His Dog final.
The 2016-born Clwyd Bob has exceptional bloodlines going back to multiple champions on both sides, among them on the grand dam’s side former International Supreme Champion Glencregg Silver.
Gwyddil Ben's own dam is Malta Jill, acquired by Dewi from Carlaine Thom, of Malta Border Collies, based in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
After being mated a home to Clwyd Bob, now increasingly proving an exceptional stud dog, Jill then sold in-pup to friend and fellow Welshman T Davies carrying both Gwyddil Ben and litter sister Bess.
Gwyddil Ben returned at eight weeks old to Dewi, who reports that Bess is due to be sold at Skipton Auction Mart this May.
The top-notch nursery trials prospect joined Staffordshire buyer, Eamonn Vaughan, who farms beef and sheep and clearly thinks a great deal of Jenkins bloodlines.
He paid a then world record price of £27,100 in 2021 for Dewi’s Kim, which has since been bettered, though remains a world record for a dog under 12 months.
Mr Vaughan, who farms the Partridge Nest pedigree Texel sheep flock and also has a herd of pedigree Charolais, Limousin and Simmental cows, now has plans to put Ben to Kim next year, who he describes as a “phenomenal” bitch.
“She is out every day and absolutely flying, a superb worker, so strong, a serious bitch,” he enthused. In fact, Kim has already bred a world beater for Mr Vaughan, when her 11-week-old Kim Jnr made £11,600, a new record price for an unbroken pup.
Back at Skipton, Welsh vendors were again responsible for the leading online prices. Next best with a £6,200 sale was James Jones, of Rhayadar in Powys, with his 22-month-old black and white bitch, Brondrefawr Misty.
She is a daughter of fellow Welshman Kevin Evans’ trialling legend, Tanhill Glen, a dual European Nursery and Royal Welsh Champion who has had such a major impact on selling prices at Skipton in recent years.
