Dogs having their day as sheepdog trials delight crowds at the Great Yorkshire Show for the first time in event's history

Crowds encouraged, held their breath and applauded as dogs and their handlers from all four nations navigated a course in the main ring, obstacles and four stubborn sheep.

Each day of the show the young handlers compete in one session, later in the day the senior dog handlers also take part, and at the end of the week the scores will be totted up to reveal an overall winner from each young and senior competition.

Show director, Charles Mills, who is himself a farmer, pushed for sheepdog trials to be added to the show line-up given how important a role the animals play in farming and rural life.

There has been strong interest in competitors wanting to take part with entrants from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The senior entrants are all their respective national champions from 2021.

Richard Smith is the vice-president of the International Sheepdog Society which was established in 1906. He is also one of the competition judges and said he had been very impressed with the standard he had seen so far this week.

He said: “It has been brilliant. We are very proud to have the young handlers who have been selected nationally to compete here. The standard is really high.

“The seniors are national champions. We have got the crop of the crop running here this week and we are very lucky to have them.”

He said: “It is impossible to explain what an alien environment it is for the dogs to work in and the sheep are not trained for the job – they are straight off the farm. There are lots of people, noise, show-jumping and all sorts going on and they are handling it well.”

The system of scoring at trials is that a maximum number of points are allocated for each element, and dog and handler actually ‘lose’ points for any faults as they progress around the course.

For judging requirements in this week’s trials, Mr Smith said he was looking for dogs that were composed, to have stance and not worry the sheep but master them and be in

control.

He was looking for straight runs through the field and tight lines around the obstacles as well as etiquette in the ring from the handlers.

The society was “very proud” to be invited to take part at this year’s show for the first time and the respect that the Great Yorkshire Show was held in would serve to promote the years-old tradition and method further.

“The Great Yorkshire Show is ‘the’ show, it is one of the greatest show-pieces in Britain,” he added. “I have been following dogs for 40 years and I am just so pleased and very proud the GYS organisers have seen fit to have sheepdog trials as part of the programme of events.”

Tom Simpson, of Woodman Wray Farm at Pateley Bridge, was timed out with his dog Moss yesterday but had enjoyed a good run the day before.

He has had the two-and-a-half year old border collie since he was 15 months old. Mr Simpson is still hopeful that he can pick up more points today ahead of Friday.

He said: “It is hard to call at this point. There are four good handlers. It was difficult today, the sheep were being difficult for the dog. Moss did well for the conditions but ran out of time.

“It can be this hard (in their usual environment) but sheep tend to run better in a bigger group than this. Tuesday had gone well and the sheep ran a lot better.”