After the single dog championship, a few
handlers competed in the demanding
‘brace’ event, where two dogs work
together to unite two flocks, then help
separate it again. One group gets moved
into an open pen and left there to be
guarded by one dog, after which the
rest get herded into a closed pen on the
opposite side of the camp with the other
dog. Guarding sheep while your handler
leaves with your colleague is one of the
trickiest tasks, as dogs naturally want to
be where the action is.
Most of the dogs and handlers here are
from working farms, the tests are not
meant to be fun. They are serious and
this event reveals the practical abilities
of the best dogs, the most sought after
dogs. Dogs share the farmer’s workload;
the dogs earn their keep (and more) on a
farm.
While there are many breeds of dogs that
herd livestock, the dogs that participated
were all Border Collies. They are usually
black dogs marked with white, typically
also a white tail tip, the ‘flag’ the handler
can immediately identify when the dog
works at a distance. Other colours, like
the striking marble colours (or ‘merle’), are
also seen, but more often in show dogs
and pets; for herding dogs the fanciful
appearance of the dog is less important
than its ability to do the job. These dogs
are fast, nimble, slim and lean – probably
weighing less than your average garden
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