0:00:02 > 0:00:03Across the country,
0:00:03 > 0:00:07thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Stop arguing, girls, give over.
0:00:12 > 0:00:13FARMER WHISTLES
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But there is one day each year...
0:00:17 > 0:00:20..where they get to leave the daily routine behind.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Right, here we come, Dorset.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24These are show days...
0:00:24 > 0:00:27- ANNOUNCER:- A very, very warm welcome to Melplash Show.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29..when they come together as a community...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33..to showcase the fruits of their labour...
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I just love showing my girls off.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Smashed it.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44..and award-winning produce.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45That's really nice cheese, that.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50It was very good, darling.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51There will be highs...
0:00:51 > 0:00:54That's what we want to see - red, red is the best.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57- ..and lows... - She's not happy enough to go.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Fingers crossed.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17There are over 15 million sheep and lambs in the UK,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19and herding them is a full-time job.
0:01:21 > 0:01:22Come by. Lie down.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Shepherds Shirley Cropper from Lancashire...
0:01:29 > 0:01:31..and John Atkinson from Yorkshire...
0:01:32 > 0:01:35..are sharpening their skills for a showdown at one of
0:01:35 > 0:01:39the most prestigious sheepdog trials on the countryside calendar.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45A champion sheepdog is a calling card for its trainer,
0:01:45 > 0:01:47with prices running into thousands of pounds
0:01:47 > 0:01:49for a fully trained animal.
0:01:49 > 0:01:50That'll do!
0:01:52 > 0:01:55With just two days to go to the big show...
0:01:56 > 0:01:59..there is pride and silverware at stake.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11The magnificent Yorkshire Dales, just south of York,
0:02:11 > 0:02:13is home to shepherd John Atkinson.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20He looks after the feral sheep that roam the picturesque 8,000 acre
0:02:20 > 0:02:21Escrick Park Estate.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Come by. I can't see the sheep, but she should be bringing them to us.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33That'll do, that'll do, come here.
0:02:33 > 0:02:34That'll do.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40The estate has been owned by the Forbes-Adam family
0:02:40 > 0:02:42for around 350 years.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48So I'm the 12th generation, which is quite a responsibility.
0:02:48 > 0:02:54I really want to hand it over in a better state than I found it.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56Part of their challenge is to look after
0:02:56 > 0:02:58their huge wild nature reserve.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02That's where John comes in.
0:03:02 > 0:03:06The cattle, ponies and roaming sheep may be nature's lawnmowers
0:03:06 > 0:03:08but they take a lot of looking after.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15I first came here because the estate rang me one day,
0:03:15 > 0:03:18because I train sheepdogs and I've done for 40 years,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21and they said, could I get the sheep, cos they couldn't find them or catch them.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24I'm now living on the estate, looking after them all,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27treating them all, and living in one of their houses.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32We use the dogs not only for gathering them and taking them
0:03:32 > 0:03:34on and off and treating them,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38but we also move them around the nature reserve.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43If the grazing is getting overgrazed on one section,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46I'll move the sheep onto another section.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52John's absolutely brilliant, as are his dogs.
0:03:52 > 0:03:59Skipwith Common is basically 660 acres of scrub woodland,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03ponds, reeds, bog, heath, everything,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and without John and his sheepdogs,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08there's no way we would be able to look after the sheep
0:04:08 > 0:04:10on such a difficult stretch of country.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15To control this nature reserve without dogs would be impossible.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29John's love of man's best friend began when he was a young lad,
0:04:29 > 0:04:33and it's a passion he shares with his partner, Julia.
0:04:33 > 0:04:38Julia's the kennel maid, and a good one, she looks after the pups.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40What do they call those women that look after babies?
0:04:40 > 0:04:43- Wet nurse.- No, not wet nurse! What's the other one?- A nanny.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46No, not nanny. Midwife!
0:04:46 > 0:04:47- She's the midwife.- Midwife.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Border collies are not the only dogs the couple keep.
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Julia has two very energetic pugs.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Mimi. Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Those are Julia's dogs,
0:05:07 > 0:05:10they're more trouble than all the sheepdogs put together.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13They're not. You're not, are you, girls?
0:05:13 > 0:05:15Come on, my little pigs.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21No matter how you feel in life, a dog will always greet you happy.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23They have great affection for you.
0:05:23 > 0:05:25You should give that affection back.
0:05:25 > 0:05:27I don't know how I'd be without my dogs.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32What did I used to sing to her?
0:05:35 > 0:05:39# Oh, give me a home where the buffaloes roam
0:05:39 > 0:05:44# And the skies is all cloudy all day... #
0:05:44 > 0:05:47They do get a little bit excited when I sing to them.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Singing to dogs is not John's only talent.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57He seems to understand other animals, too.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59COW MOOS
0:05:59 > 0:06:00I know.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Before they discovered dogs and sheep, 25 years ago,
0:06:03 > 0:06:07John and Julia's life was a little different, to say the least.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Julie was a buyer, and I used to sell ladies underwear.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14I used to sell it to Julia.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16I used to sell her the knickers...
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- Tried to!- Tried to!
0:06:18 > 0:06:20That's right, she was a tough buyer.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Sold everything. You used to wear it, the thong...
0:06:23 > 0:06:27You did, didn't you? I used to sell everything from a lady's thong,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30which is the eye patch, you know, with the string up the bottom,
0:06:30 > 0:06:31to the harvest festivals.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34- That's how we met.- And that's how we met.- 25 years ago.
0:06:44 > 0:06:4870 miles away, in rural Lancashire's beautiful south Pennines,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50there's another devoted shepherd.
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Shirley lives here with her pack of border collies.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Come by, come by.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59Away.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02Mastering her dogs has become a passion for Shirley,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05but this is far removed from her first love.
0:07:05 > 0:07:11I was a hairdresser, and I did beauty therapy treatments.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15I did enjoy what I was doing, I must have had enough of that,
0:07:15 > 0:07:17and I must have been at a stage in my life
0:07:17 > 0:07:19when I was just ready for a change.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Shirley's life did change one evening in a local pub,
0:07:24 > 0:07:29where she met the man who was to become her partner of 23 years.
0:07:29 > 0:07:30I met Jimmy Cropper.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35And that's how I got interested in the sheepdog trials.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Jimmy, a former coalminer,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41was in fact one of the greatest sheep trial champions
0:07:41 > 0:07:43this country has ever produced.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46He's the best.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48I daren't say anything else.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54No, she came from a hairdresser's shop and a beautician.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56No, not a hairdresser's shop,
0:07:56 > 0:07:59I were a self-employed hairdresser and beauty therapist, excuse me.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03And then met an old fool like me, a fool on the hill...
0:08:03 > 0:08:04Yeah. That's right.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10When I first met Jimmy, I think that was the first place you took me to,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12a sheepdog trial, when I first met you.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15Yes, I was courting then, sheepdog triallers.
0:08:15 > 0:08:17A day out!
0:08:18 > 0:08:20We went to quite a few.
0:08:22 > 0:08:26I could see that Jimmy was doing something just a little bit special.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29I didn't think at first I wanted to do it even,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32I just thought it was marvellous to watch.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34And, bit by bit, I learned.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40And then I got my own young dog and started training that.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Jimmy taught me a lot. Yes.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Took some doing!
0:08:52 > 0:08:55Jokes aside, the couple have become an excellent team.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00They have 600 sheep on their 800 acre farm,
0:09:00 > 0:09:03which are managed by their dozen dogs.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05And there's also the raft of ducks.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11When you're working with sheep, that can be hard work.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16There's never a day goes by when you've nothing to do.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Christmas Day, New Year's Day, any day.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26You just get on with it, don't you, you just do what you have to do.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30But Shirley doesn't always feel that she is living the dream.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34We're 1,500 feet above sea level, we can get really bad storms.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40Sometimes it does cross me mind that I would like to be
0:09:40 > 0:09:44in a nice warm salon somewhere, just painting somebody's nails.
0:09:50 > 0:09:51But despite the hardships,
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Shirley's love for her dogs and what she does keeps her going.
0:09:57 > 0:10:03We're not hard on our dogs, I do pet me dogs, and I do say, "Good dog,"
0:10:03 > 0:10:05when they've done something really good.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10And you can feel the proudness in them, that they know.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18A good dog makes a good shepherd.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21You teach your dog to be kind on stock
0:10:21 > 0:10:23and it becomes an easier job then.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26However, there's only one dog in this farm
0:10:26 > 0:10:29which manages to get inside the house.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32We have a little house dog called Horace.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36We could never have the border collies in the house.
0:10:36 > 0:10:41Some people work dogs, bath them and take them into the house,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43but they've maybe only one or two dogs,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47I wouldn't like to take just one or two dogs into the house.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Back in Yorkshire, former salesman John is busy with his champion dog
0:10:57 > 0:10:59who has just had a litter.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Given they've inherited their mother's excellent genes,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06these puppies are highly prized.
0:11:06 > 0:11:10This is a little bitch called Jess, good little work bitch,
0:11:10 > 0:11:12and it's the first litter she's had.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14I've got them ordered - she's that good,
0:11:14 > 0:11:16people have seen her working already.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18They order them in advance from me.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21The pups will be about £500 each.
0:11:21 > 0:11:25If I trained a dog and took it all the way through its training,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27that dog could be worth £5,000.
0:11:32 > 0:11:37But to realise their potential, a lot of work goes into sheepdogs.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39And for John and Julia, that means teamwork.
0:11:41 > 0:11:45I train them, but Julia knows just as much as I do about
0:11:45 > 0:11:49inside the head of the dog, she knows how to bring young dogs on,
0:11:49 > 0:11:51whether a dog's tough, whether it's gentle.
0:11:53 > 0:11:55I've worked with babes and young children for years
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and as silly as it sounds, young dogs, puppies -
0:11:58 > 0:12:01you do see similar things in them,
0:12:01 > 0:12:04the way they learn or how they behave.
0:12:05 > 0:12:10Once Julia has done her nurturing, the next step lies with John.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17For any shepherd, the real skill is to find that special puppy,
0:12:17 > 0:12:21who could go on to become a fully-trained champion.
0:12:21 > 0:12:24You know within minutes if that dog is any good.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30It has a feel for sheep, it's kind to sheep,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32yet it has a presence about it.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36When you get a dog like that, I just look to the heavens and say,
0:12:36 > 0:12:38"Thank you, God."
0:12:40 > 0:12:43You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear,
0:12:43 > 0:12:47but if you have the piece of silk, you can make the silk purse.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50Silk purse or not,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53a sheepdog's got to understand the commands from its trainer.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57Well, the dog has four commands.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59It has to go to the left, which is, "come by".
0:12:59 > 0:13:01Has to go to the right, which is, "away".
0:13:01 > 0:13:03It has to stop, which is, "lie down",
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and it has do bring the sheep to you - "walk up".
0:13:06 > 0:13:08When the dog gets further away from you,
0:13:08 > 0:13:11you then go on to the whistles.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14For the away and for the come by...
0:13:14 > 0:13:15Walk up...
0:13:15 > 0:13:17For the stop...
0:13:17 > 0:13:20Once the dog is dancing to the tune of his whistle...
0:13:25 > 0:13:28..John knows just where to market them.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32Farmers, shepherds, and triallists.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35The money is in the triallist, they want the top-notch dogs,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38they want the best, so they can win trials.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42And once a salesman, always a salesman.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- You enjoy a deal, don't you. - I love a deal. Love a deal.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50When I shake hands with someone on a deal with a dog...
0:13:52 > 0:13:56..that really does give you a buzz cos you know what's coming.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01Back across the border in Lancashire,
0:14:01 > 0:14:04Shirley has also got her work cut out with a new litter.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12They're about 14 weeks old, both living here together,
0:14:12 > 0:14:14bit of company for each other,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17and every now and again we get them out and let them have
0:14:17 > 0:14:20a bit of a run round in the field but not on sheep, not yet.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22They don't go on sheep.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26It's when they're about six months, seven-month-old
0:14:26 > 0:14:27that we put them on sheep.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30We put them in a big, round pen with a few sheep,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33depending on if they're ready, if they want to work.
0:14:33 > 0:14:35Some want to work, some don't.
0:14:37 > 0:14:40It takes a good 12 months to fully train one.
0:14:40 > 0:14:44You're softer, aren't you, you might be easier to train than him.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51And Shirley takes the training for the show seriously.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Sometimes at trials, you get a bunch of sheep that gets led out
0:14:57 > 0:14:59and you can sometimes get one sheep pulling that way
0:14:59 > 0:15:01and another sheep pulling that way,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and there's absolutely nothing you or your dog can do with them.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07It's just the sheep's fault.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10You try and do your best, but you know you're not going to win it.
0:15:10 > 0:15:15Having a former world international champion looking over your shoulder
0:15:15 > 0:15:17adds to the pressure.
0:15:17 > 0:15:18Walk up, walk up.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Lie down. Lie down.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25Lie down. That'll do.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29Lie down. Lie down!
0:15:29 > 0:15:30Lie down.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37And Jimmy often finds it hard not to get involved.
0:15:38 > 0:15:44I get so excited when Shirley is running that I got her disqualified,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47I shouted Shirley's name. Whether she heard it or not, I don't know.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- No, I didn't. - But I did shout her name,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52and the judges disqualified her.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54He gets too excited sometimes.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56It were really bad for her then.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59- I felt sorry about that. - He'll not do it next year.
0:15:59 > 0:16:04- No... She's going to stick some plaster across my mouth.- Duct tape!
0:16:13 > 0:16:16It's finally time for the two shepherds to start preparing
0:16:16 > 0:16:18to leave for the show.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22But at the forefront of their minds is the fact that they'll be
0:16:22 > 0:16:24coming up against each other.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Lancashire and Yorkshire will be competing against each other
0:16:30 > 0:16:32at Nidderdale Show.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35John is on home turf in Yorkshire.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38His prefix for his dogs is White Rose.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41We are in Lancashire, so we are the Red Rose.
0:16:41 > 0:16:46It's not the War of the Roses, but it's competition, and hopefully,
0:16:46 > 0:16:48the red roses will win.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50Come by.
0:16:50 > 0:16:51I think Shirley Cropper's...
0:16:52 > 0:16:56..done fantastic. I think to come into sheepdogs knowing nothing,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59and within probably ten years
0:16:59 > 0:17:01she's virtually gone to the top of the game.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03I think she'll do well at Nidderdale.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06In fact, I think she could finish second, even, you know?
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Couldn't she, Queen, eh? Could she finish second?
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Come here, my favourite, my favourite, come here.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15We just love to win.
0:17:15 > 0:17:18Nobody wants a Lancastrian coming into Yorkshire and winning
0:17:18 > 0:17:21Yorkshire prizes. Excuse me, I'm from Yorkshire.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24Sometimes he beats us, sometimes we beat him.
0:17:24 > 0:17:26I hope she does finish second, I think she's a smashing lass,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28but I hope she finishes second to me.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Queen, are you going to do it?
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Are you going to do it tomorrow?
0:17:32 > 0:17:34May the best man win.
0:17:37 > 0:17:38Or best man or woman win.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40Best person win.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Let the best person win.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47But in Jimmy's book, there can only be one winner.
0:17:47 > 0:17:52Yeah, she's tremendous, she's getting good now.
0:17:52 > 0:17:56Yeah, if Shirley could get to the top at the international
0:17:56 > 0:18:00and national trials, I would be very proud.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Winning gives you a buzz.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09So I don't go to lose, I go to win.
0:18:09 > 0:18:11When they call out your name - first prize, John Atkinson,
0:18:11 > 0:18:15with White Rose Queen, woof, that's the feeling you'll get.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18It's a very quick buzz, it soon goes, but that moment...
0:18:24 > 0:18:28After all the months of preparation, it's finally time to set off.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Little bit nervous.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37But hopes for today are to win the show and bring the trophy back.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40I hope she does well, White Rose Queen.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58The Nidderdale Agricultural Show has been a high point
0:18:58 > 0:19:02of the Yorkshire farming community's calendar for over 100 years.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Contestants arrive from far and wide to compete for the many prizes
0:19:07 > 0:19:13on offer, none more hotly contested than the annual sheepdog trial.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Before they can begin, all dogs have to be registered,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23meaning the two rivals meet at the tent.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26- Trouble!- Trouble!- Trouble's here.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29- John Atkinson.- Number 13.
0:19:29 > 0:19:30Number 13?!
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Number 13. Unlucky for some.
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- What number are you?- Ten.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38I'll be able to watch Shirley's.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39What number are you, Jim?
0:19:39 > 0:19:44- 21.- I'll watch your mistakes. - You're the devil.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- 21?- He asked me age.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49LAUGHTER
0:19:49 > 0:19:50Who's put me down for 13?
0:19:50 > 0:19:51Me!
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Lucky for some.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56It'll be lucky for some.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Shirley might well be hoping John's luck is out today as she's feeling
0:20:02 > 0:20:05a bit sheepish about her chances.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09It's a lovely day. Hoping me dogs are going to behave and hoping
0:20:09 > 0:20:12I'm going to get a bunch of good sheep so I can have a good run.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I think when you get to these shows,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16you get a little bit of tummy rumbling
0:20:16 > 0:20:20and you need that little bit of nervous energy to be sharp.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23Unfortunately I think one of the best handlers here
0:20:23 > 0:20:26is my main competitor, Shirley Cropper.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29She's an excellent handler and she's got excellent dogs,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32so she should be one of the favourites to win it, but...
0:20:33 > 0:20:36..this'll win it. I've got to be confident, haven't I?
0:20:41 > 0:20:46Out there lies the course, the challenge to all the handlers today.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50First, the dog is sent out to collect the sheep
0:20:50 > 0:20:52and bring them under control.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57Then it must drive the sheep through two sets of gates
0:20:57 > 0:21:00before circling the shepherd at their post.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Finally they are penned and then let out and split.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13A lot for the judge to follow and he will be doing it all
0:21:13 > 0:21:14from inside his car.
0:21:14 > 0:21:17As a judge I'm looking for straight lines
0:21:17 > 0:21:18and control of the sheep.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21Each competitor will start with 100 points.
0:21:21 > 0:21:26The competitor wants to keep as many points as possible
0:21:26 > 0:21:31while I, as a judge, am sat there looking for fine-tuning points
0:21:31 > 0:21:32and deducting points.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Everybody that runs sheepdogs in this area
0:21:35 > 0:21:38wants to be in that trial, yes.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41So it does mean a lot, winning at the show.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44Across the fields,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Nidderdale is starting to fill up and the crowds are building.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53The sheepdog trials are about to begin.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58But there's an extra challenge our competitors will have to face.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Keeping the dogs focused and the sheep calm in all of the noise.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09When a trial is connected to a show as well,
0:22:09 > 0:22:12there's a lot of noise from the show.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25The sheep don't quite relax the same,
0:22:25 > 0:22:27the dogs don't listen the same,
0:22:27 > 0:22:31and it does make it more difficult, but it's there for everyone.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33It's the luck of where you get drawn to run.
0:22:36 > 0:22:42First up is Shirley and her nine-year-old collie, Danny.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46- ANNOUNCER:- Next up to run is Shirley Cropper. Thank you.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50If she gets four good sheep, she'll certainly make a good job of them.
0:22:50 > 0:22:56She's been competing a while and she's a good competitor, is Shirley.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Lie down. Lie down.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01Come by.
0:23:01 > 0:23:02And they're off.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06She will only have eight minutes to complete the course...
0:23:08 > 0:23:09..and all eyes are on her.
0:23:12 > 0:23:14SHE WHISTLES
0:23:18 > 0:23:20And she's got them through the gate.
0:23:24 > 0:23:26There's a lot of extra pressure on Shirley,
0:23:26 > 0:23:30as she is one of only a handful of female trainers in the country.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32I am in a minority.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35It's probably maybe 10% or 15% women.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37I was well nervous when I first started.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44The run's been going well, but suddenly Shirley is struggling
0:23:44 > 0:23:46to get the sheep into the pen.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49Lie down. Come by.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Lie down. Lie down.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Away.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56Lie down. Lie down.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Come by.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Come by. Come by.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01Come by.
0:24:02 > 0:24:04Get up. Get up.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Lie down. Away.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08Lie down.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Away. Lie down.
0:24:14 > 0:24:15Lie down.
0:24:18 > 0:24:19And they're in.
0:24:19 > 0:24:20Lie down.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23Lie down.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28The last thing Shirley has to do is to split them into pairs.
0:24:40 > 0:24:41She's done it...
0:24:43 > 0:24:46..just before the judge hoots to indicate that her time is up.
0:24:50 > 0:24:52Why wouldn't they go in the pen?
0:24:52 > 0:24:54You panicked.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59They don't tell you your score until the end of the day
0:24:59 > 0:25:01so I don't know how I've done.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04The trickiest bit for me then was the pen.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07They looked like they were going in straightaway
0:25:07 > 0:25:09and I think the dog just moved a tiny little bit.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13But I won't get the full ten points.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16To get the full ten points they've got to go in straightaway.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18Come on, Danny, get in.
0:25:18 > 0:25:19Go on, Shirley, get in.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21I'm not getting in!
0:25:24 > 0:25:27Unfortunately, or fortunately for me,
0:25:27 > 0:25:30she had one bad sheep out of the four.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32She's left plenty of room.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35As long as I get four good sheep, I should be OK.
0:25:39 > 0:25:41The competition's heating up.
0:25:41 > 0:25:45Shirley's set the bar and now it's time to see if rival John
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and his White Rose Queen can make a better run of it.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53I'm thinking about where they are and which side to send it
0:25:53 > 0:25:55but I think I'll go right on the away side
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and go up behind those trees
0:25:58 > 0:26:01and see how she goes. Fingers crossed, everything crossed.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04Have to see what he can do.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06There's two good dogs coming on now and then that's the last.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11You've got to hope that the next man does bad,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13and we shouldn't do really, but you do.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16When you're trialling you think, "I hope he does bad."
0:26:16 > 0:26:18And it's...
0:26:18 > 0:26:21You shouldn't really think that way, but you do.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29And off they go.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35You are tense while you're running.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38There is nothing easy about it.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41You're concentrating on the sheep so strongly, you're not thinking,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43"This is fun."
0:26:43 > 0:26:46Concentration is paying off because within a few minutes,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48John's got them through the gates.
0:26:49 > 0:26:50Lie down. Come by.
0:26:50 > 0:26:51Now it's the tricky bit.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Getting them into that pen.
0:26:54 > 0:26:55Lie down.
0:26:56 > 0:26:59Can he do it in better time than Shirley?
0:26:59 > 0:27:01Lie down.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03And he's done it like a pro.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05APPLAUSE
0:27:05 > 0:27:06Lie down, lie down.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09Now all that's left is to split them into pairs.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13But the sheep aren't interested.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Away. Lie down. Come by.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18- Lie down. Away. - HORN TOOTS
0:27:18 > 0:27:19Time's up.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Despite some good moves, John hasn't finished the run.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29We'll just have to see. He could still be in front of me.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31It was a very good run.
0:27:31 > 0:27:35It depends on the judge and what the judge likes at the end of the day.
0:27:35 > 0:27:37It's not up to us, sadly.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40It was a shame that I just ran out of time for the split,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42which is a big deduction.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44It could be tight because...
0:27:45 > 0:27:49..she had quite a lot of flaws on the course that we didn't have,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51so those points will be going.
0:27:51 > 0:27:52Even though I lost ten at the end,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57it will be interesting to know how the judges judged her on the course.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01It all depends on that man sat in the vehicle over there.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Queen, where are you going? She's going under the bridge.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07Come here. What are you doing? Where have you been?
0:28:08 > 0:28:12Come on, that'll do. Come on, my favourite. Come here.
0:28:12 > 0:28:13Stay there now.
0:28:18 > 0:28:21The Nidderdale Agricultural Show was founded in 1895.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Each year the Meltham Mills Brass Band, led by the show officials,
0:28:32 > 0:28:35weaves its traditional route through the market town
0:28:35 > 0:28:37to celebrate show day.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42There was a committee of ten started it off.
0:28:42 > 0:28:47We now have a committee of something like nearly 80 and those wise men
0:28:47 > 0:28:52and maybe some ladies kept it going and it's grown throughout the years
0:28:52 > 0:28:55as much as it can. We can't hardly fit anything else in now.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59As well as the menagerie of animals here to compete,
0:28:59 > 0:29:02there are also dozens of opportunities for farmers
0:29:02 > 0:29:04to display their wares.
0:29:14 > 0:29:18John is taking a break to explore one of his favourite tents
0:29:18 > 0:29:21where they are displaying the sheep fleeces.
0:29:23 > 0:29:25You see this one's a Yorkshire fleece,
0:29:25 > 0:29:27it's from a Swaledale up in the Dales.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33There are over 90 different breeds of sheep in Britain,
0:29:33 > 0:29:36and their wool differs depending on where they come from.
0:29:40 > 0:29:42There's some beautiful fleeces here.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45For clothing, you need fine, delicate wools,
0:29:45 > 0:29:50and those wools are usually what they call virgin wool.
0:29:52 > 0:29:56Virgin wool is the first clip of the sheep.
0:29:56 > 0:29:58As the sheep matures, the wool gets stronger.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03The stronger wools, they're used for making carpets and various things.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10So when you buy a carpet, 100% wool, it'll be all from a sheep,
0:30:10 > 0:30:11but it's a strong wool.
0:30:13 > 0:30:17I think it's a credit to the show, and to the people that organise it,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19to put this on display, cos it's all British wool.
0:30:21 > 0:30:22It's the lanolin in the wool -
0:30:22 > 0:30:24does your hands good, makes them soft.
0:30:31 > 0:30:33After a very competitive start to the morning,
0:30:33 > 0:30:38the next triallist up will be the legend, Jimmy Cropper.
0:30:38 > 0:30:39Come on.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44I'll definitely watch the Godfather here, won't we, eh?
0:30:44 > 0:30:48Good lord! Favourite to win it, Jim? No pressure, then. No pressure.
0:30:48 > 0:30:49I'm too old for this job now!
0:30:49 > 0:30:51- Oh!- Jimmy Corleone!
0:30:51 > 0:30:54- Jimmy Corleo...! - I've got a new hobby.
0:30:54 > 0:30:58John's not the only one who thinks Jimmy might just have the upper hand.
0:30:58 > 0:31:04This man Cropper, I don't like to give any plaudits,
0:31:04 > 0:31:08but he's the Nelson Mandela of the sheepdog world.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10I said the Godfather - Nelson Mandela...!
0:31:10 > 0:31:13- Who's Nelson Mandela? - Nelson Mandela!
0:31:16 > 0:31:21So all eyes turn as the great man himself enters the field.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26Now in his 70s, it's not quite his heyday,
0:31:26 > 0:31:29but it's still a rare opportunity to see the master at work.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35Mr 100%'s coming up in a bit, my husband, Jimmy Cropper.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37So, yeah, I'll be watching him closely.
0:31:38 > 0:31:42She's getting that good, she's beating me every time.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45And I'm getting a bit fed up, I think I'll divorce her!
0:31:50 > 0:31:52Away, away here.
0:31:52 > 0:31:53Away. Stand there.
0:31:58 > 0:31:59Away.
0:31:59 > 0:32:00And he's off.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08But even a champion at this level can still feel the pressure.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13I know what I've got to do, but doing it is a different tale.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16The sheep will only allow you to do certain things.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19If you get a very wild sheep, then it's going to spoil your run.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23Jimmy's got them through the gates in no time.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29But there's something amiss going on at the pen.
0:32:36 > 0:32:37Come by.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40Away!
0:32:40 > 0:32:41Come by. Come by!
0:32:41 > 0:32:43Away. Away.
0:32:44 > 0:32:45Away.
0:32:46 > 0:32:47Lie down.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52Finally, he gets the troublesome sheep in,
0:32:52 > 0:32:55like the professional he is.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57Come by. Lie down.
0:32:57 > 0:33:00He just needs to spread the sheep, and he's home free.
0:33:01 > 0:33:03Lie down, lie down!
0:33:03 > 0:33:06But the clock is ticking away.
0:33:06 > 0:33:07Lie down, lie down!
0:33:10 > 0:33:13HORN TOOTS And suddenly, the judge calls time.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30I thought I'd had a good course,
0:33:30 > 0:33:32and I thought my time might be running out,
0:33:32 > 0:33:34cos I saw John's time run out.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37And when John's time ran out, he had quite a good run,
0:33:37 > 0:33:39and I thought my time might be going.
0:33:39 > 0:33:44So then, you start to panic and try and get 'em in the pen in a hurry,
0:33:44 > 0:33:45and that's when things go wrong.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50We both agreed that he was beating Shirley's run
0:33:50 > 0:33:52all the way to the pen.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54- He had...- Yeah.- Didn't he?- Yeah.
0:33:54 > 0:33:58But the sheep started separating a bit just before the pen.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00The major thing about the pen was,
0:34:00 > 0:34:02- he was losing time trying to get them in.- Yeah.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07So unfortunately, he ran out of time for the split, where he'd...
0:34:07 > 0:34:08Just like I did.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11And that was because he went round the course in a nice, steady manner.
0:34:11 > 0:34:12Yeah, you can be...
0:34:12 > 0:34:16You've got to be steady with your dog on sheep,
0:34:16 > 0:34:18on a small course like this.
0:34:18 > 0:34:22And... But the time is always against you.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Both John and Jimmy, they both had better runs than me
0:34:25 > 0:34:27out in the field.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29But it's close competition.
0:34:29 > 0:34:30It is, it is.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34They won't be... They might be still in front of me...
0:34:35 > 0:34:38..but we'll just have to see, see what the judge prefers.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50Sheepdog trials have been an integral part of the Nidderdale Show
0:34:50 > 0:34:52for close on 100 years.
0:34:55 > 0:34:56Like their predecessors,
0:34:56 > 0:35:00the 50 triallists here today are all trying their best to show
0:35:00 > 0:35:02how well they can train their dogs.
0:35:07 > 0:35:09Only ten prizes will be given out,
0:35:09 > 0:35:12and there's no results till the end of the day.
0:35:13 > 0:35:16John and Shirley have already had one run each.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19But Shirley's got an ace up her sleeve.
0:35:20 > 0:35:21Are you going again, Shirley?
0:35:21 > 0:35:25- Yeah.- With another dog, in the singles?- Yeah, yeah.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27So you're playing with two darts today, and...
0:35:27 > 0:35:28- Yeah.- ..I only had one!
0:35:28 > 0:35:31- Two bites of the cherry, John! - Two bites of the cherry!
0:35:34 > 0:35:36You might get another bad sheep!
0:35:36 > 0:35:38- You had good sheep!- I did have good sheep, I'll give you that.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- I did.- You did, they were all friends, weren't they?
0:35:41 > 0:35:44They were very friendly, I couldn't have picked 'em better meself!
0:35:47 > 0:35:49You might get a dropper next time round!
0:35:49 > 0:35:51Oh, shut up!
0:35:51 > 0:35:52Oh, dear!
0:35:55 > 0:35:57As long as you use a different sheepdog,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00the rules say you can have another shot.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07With Ben, I'm going to have to do a lot better.
0:36:07 > 0:36:10I'm going to have to try and get better turns,
0:36:10 > 0:36:12try and get them straight in the pen.
0:36:12 > 0:36:13Ben, Ben.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19- ANNOUNCER:- The next competitor is Shirley Cropper, with Ben.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Lie down.
0:36:25 > 0:36:26Away.
0:36:26 > 0:36:27And they're off.
0:36:30 > 0:36:32CONTINUOUS WHISTLING
0:36:38 > 0:36:39Shirley's through the gate.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43But last time she struggled with the pen -
0:36:43 > 0:36:45will she do any better this time?
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Lie down. Come by, lie down.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Lie down. Lie down.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51Lie down. Lie down.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53Lie down. Lie down.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55And she's done it - an excellent performance.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Now she's just got to split them into pairs, before time runs out.
0:37:06 > 0:37:07Away.
0:37:08 > 0:37:10Come by, come by.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Lie down. That'll do, that'll do, that'll do.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15That'll do, that'll do, that'll do.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Get up, get up.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20And they're split.
0:37:20 > 0:37:21HORN TOOTS
0:37:23 > 0:37:25A successful run for Shirley,
0:37:25 > 0:37:28but she wants it to be stronger than her last.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31Well, I think we're both agreed, she had a very good run round.
0:37:31 > 0:37:32- Yeah, she did.- Excellent run.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34It's not just having the dog, and the...
0:37:34 > 0:37:36It's reading the sheep.
0:37:36 > 0:37:38- Yeah.- You've got to be able to read these sheep,
0:37:38 > 0:37:40and how they're going to try and get away from the dog,
0:37:40 > 0:37:44and that sort of thing. And she's got that, what we call, sheep sense.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46- Yeah.- And that's what Jim has taught her.
0:37:46 > 0:37:49It's the only thing I could teach her, I think, really!
0:37:50 > 0:37:53- I don't know, Jim. But we won't go into that!- No!
0:37:57 > 0:38:00It's a good run, I'd say it's a good run, up to now.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03But you don't like to say it too much in case somebody else
0:38:03 > 0:38:07comes along and just knocks you off the top spot, which they can do.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10I made mistakes, just a few, minor,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14but somebody could still do it 100% better.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16I think it might be going to Lancashire!
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Not Yorkshire!
0:38:25 > 0:38:28But John and Shirley won't have long to wait now.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Across Nidderdale, the show is beginning to wind down.
0:38:31 > 0:38:34And in the fields, the sheepdog trials are over.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42All they can do is hope, while the judge tots up the scores.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45The judge doesn't look like he knows himself yet.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48So I wouldn't like to say, cos he's turning pages over,
0:38:48 > 0:38:53going back and reckoning it all up, so I don't know.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55Mmm. Mmm.
0:38:58 > 0:39:01Both John and Shirley have given their all.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03But it's out of their hands now.
0:39:11 > 0:39:13Finally, the judge has come to a decision.
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Time for the Nidderdale Singles Champion to be crowned.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34OK, so, here are the results for the 2016 Nidderdale Show
0:39:34 > 0:39:36sheepdog trials.
0:39:38 > 0:39:39In reverse order.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44In tenth place, Sandy Beaton, on 68.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51- Thank you very much.- OK.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56In ninth place, we have John Atkinson on 70.
0:39:56 > 0:39:57I thank you!
0:39:59 > 0:40:00Thank you very much. Thank you.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03John's a winner, but not quite what he was hoping for.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09I got lost in the time.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Because I'm concerned about the sheep
0:40:11 > 0:40:15and being caring for the sheep - being a shepherd, that's my job.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Trying to be careful with them and kind to them,
0:40:18 > 0:40:23and because I was caring for them, and trying to be gentle with them,
0:40:23 > 0:40:25I ran out of time at the trial,
0:40:25 > 0:40:27and I should think more about the competition.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32John and White Rose Queen were very unlucky, actually.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36He was just beeped out for time.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41Which lost him ten points, cos the shed was fine,
0:40:41 > 0:40:43but it was out of time.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46Which would have made him into third place, actually.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51With first prize still up for grabs,
0:40:51 > 0:40:54Shirley's in the running for the coveted cup.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03And in first place, we have Shirley Cropper, on 106.
0:41:05 > 0:41:08For this former hair and beauty stylist turned farmer...
0:41:08 > 0:41:12- Oh, thank you!- ..to break through at this level is a real achievement.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24I think Shirley's done very well.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26Very well. Yeah.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36It's always good to finish on a high,
0:41:36 > 0:41:41and to do your best and to get the best out of your dogs,
0:41:41 > 0:41:46and come away with some lovely silverware!
0:41:46 > 0:41:48Shirley doesn't really need to improve on anything.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51She is a very accomplished handler.
0:41:51 > 0:41:56Even if I'd done the final exercise, where I'd split the sheep,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59I wouldn't have won the trial, I would have been second to Shirley.
0:41:59 > 0:42:00So...
0:42:01 > 0:42:02Tough luck!
0:42:03 > 0:42:07I feel really proud to see her win everything, I do.
0:42:09 > 0:42:10- Vice versa!- Yes.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15The trip home, we'll probably have steak and chips.
0:42:17 > 0:42:18Might have a bit of sweet cake.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25For Shirley and John, it's time to put the rivalry to bed,
0:42:25 > 0:42:27for the time being at least!
0:42:27 > 0:42:29- Well done, Shirley.- Thank you, John.
0:42:29 > 0:42:30Well done to you as well.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33Hey, look! Red rose, white rose!
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Unfortunately, she's the winner!
0:42:35 > 0:42:37LAUGHTER