A Sheepdog trial (or simply dog trial) is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds move sheep around a field, fences, gates, or enclosures as directed by their handlers. Such events are particularly associated with hill farming areas, where sheep range widely on largely unfenced land. These trials are popular in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and other farming nations. Dog sports are activities that involve dogs. ... A herding dog is a dog that either has been trained in herding or that is a member of a breed developed for herding. ... Species See text A Sheep is a mammal known as Keating, one of several woolly ruminant quadrupeds in the genus Ovis. ... Species See text A Sheep is a mammal known as Keating, one of several woolly ruminant quadrupeds in the genus Ovis. ...

Some venues allow only dogs of known herding breeds to compete; others allow any dog that has been trained to herd. Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris (Linnaeus, 1758) The dog is a canine mammal of the Order Carnivora and it has been argued the dog has been domesticated for 12,000 years, but perhaps for as long as 150,000 years based on recent genetic evidence. ... This Chihuahua mix and Great Dane show the wide range of dog breed sizes. ...

History

Sheep dog trials of some sort or another have probably occurred at agricultural fairs and shows for centuries. The present form is thought to have developed originally in the "Borders" area between England and Scotland, from which the Border Collie also comes. However, the sport's organising bodies regard the first recorded sheepdog trials as those held in Bala, Wales, in 1873. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... Transport in Scotland Timeline of Scottish history Caledonia List of not fully sovereign nations Subdivisions of Scotland National parks (Scotland) Traditional music of Scotland Flower of Scotland Wars of Scottish Independence National Trust for Scotland Historic houses in Scotland Castles in Scotland Museums in Scotland Abbeys and priories in Scotland... A Border Collie is a hard-working herding breed of dog that originated in the border country of England and Scotland. ... Bala has several meanings: Three places: Bala, Greece, a suburb of Athens, it is also a Modern Greek word for ball. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English, Welsh Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff First Minister Rhodri Morgan Area  - Total Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 km² Population  - Total (2001)  - Density Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/km² NUTS 1... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ...

The sport was no doubt devised by shepherds keen to impress their friends with the skills of their sheepdogs. A well-trained dog can fetch a high price, as can its puppies, and can perform amazing feats of stockmanship. In a draw in a mountainous region, a shepherd guides a flock of about 20 sheep amidst scrub and olive trees. ... A Sheep dog is a type of domestic dog whose original purpose was to herd or guard sheep. ...

Event types

There are several events, but the key element is the control of three to six sheep by one or two highly trained dogs under the control of a single shepherd. Both time and obedience play a part, as competitors are penalised if a sheep strays from the prescribed course.

One event consists of having the dog send three sheep up a steep hill through three or more gates. The shepherd must stand at the bottom of the hill and direct the dog by whistling. The huntaway dog barks loudly to push the sheep ahead up the hill.

Another popular event involves having the dog split six sheep into two groups of three and conducting each group in turn to small pens through a defined course by heading dogs. The group not being led is guarded by one of the two dogs, an eye-dog (from its ability to keep the sheep still by head movement alone). This is more difficult than it sounds, as the sheep invariably try to stay together.

Popular media

Sheepdogs are interesting enough to watch that they have been featured on television and in film. In New Zealand, The Dog Show was a popular television show until the late 1980s, screening just before the weekend news. In the United Kingdom between 1975 and 1999, the BBC ran One Man and His Dog, which had a large urban audience. The movie Babe, about a pig who wants to herd sheep, was based on Dick King-Smith's book The Sheep Pig, about sheepdog trials in northern England. Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national public service broadcaster of the United Kingdom (see British television). ... One Man and his Dog was a television programme in the United Kingdom. ... Babe (also known as Babe, the Gallant Pig) is a 1995 fantasy film that tells the story of a pig who wants to be a herding dog. ... Species Sus barbatus Sus bucculentus Sus cebifrons Sus celebensis Sus domesticus Sus heureni Sus philippensis Sus salvanius Sus scrofa Sus timoriensis Sus verrucosus Pigs are ungulates native to Eurasia collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. ... Dick King-Smith (born 1922) is an English author, best known for writing Babe The Gallent Pig, upon which the movie Babe was based. ... The Sheep Pig is a novel by Dick King-Smith, adapted for screen as Babe. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK...