Top sheep trials to get under way in north Lancashire (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Top sheep trials to get under way in north Lancashire

10:50am Tuesday 31st January 2012 in Farm & country

ONE of the pinnacle events on the farming calender comes to north Lancashire this summer.

Preparations are underway for the English National Sheepdog Trials, which take place on Swine Cragg Allotment at Over Kellet, between August 2 and 4.

The event sees handlers and their four-legged friends from around the country battle it out for selection in an elite team to compete in the International Sheep Dog Trials in September.

The top 150 dogs in the country are whittled down to just 15.

Stuart Walton, who is on the organising committee, said: “It’s a real one man and his dog event. It’s the best dogs in the country and for anybody interested in dogs, not just sheep dogs, you won’t find better elsewhere.”

This year’s event will not have the usual ‘country fair’ feel about it after a lack of funding and interest in bringing trade stands.

“This year it’s a bit of a last-minute thing,” explained Mr Walton. “In past years, we have gone towards making it more country fair-ish and more of a spectacle but this year it will be more a good sheep dog trial, but it will still be open to the public.”

Mr Walton said it had been difficult finding a suitable venue, which has to be 400 metres long to accommodate the length of the course, and have enough capacity to facilitate five sheep to each dog.

He explained: “Normally, you get three or four local sheep dog societies or groups of people that get in touch with the president to notify him that they have a venue, but nobody came forward because it takes a lot of running.”

But Over Kellet was eventually secured and Mr Walton said the large and open field would provide a ‘testing course’.

Visit www.englishnational sheepdogtrials.org.uk for more information.