Sheepdog world's trials and tribulations

Border collies from both sides of the Pennines are being worked by their handlers, moving three Swaledale sheep from one end of the field to the other and hopefully culminating with the sheep being secured in a small pen.

A short distance from the pen is a line of cars and assorted four-wheel drives where, like the grandstands next to the 18th hole at a golf tournament, spectators wait to see who will become the winners and losers.

Between trials, they gather in one of the farm buildings to eat pies and sandwiches, drink the copious amounts of tea issuing from a large urn, and enjoy a bit of a gossip. And looking round, one thing is immediately apparent. The majority of the dog handlers are getting on in years.

"It's going to be a real problem for us in the future," says Ron Airey, 76, who is chairman of the Yorkshire Sheepdog Society (YSS).

"Not only is our membership shrinking...we're down to less than 60 now... but we're getting older too."

Watching the trials at Blubberhouses are two other YSS office holders. Adrian Bancroft, from Settle, is the 70-year-old treasurer, while the secretary, Enid Moore of Oxenhope, is at 62 the youngest member of the committee.

Sheepdog trials have a long history, the earliest being held in New Zealand in 1867. The first UK trial is thought to have been at Bala in Wales in 1873, and soon afterwards events spread to hill farming areas of Scotland and Yorkshire.

A trial involves a dog being sent to fetch sheep from some distance away and then completing a variety of tasks. The dog should always be in control of the sheep – moving them in straight lines is a big point-earner – and once the sheep are brought through gates and back to the handler the dog must then drive the sheep away from the handler before moving the sheep neatly into the pen.

Between 1975 and 1999 the BBC screened One Man and His Dog, but its great popularity with viewers did not translate into many young people becoming interested in sheepdog trials. The YSS is one of five sheepdog societies in the Pennine area, and since its formation in 1947 it has held regular meetings at the Punch Bowl Inn, Silsden, near Keighley.

The society puts on regular trials throughout the summer, and each winter organises seven nursery trials for young sheepdogs.

There are a number of reasons why the society has an ageing membership, says chairman Airey. For a start, it reflects the general health of sheep farming, which is not as economic as it used to be with the result that there are fewer flocks than 20 years ago.

"Another point is that young lads and lasses who work with sheep are more often than not using these quad bikes, so they never learn how to handle a dog and don't get the interest at an early age like we did. I had my own dog from about the age of eight."

If children don't have a relative who is doing sheepdog trials, he adds, they have no-one to teach them the ropes and get them involved.

Treasurer Bancroft says: "I know a hill farmer in Ribblesdale who has a lot of moor ground for his sheep yet he hasn't got a dog any more. To do a round-up they use two quad bikes and a lot of shouting."

However, some sheepdog societies in the Pennines are attracting one or two youngsters, and a competitor at Blubberhouses was Tom Lawrenson, 26, who works as a sheep farmer near Chorley in Lancashire.

He admits he doesn't know many handlers of his generation. "It's an old man's hobby, that's the trouble with it. Most of my mates find other things to do. To be honest, it's a bit of a toss-up at the weekend whether to go drinking on a night out or get an early night for a trial the next day."

There is some extra income to be made from sheepdogs, he says. Some handlers can get a good name for breeding or training. Earlier this month two dogs sold for 5,000 each at Skipton auctions, where there were 112 dogs on sale. A more typical price is about 3,000.

"But if you added up the time you put into training and everything else," Tom says, "it's not much an hour so you don't do it for the money."

The prize money at trials is low. Often, entrants compete for a first prize of 6, but they are charged a fee of 5 for each dog and most handlers bring two. This summer the proceeds from trials are going towards staging the World Sheepdog Trials at Lowther Castle, Cumbria, in September of next year.

According to Adrian Bancroft, who organises the sheepdog trials at Kilnsea Show – the largest agricultural event in the Yorkshire Dales calendar – another big problem the YSS faces in the region is a lack of farmers and shepherds allowing their land and sheep to be used for events.

At Blubberhouses, Chris Ryder offered his 700-acre Scaife Hall Farm to the YSS, and acknowledges that there's "a bit of work involved" in staging sheepdog trials.

"I'm keeping the pens in the field so that there's less things to set up next time. But I enjoy watching the trials, and I run a few dogs myself, so I try to help keep the tradition going."

If any farmers would like to offer their land and sheep for a sheepdog trial and help to keep the events alive in the region, contact Yorkshire Sheepdog Society's Enid Moore on 01535 643133.