Border Collies by Iris Combe

Author:Iris Combe
Language: nld
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 0571111734
Published: 1978-07-08T22:00:00+00:00

PRESENT-DAY TRIALS

To compete at trials is a pleasure reserved for the very few, but to watch them is a pleasure we can all enjoy. I suppose one might almost call this a spectator sport, rather in the same category as greyhound racing or horse trials, for each provides entertainment and relaxation for the spectator and acts as a testing ground for the breeds. This aspect of the Border Collie is as complex as any other so before setting the scene for the present-day sheepdog trial I feel I must break the subject down into sections by covering the parts played by the spectators, competitors and dogs, in that order.

Being a dedicated spectator, whenever family commitments permit I steal away for a couple of days and try to visit as many trials as possible during the season. My husband rarely accompanies me on these trips; he prefers to watch the 'cream on the top' at the internationals. But local trials are my favourites, as I like to follow through the fortunes of beginner dogs from this level upwards. Whenever possible I stay at one of those welcoming bed and breakfast farmhouses, where the bedrooms are adequate and the breakfasts superb. For me, part of the fun is absorbing the local atmosphere by chatting to the owners or having a meal at the local pub. In this way I often meet other dedicated spectators or overseas visitors touring the district who in consequence have of ten decided to include in their itinerary a visit to the trials. Several have written to me afterwards saying that the experience had been the highlight of their tour in the United Kingdom.

As the form of the trials progresses from local through national to international level, the atmosphere changes; so too do the faces of the spectators. If you are visiting sheepdog trials for the first time, I strongly recommend that you start at the local ones as you can never really appreciate the apparent ease and skill of performances at international level until you have seen some of the less skilled, from both dog and handler.

The competitions at local trials can vary from those open to real novice dogs or handlers to the more experienced, and often include a special class for the lady competitors and, of course, the qualifying competitions for the national trials. Besides these there are classes for sheep-shearing, crook- or hurdle-making and many other attractions, all depending upon the ingenuity of the local committees or the suitable facilities of the venue. At times even a local gymkhana or ploughing match is run in conjunction with these events, and in some parts of the United Kingdom, particularly in Wales, there is a sheep section with classes for pens of local breeds, with cups and prizes for the best ram or ewe, and so on.

These classes are of great interest to the farmers and are usually, well filled. People may come from far afield to these trials. I once 'eavesdropped' on a couple of

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