The National Course
As far as possible, sheepdog trials imitate the conditions and work to be encountered in everyday shepherding on the hills and lowlands.
The National is held as a qualifying trial for the International and selects the team to represent that particular Nation, in this case Wales. The Brace and Driving representatives for the International are also selected here.
The handler stands at the post and positions his dog either left or right, and directs it, ideally on a pear shaped outrun, to gather the sheep set out approximately 400yds from the handler. The dog should not stop nor require any commands before reaching its sheep without upsetting them
At the completion of the outrun the dog quiet;y and steadily lifts/moves the sheep in the direction of the first obstacle.
The dog should bring the sheep at a steady pace and in a straight line, through the fetch gates and in the most direct line to the handler. When the sheep pass behind the Handler, the gathering is completed.
The dog then moves/drives the sheep in the direction decided previously by the Trials Committee. The first leg of the drive starts from behind the handler and then in a straight line through the first set of drive gates 150 yds. away (7 yards apart). Having got the sheep through the gates they should be turned immediately onto a direct line across to the second set of gates 150 yds away (7 yds apart). When through these the sheep should be driven in a straight line to the 40 yd diameter shedding ring. The whole work should be done in a smooth and steady manner.
In the shedding ring, the handler and dog combine to shed (separate) 2 from 5 sheep. Three sheep are unmarked and two have red collars; it is any two of the unmarked sheep that have to be shed and control shown by the dog.
Only when the shed is accomplished (and not until it is) and the sheep reunited, can the shepherd proceed to the pen 9ft x 8ft with an 8ft gate. The handler keeps the gate open by holding the end of a 6ft rope and then directs the dog to manoeuvre the sheep into the desired position to conclude a successful pen. The shepherd must remain at the end of the rope to ensure that the dog does the majority of the work
Once penned, the sheep are brought back to the ring where the dog has to separate one sheep from the rest. This time, it is either the two sheep with collars which should be worn or held away from the others by the dog to the satisfaction of the Judges.
The Brace or Doubles competition is held over the same National style course
