Local handlers compete for a place at national championships

The 150 triallists are competing over the next three days for the 15 places available to represent Scotland at the International Sheep Dog Trials in southern Ireland in September.

Scottish National Sheepdog Trials president Ewan Mackinnon said: “We’re hoping for a good standard of competition. There are a lot of excellent handlers and we hope at the end of Saturday to have a good team to represent Scotland.

“Farm owner John Richardson has been very accommodating to us. It’s a challenging course but it will be interesting. It’s on the side of a hill and some dogs could go too wide on the outrun but apart from that it’s relatively straightforward.”

There will also be a cafe and International Sheep Dog Society shop at the venue (which will be signposted from the A68), and, on family day on Saturday, dog and duck demonstrations, a children’s dog show and facepainting.

Local competitors include Andrew Emmerson from Selkirk, Oxton’s Andrew Dickman, John Allan from Yarrow, Bobby Dalziel from Ettrick, Earlston’s John Foster, Johnny Robinson and Cameron Dickson, both from Coldingham, Keith Preston and Stewart Craig from Lauder, Yarrow’s Viv Billingham and Julie Hill and Bobby Henderson from Heriot.