Sale of nine-week-old sheepdog puppy sets new world record at Skipton

Mr Barson, who owns Tessleymoor Gundogs near Preston, has increased his interest in sheep farming, running a flock of Ryelands with plans to diversify into Herdwicks and was looking for a sheepdog.

“I have trained dogs all my life and have my own pack, so I wanted to get the best, a dog with both style and character,” Mr Barson said. “It was all down to colour and breeding. I just had to have the wee pup, though I do think I went a bit wild!”

Lassie, who is an unusual lilac coloured bitch, was sold by full-time sheep and cattle farmer, sheep dog enthusiast Glynne Jones from Pentir near Bangor.

Lassie’s dam, Graylees Cêt, has been owned and trained by Mr Jones since he bought her as an eight-week-old pup in 2014, to lay a solid foundation for his Pentir Sheepdogs breeding programme.

As well as Lassie, who is from Cêt’s sixth and last litter, she has produced a number of ISDS pedigree pups with Tweeddale Jamie.

Lassie, who is described as a “lively, confident and healthy pup”, is the from the first litter of pups by Reiver Gray, bred by shepherdess, Emma Gray, who now farms on the Isle of Bute in Scotland.

Lassie is the first sheepdog Mr Jones, who farms 100 acres in and around Pentir, has sold through Skipton Auction Mart and he said he was delighted with her new home.

“My aim is to breed top quality working sheepdog pups from the best DNA tested bloodlines in the UK and Lassie is a dog with everything in my opinion” Mr Jones said.

The sale of Pentir Lassie smashed the previous record of £6,100 paid for David Evans’ 11-week-old black and white bitch, Bet, at Skipton’s online sale in January.

Breeding and trialing legends, Mr Evans and his son Kevin between them sold six fully broken and unbroken dogs at the latest auction for a combined amount in excess of £50,000.

Black and white dog, Pen-y-Borough Spud – known as Buddy – topped the sale with a price of £13,800. He was bought by Kellie Herrington and her husband, Terry Dear, from Texas, USA for trialing and working at home.