Variations on these courses are seen in both
Great Britain and
North America.
The "National" course:
GATHERING -- The dog may be directed
on either side in the outrun. A straight fetch
of 400 yards from the lift to the handler through
a center set of gates 7 yards wide 150 yards
from the handler. No retry at the gate is allowed.
The handler must remain at the post from the
commencement of the outrun and at the end of
the fetch he will pass the sheep behind him
toward the direction of the first set of drive
gates.
DRIVING -- The drive may be to eith
left or right as decided by the trials committee
prior to the trial. The handler will stand at
the post and direct the dog to drive the sheep
450 yards over a trialgular course through two
sets of gates 7 yards wide. A second attempt
at either set of gates is not allowed. The drive
ends when the sheep enter the shedding ring
at which point the handler may leave the post.
When the fetch is less than 400 yards the drive
should be lengthened if possible to maintain
a total course length of approximately 850 yards.
SHEDDING -- The shedding ring shall
be 40 yards in diameter. Two unmarked shep shall
be shed within the ring. The dog must be in
full control of the two shed sheep (need not
be in the ring) to be considered satisfactory.
Upon completion of hte shed the sheep shall
be reunited before continuing to the pen.
PENNING -- The pen will be 8 ft. by
9 ft. with a gate 8 ft. wide to which is secured
a rope 6 ft. long. On completion of the shed
the handler shall proceed to the pen leaving
the dog to bring the sheep to the pen. The handler
cannot assist the dog in bringing the sheep
to the pen. The handler will stand at the gate
holding the rope and must not let go of the
rope while the dog works the sheep into the
pen. The handler will close the gate, after
releasing the sheep the handler shall close
and fasten the gate.
SINGLE -- The handler will proceed to
the shedding ring leaving the dog to bring the
sheep from the pen to the ring. One of the marked
sheep will be shed of within the ring and therafter
worn (need not be in the ring) to the judges
satisfaction. Handlers are forbidden from assisting
the dog in driving of the single any distance
or by forcing it on the dog.
Time limit -- 15 minutes Points:
- outrun, 20
- lift, 10
- fetch, 20
- drive, 30
- shed, 10
- pen, 10
- single, 10
Total -- 110 points
The "International Supreme" Course:
GATHERING -- One lot of 10 sheep will
be set 800 yds. (if possible unseen by dog)
which should be gathered and brought through
a gate 9 yds. wide to a post 20 yds. through
the gate. The dog is then redirected for another
lot of sheep which should also be brought through
the gate and reunited with the first group.
The trials committee shall decide before the
trial the direction of hte first outrun with
the second being to the other side. No retry
is allowed if the gate is missed either time.
Both dog and sheep shall be past the gate and
to the post before the dog is redirected. At
the end of the fetch the handler shall pass
the sheep behind him in the direction of the
first drive gate.
DRIVING --The drive shall be 600 yds.
and triangular from the handlers post passing
through two gates 9 yds. wide. No retry is allowed
at missed gates. The drive ends when the sheep
enter the shedding ring at which time the handler
may leave the post.
SHEDDING --The 15 unmarked sheep are
to be shed off within the 40 yd. diameter ring.
In shedding the sheep will be passed between
the handler and dog and the dog brought in to
stop and turn back the marked sheep. Manoevering
for 'cuts' is not allowed. Should any marked
sheep leave the shedding ring and join any unmarked
sheep already shed off the unmarked sheep with
the marked sheep will be brought back into the
shedding ring and shedding restarted. Until
the 15 unmarked sheep have been shed off pennning
is not permitted.
PENNING -- On completion of the shedding
the handler will proceed to the pen leaving
the dog to bring the marked sheep. The handler
may not assist the dog in driving the sheep
to the pen. The pen will be 8 ft. by 9 ft. with
a 8 ft. gate to which is secured a six ft. rope.
The handler must stand at the gate and hold
the rope and may not let go of the rope while
the dog works the sheep into the pen. The handler
must close the gate. After releasing the sheep
the handler will close and fasten the gate.
Time limit -- 30 minutes Points:
- outrun, two times 20
- lift, two times 10
- fetch, two times 20
- drive, 40
- shed, 20
- pen, 10
Total -- 170 points
The "International Brace" Course:
GATHERING -- Ten sheep will be set in
one lot in the center if the feild at a distance
of approximately 800 yds. Both dogs will start
at the same time. Crossing at the completion
of the outrun is permissible but dogs should
remain on the sides to which they have crossed
and should not recross. The fetch should be
straight through a gate 9 yds. wide in the center
of the field. No retry is allowed if the gate
is missed. The dogs shall remain on their own
sides and the handler shall remain at the post
passing the sheep behind him at the end of the
fetch toward the first drive gate.
DRIVING -- The handler stands at the
post and directs the two dogs to drive the sheep
over a 600 yard triangular course through two
sets of gates 9 yds. wide. No retry is allowed
if a gate is missed. Both dogs shall remain
on their own sides. The drive ends when the
sheep enter the shedding ring at which time
the hanler may leave the post.
SHEDDING --The sheep will be divided
into two equal lots by either dog inside the
shedding ring. One set will be driven off and
left in the charge of one of the dogs.
PENNING -- The other group of sheep
will be penned by the other dog in a diamond
shaped pen with an entrance of 5 feet and no
gate. This dog will be left in charge while
the other lot are penned in a similar pen approximately
50 yards away by the other dog.
Time limit -- 25 minutes Points
- outrun -- two times 20
- lift, 20
- etch, 20,
- drive, 30
- shed, 10
- pen, two times 10
Total -- 140 points
International Sheep Dog Society
Guidelines for Judges
OUTRUN
The dog must be positioned close to the handler
and may be sent out on either side. He should
not be too straight or too wide and in going
out the dog should not require nor should he
receive any commands. Commands given should
be penalized, as indicated later. The command
by whistle is to be regarded as the same as
a spoken command.
If a dog crosses the course, a minimum of 50%
of the total points for the outrun is to be
deducted, and, in addition points must be deducted
for commands
The perfect outrun should be completed without
any commands and judges should deduct points
for every command given and the loss of points
will depend upon the judge's view of the seriousness
of the mistakes. The dog should not stop and
should not cut in. It is obviously more serious
if a dog stops on his outrun than if he goes
on after being re-directed, and judges should
mark accordingly.
A good outrun should be in the shape of one
side of a pear with the blunt end of the pear
at the far end of the field near the sheep.
The dog should finish far enough away from the
sheep so as not to disturb them.
Where the outrun ends will vary with the actual
position of the sheep. If the sheep have left
their appointed place at the post the outrun
should end at the point where the dog is facing
them in order to bring the sheep in a direct
line to the first obstacle. In effect, this
means that if the sheep have left the post,
the dog is to finish his outrun facing the heads
of the sheep. This might necessitate the dog
stopping on the side of his outrun if the sheep
happened to be coming to meet him, and conversely
could mean him going a long way past the post
if the sheep were going away from the post in
the same direction as he is running.
If the sheep remain at the post, the outrun
will end when the dog is behind them and in
line with his master. He must always finish
facing them in order to be in a position to
fetch them direct to the first obstacle.
LIFT
At the end of the outrun, whether
the dog has come to a full stop or merely
slowed down, his
approach should be smooth, cautious and steady
and the main feature of the "lift" is an ability
to take control in a firm and quiet manner without
disturbing the sheep. He should not rush in
and thus startle the sheep and he should not
lie back and require numerous commands before
getting his sheep on the move.
Judges will deduct points for excessive commands,
slowness, etc. at this phase of the trial. Apart
from these observations, judges must use their
personal knowledge of sheep and sheepdogs to
decide whether a lift has disturbed the sheep
unduly and must mark accordingly.
FETCH
The sheep should be brought at a steady pace
and in a straight line from the place of lifting
to the first obstacle, and thereafeter in a
straight line to the handler.
The dog should not hurry or over-flank his
sheep (this means that he should not go too
far on either side thereby turning his sheep
across the course and giving zig-zag movement).
He should require few, if any, commands, and
where the sheep are inclined to stray from the
true line the dog's ability is judged by his
control of them and his immediate answer to
all commands.
If the gates are missed or if the sheep are
off-line, the penalty must reflect all the circumstances,
and in particular the amount of fault attributable
to the dog and/or the handler. Both can be the
subject of penalties. If the sheep are docile
and mistakes are made, then the penalty should
be more severe than where the sheep are awkward
and thereby contribute to diversions which the
dog is unable to avoid.
If a gate is missed there should be a minimum
deduction of a half a point per sheep but Judges
must take into consideration all the relevant
circumstances contributing to the missing of
the gate and adjust deductions accordingly.
The sheep should be passed behind the handler
as close to the post as practical and the whole
work should be done in a steady and smooth manner.
DRIVING
The "Drive" takes place in
a triangular direction and can be run either
from left to right or
right to left according to the course and the
decision of the Trials Committee.
The first leg of the triangle starts immediately
the sheep have passed behind the handler and
the sheep are required to go in a straight line
for 150 yards (or 200 yards at the International)
to the first set of gates.
Having got the sheep through the gates they
should be turned immediately on to a direct
line across the course to the second set of
gates. When through these gates they should
then be turned as neatly as possible on to a
straight line to the shedding ring.
It is important that the last leg of the triangle
should be in a straight line to the shedding
ring which is usually situated to make this
also the most direct line. The dog should show
obvious ability to drive steadily without excessive
commands. Reasonable turns at the post and at
both gates are expected.
Good handling in difficult situations will
be taken into consideration by the Judge.
As in the "Fetch", the gates
are guides to the alignment of the sheep.
Throughout the "Drive" the
sheep should be kept moving gently - excessive
bursts of speed
and subsequent stopping is not desirable and
should be penalised. If a gate is missed there
should be a minimum of half a point per sheep
but Judges must take into consideration all
the relevant circumstances to the missing of
a gate and adjust deductions accordingly. The
handler must not leave the post until the sheep
are actually in the shedding ring.
SHEDDING
Shedding necessitates negotiation
of the sheep within the ring by the handler
and dog to the
best position for effecting the deliberate shed
by the dog of the two specified sheep. Having
got the sheep suitably positioned, the dog should
come in and take off the required sheep and
once having taken them off he must have them
under control before the "Shed" can be deemed
satisfactory. The important aspect here is to
test the dog's ability to shed or separate the
two unmarked sheep from the rest of the flock.
The dog must be in full control
of the two shed sheep, otherwise the "Shed" will not be
deemed satisfactory and should be penalised.
The ideal "Shed" occurs when the dog comes towards
the handler when commanded by him; e.g., cuts
off his sheep which are to be shed and holds
them away from the rest.
The "Shed" is complete when
the dog has come in when commanded by the
handler and is in control
of his two sheep. It is not necessary for the
dog to come right through to the handler.
On completion of the "Shed" the
handler should bring his sheep together in
a practical and
workmanlike manner.
PENNING
There is no rule about bringing
the two sheep to the remaining three or vice-versa.
The "pen" will
be 8 ft. x 9 ft. with a gate to which is secured
a rope 6 ft. long. On completion of shedding,
the handler must proceed to the "pen" leaving
his dog to bring the sheep to the "pen". The
handler is forbidden to assist the dog to drive
the sheep to the pen. The handler will stand
at the gate holding the rope and must not let
go of the rope. It is for the dog only to work
the sheep into the pen. The handler will close
the gate. After releasing the sheep, the handler
will close and fasten the gate and shall be
penalised for failure to fasten the gate.
All these points must be marked and each failure
to pen shall be the subject of a penalty decuction.
SINGLE
The handler will proceed to the shedding ring
leaving the dog to bring the sheep from the
pen to the ring.
One of two marked sheep will
be shed off within the ring and thereafter "worn" (inside
or outside the ring) to the Judges' satisfaction.
Handlers
are forbidden to assist the dog in driving off
or attempting to drive off the single any distance
or by forcing it on the dog.
If the Judges are agreed that
a dog has not been fairly tested owing to
the disposition
and action of the sheep, they may order the
handler to collect the sheep again and shed
off and wear any other sheep. As with the "Shed" the
dog and not the handler should come in and cut
off the single sheep.
Far too many handlers are seen cutting off
the sheep whilst the dog lies back acting as
an almost disinterested spectator. This should
be heavily penalised. The greatest help the
handler can give his dog is by getting out of
the way and allowing his dog room to prove his
ability to take off and wear a single sheep.
It is essential that the dog
should beable to keep the "single" sheep away from the remainder
and the Judges should not express their satisfaction
until the dog has been thoroughly tested and
they are satisfied that he has proved his ability
to do this. Here again, the behaviour of the
sheep should be considered by the Judges when
deciding whether the "single" has herding magazines
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