Sheepdog Trials The Farmers' Country Showdown


Sheepdog Trials

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Across the country,

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thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock.

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Stop arguing, girls, give over.

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FARMER WHISTLES

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But there is one day each year...

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..where they get to leave the daily routine behind.

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Right, here we come, Dorset.

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These are show days...

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-ANNOUNCER:

-A very, very warm welcome to Melplash Show.

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..when they come together as a community...

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..to showcase the fruits of their labour...

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I just love showing my girls off.

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..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...

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Smashed it.

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..and award-winning produce.

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That's really nice cheese, that.

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It was very good, darling.

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There will be highs...

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That's what we want to see - red, red is the best.

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-..and lows...

-She's not happy enough to go.

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..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.

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Fingers crossed.

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There are over 15 million sheep and lambs in the UK,

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and herding them is a full-time job.

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Come by. Lie down.

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Shepherds Shirley Cropper from Lancashire...

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..and John Atkinson from Yorkshire...

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..are sharpening their skills for a showdown at one of

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the most prestigious sheepdog trials on the countryside calendar.

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A champion sheepdog is a calling card for its trainer,

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with prices running into thousands of pounds

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for a fully trained animal.

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That'll do!

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With just two days to go to the big show...

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..there is pride and silverware at stake.

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The magnificent Yorkshire Dales, just south of York,

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is home to shepherd John Atkinson.

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He looks after the feral sheep that roam the picturesque 8,000 acre

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Escrick Park Estate.

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Come by. I can't see the sheep, but she should be bringing them to us.

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That'll do, that'll do, come here.

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That'll do.

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The estate has been owned by the Forbes-Adam family

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for around 350 years.

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So I'm the 12th generation, which is quite a responsibility.

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I really want to hand it over in a better state than I found it.

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Part of their challenge is to look after

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their huge wild nature reserve.

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That's where John comes in.

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The cattle, ponies and roaming sheep may be nature's lawnmowers

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but they take a lot of looking after.

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I first came here because the estate rang me one day,

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because I train sheepdogs and I've done for 40 years,

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and they said, could I get the sheep, cos they couldn't find them or catch them.

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I'm now living on the estate, looking after them all,

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treating them all, and living in one of their houses.

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We use the dogs not only for gathering them and taking them

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on and off and treating them,

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but we also move them around the nature reserve.

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If the grazing is getting overgrazed on one section,

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I'll move the sheep onto another section.

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John's absolutely brilliant, as are his dogs.

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Skipwith Common is basically 660 acres of scrub woodland,

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ponds, reeds, bog, heath, everything,

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and without John and his sheepdogs,

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there's no way we would be able to look after the sheep

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on such a difficult stretch of country.

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To control this nature reserve without dogs would be impossible.

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John's love of man's best friend began when he was a young lad,

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and it's a passion he shares with his partner, Julia.

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Julia's the kennel maid, and a good one, she looks after the pups.

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What do they call those women that look after babies?

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-Wet nurse.

-No, not wet nurse! What's the other one?

-A nanny.

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No, not nanny. Midwife!

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-She's the midwife.

-Midwife.

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Border collies are not the only dogs the couple keep.

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Julia has two very energetic pugs.

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Mimi. Mimi, Mimi, Mimi, Mimi.

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Those are Julia's dogs,

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they're more trouble than all the sheepdogs put together.

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They're not. You're not, are you, girls?

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Come on, my little pigs.

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No matter how you feel in life, a dog will always greet you happy.

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They have great affection for you.

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You should give that affection back.

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I don't know how I'd be without my dogs.

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What did I used to sing to her?

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# Oh, give me a home where the buffaloes roam

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# And the skies is all cloudy all day... #

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They do get a little bit excited when I sing to them.

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Singing to dogs is not John's only talent.

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He seems to understand other animals, too.

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COW MOOS

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I know.

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Before they discovered dogs and sheep, 25 years ago,

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John and Julia's life was a little different, to say the least.

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Julie was a buyer, and I used to sell ladies underwear.

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I used to sell it to Julia.

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I used to sell her the knickers...

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-Tried to!

-Tried to!

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That's right, she was a tough buyer.

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Sold everything. You used to wear it, the thong...

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You did, didn't you? I used to sell everything from a lady's thong,

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which is the eye patch, you know, with the string up the bottom,

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to the harvest festivals.

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-That's how we met.

-And that's how we met.

-25 years ago.

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70 miles away, in rural Lancashire's beautiful south Pennines,

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there's another devoted shepherd.

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Shirley lives here with her pack of border collies.

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Come by, come by.

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Away.

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Mastering her dogs has become a passion for Shirley,

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but this is far removed from her first love.

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I was a hairdresser, and I did beauty therapy treatments.

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I did enjoy what I was doing, I must have had enough of that,

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and I must have been at a stage in my life

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when I was just ready for a change.

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Shirley's life did change one evening in a local pub,

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where she met the man who was to become her partner of 23 years.

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I met Jimmy Cropper.

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And that's how I got interested in the sheepdog trials.

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Jimmy, a former coalminer,

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was in fact one of the greatest sheep trial champions

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this country has ever produced.

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He's the best.

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I daren't say anything else.

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No, she came from a hairdresser's shop and a beautician.

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No, not a hairdresser's shop,

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I were a self-employed hairdresser and beauty therapist, excuse me.

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And then met an old fool like me, a fool on the hill...

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Yeah. That's right.

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When I first met Jimmy, I think that was the first place you took me to,

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a sheepdog trial, when I first met you.

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Yes, I was courting then, sheepdog triallers.

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A day out!

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We went to quite a few.

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I could see that Jimmy was doing something just a little bit special.

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I didn't think at first I wanted to do it even,

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I just thought it was marvellous to watch.

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And, bit by bit, I learned.

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And then I got my own young dog and started training that.

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Jimmy taught me a lot. Yes.

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Took some doing!

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Jokes aside, the couple have become an excellent team.

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They have 600 sheep on their 800 acre farm,

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which are managed by their dozen dogs.

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And there's also the raft of ducks.

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When you're working with sheep, that can be hard work.

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There's never a day goes by when you've nothing to do.

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Christmas Day, New Year's Day, any day.

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You just get on with it, don't you, you just do what you have to do.

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But Shirley doesn't always feel that she is living the dream.

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We're 1,500 feet above sea level, we can get really bad storms.

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Sometimes it does cross me mind that I would like to be

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in a nice warm salon somewhere, just painting somebody's nails.

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But despite the hardships,

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Shirley's love for her dogs and what she does keeps her going.

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We're not hard on our dogs, I do pet me dogs, and I do say, "Good dog,"

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when they've done something really good.

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And you can feel the proudness in them, that they know.

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A good dog makes a good shepherd.

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You teach your dog to be kind on stock

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and it becomes an easier job then.

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However, there's only one dog in this farm

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which manages to get inside the house.

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We have a little house dog called Horace.

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We could never have the border collies in the house.

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Some people work dogs, bath them and take them into the house,

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but they've maybe only one or two dogs,

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I wouldn't like to take just one or two dogs into the house.

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Back in Yorkshire, former salesman John is busy with his champion dog

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who has just had a litter.

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Given they've inherited their mother's excellent genes,

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these puppies are highly prized.

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This is a little bitch called Jess, good little work bitch,

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and it's the first litter she's had.

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I've got them ordered - she's that good,

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people have seen her working already.

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They order them in advance from me.

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The pups will be about £500 each.

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If I trained a dog and took it all the way through its training,

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that dog could be worth £5,000.

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But to realise their potential, a lot of work goes into sheepdogs.

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And for John and Julia, that means teamwork.

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I train them, but Julia knows just as much as I do about

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inside the head of the dog, she knows how to bring young dogs on,

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whether a dog's tough, whether it's gentle.

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I've worked with babes and young children for years

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and as silly as it sounds, young dogs, puppies -

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you do see similar things in them,

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the way they learn or how they behave.

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Once Julia has done her nurturing, the next step lies with John.

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For any shepherd, the real skill is to find that special puppy,

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who could go on to become a fully-trained champion.

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You know within minutes if that dog is any good.

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It has a feel for sheep, it's kind to sheep,

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yet it has a presence about it.

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When you get a dog like that, I just look to the heavens and say,

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"Thank you, God."

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You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear,

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but if you have the piece of silk, you can make the silk purse.

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Silk purse or not,

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a sheepdog's got to understand the commands from its trainer.

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Well, the dog has four commands.

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It has to go to the left, which is, "come by".

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Has to go to the right, which is, "away".

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It has to stop, which is, "lie down",

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and it has do bring the sheep to you - "walk up".

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When the dog gets further away from you,

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you then go on to the whistles.

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For the away and for the come by...

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Walk up...

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For the stop...

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Once the dog is dancing to the tune of his whistle...

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..John knows just where to market them.

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Farmers, shepherds, and triallists.

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The money is in the triallist, they want the top-notch dogs,

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they want the best, so they can win trials.

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And once a salesman, always a salesman.

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-You enjoy a deal, don't you.

-I love a deal. Love a deal.

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When I shake hands with someone on a deal with a dog...

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..that really does give you a buzz cos you know what's coming.

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Back across the border in Lancashire,

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Shirley has also got her work cut out with a new litter.

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They're about 14 weeks old, both living here together,

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bit of company for each other,

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and every now and again we get them out and let them have

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a bit of a run round in the field but not on sheep, not yet.

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They don't go on sheep.

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It's when they're about six months, seven-month-old

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that we put them on sheep.

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We put them in a big, round pen with a few sheep,

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depending on if they're ready, if they want to work.

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Some want to work, some don't.

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It takes a good 12 months to fully train one.

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You're softer, aren't you, you might be easier to train than him.

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And Shirley takes the training for the show seriously.

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Sometimes at trials, you get a bunch of sheep that gets led out

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and you can sometimes get one sheep pulling that way

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and another sheep pulling that way,

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and there's absolutely nothing you or your dog can do with them.

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It's just the sheep's fault.

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You try and do your best, but you know you're not going to win it.

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Having a former world international champion looking over your shoulder

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adds to the pressure.

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Walk up, walk up.

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Lie down. Lie down.

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Lie down. That'll do.

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Lie down. Lie down!

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Lie down.

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And Jimmy often finds it hard not to get involved.

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I get so excited when Shirley is running that I got her disqualified,

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I shouted Shirley's name. Whether she heard it or not, I don't know.

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-No, I didn't.

-But I did shout her name,

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and the judges disqualified her.

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He gets too excited sometimes.

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It were really bad for her then.

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-I felt sorry about that.

-He'll not do it next year.

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-No... She's going to stick some plaster across my mouth.

-Duct tape!

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It's finally time for the two shepherds to start preparing

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to leave for the show.

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But at the forefront of their minds is the fact that they'll be

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coming up against each other.

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Lancashire and Yorkshire will be competing against each other

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at Nidderdale Show.

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John is on home turf in Yorkshire.

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His prefix for his dogs is White Rose.

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We are in Lancashire, so we are the Red Rose.

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It's not the War of the Roses, but it's competition, and hopefully,

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the red roses will win.

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Come by.

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I think Shirley Cropper's...

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..done fantastic. I think to come into sheepdogs knowing nothing,

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and within probably ten years

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she's virtually gone to the top of the game.

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I think she'll do well at Nidderdale.

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In fact, I think she could finish second, even, you know?

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Couldn't she, Queen, eh? Could she finish second?

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Come here, my favourite, my favourite, come here.

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We just love to win.

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Nobody wants a Lancastrian coming into Yorkshire and winning

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Yorkshire prizes. Excuse me, I'm from Yorkshire.

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Sometimes he beats us, sometimes we beat him.

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I hope she does finish second, I think she's a smashing lass,

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but I hope she finishes second to me.

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Queen, are you going to do it?

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Are you going to do it tomorrow?

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May the best man win.

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Or best man or woman win.

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Best person win.

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Let the best person win.

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But in Jimmy's book, there can only be one winner.

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Yeah, she's tremendous, she's getting good now.

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Yeah, if Shirley could get to the top at the international

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and national trials, I would be very proud.

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Winning gives you a buzz.

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Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser.

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So I don't go to lose, I go to win.

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When they call out your name - first prize, John Atkinson,

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with White Rose Queen, woof, that's the feeling you'll get.

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It's a very quick buzz, it soon goes, but that moment...

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After all the months of preparation, it's finally time to set off.

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Little bit nervous.

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But hopes for today are to win the show and bring the trophy back.

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I hope she does well, White Rose Queen.

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The Nidderdale Agricultural Show has been a high point

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of the Yorkshire farming community's calendar for over 100 years.

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Contestants arrive from far and wide to compete for the many prizes

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on offer, none more hotly contested than the annual sheepdog trial.

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Before they can begin, all dogs have to be registered,

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meaning the two rivals meet at the tent.

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-Trouble!

-Trouble!

-Trouble's here.

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-John Atkinson.

-Number 13.

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Number 13?!

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Number 13. Unlucky for some.

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-What number are you?

-Ten.

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I'll be able to watch Shirley's.

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What number are you, Jim?

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-21.

-I'll watch your mistakes.

-You're the devil.

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-21?

-He asked me age.

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LAUGHTER

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Who's put me down for 13?

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Me!

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Lucky for some.

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It'll be lucky for some.

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Shirley might well be hoping John's luck is out today as she's feeling

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a bit sheepish about her chances.

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It's a lovely day. Hoping me dogs are going to behave and hoping

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I'm going to get a bunch of good sheep so I can have a good run.

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I think when you get to these shows,

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you get a little bit of tummy rumbling

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and you need that little bit of nervous energy to be sharp.

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Unfortunately I think one of the best handlers here

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is my main competitor, Shirley Cropper.

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She's an excellent handler and she's got excellent dogs,

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so she should be one of the favourites to win it, but...

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..this'll win it. I've got to be confident, haven't I?

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Out there lies the course, the challenge to all the handlers today.

0:20:410:20:46

First, the dog is sent out to collect the sheep

0:20:470:20:50

and bring them under control.

0:20:500:20:52

Then it must drive the sheep through two sets of gates

0:20:540:20:57

before circling the shepherd at their post.

0:20:570:21:00

Finally they are penned and then let out and split.

0:21:040:21:08

A lot for the judge to follow and he will be doing it all

0:21:100:21:13

from inside his car.

0:21:130:21:14

As a judge I'm looking for straight lines

0:21:140:21:17

and control of the sheep.

0:21:170:21:18

Each competitor will start with 100 points.

0:21:180:21:21

The competitor wants to keep as many points as possible

0:21:210:21:26

while I, as a judge, am sat there looking for fine-tuning points

0:21:260:21:31

and deducting points.

0:21:310:21:32

Everybody that runs sheepdogs in this area

0:21:320:21:35

wants to be in that trial, yes.

0:21:350:21:38

So it does mean a lot, winning at the show.

0:21:380:21:41

Across the fields,

0:21:410:21:44

Nidderdale is starting to fill up and the crowds are building.

0:21:440:21:47

The sheepdog trials are about to begin.

0:21:510:21:53

But there's an extra challenge our competitors will have to face.

0:21:550:21:58

Keeping the dogs focused and the sheep calm in all of the noise.

0:21:590:22:03

When a trial is connected to a show as well,

0:22:060:22:09

there's a lot of noise from the show.

0:22:090:22:12

The sheep don't quite relax the same,

0:22:230:22:25

the dogs don't listen the same,

0:22:250:22:27

and it does make it more difficult, but it's there for everyone.

0:22:270:22:31

It's the luck of where you get drawn to run.

0:22:310:22:33

First up is Shirley and her nine-year-old collie, Danny.

0:22:360:22:42

-ANNOUNCER:

-Next up to run is Shirley Cropper. Thank you.

0:22:420:22:46

If she gets four good sheep, she'll certainly make a good job of them.

0:22:460:22:50

She's been competing a while and she's a good competitor, is Shirley.

0:22:500:22:56

Lie down. Lie down.

0:22:560:22:59

Come by.

0:22:590:23:01

And they're off.

0:23:010:23:02

She will only have eight minutes to complete the course...

0:23:020:23:06

..and all eyes are on her.

0:23:080:23:09

SHE WHISTLES

0:23:120:23:14

And she's got them through the gate.

0:23:180:23:20

There's a lot of extra pressure on Shirley,

0:23:240:23:26

as she is one of only a handful of female trainers in the country.

0:23:260:23:30

I am in a minority.

0:23:300:23:32

It's probably maybe 10% or 15% women.

0:23:320:23:35

I was well nervous when I first started.

0:23:350:23:37

The run's been going well, but suddenly Shirley is struggling

0:23:410:23:44

to get the sheep into the pen.

0:23:440:23:46

Lie down. Come by.

0:23:480:23:49

Lie down. Lie down.

0:23:490:23:51

Away.

0:23:510:23:53

Lie down. Lie down.

0:23:530:23:56

Come by.

0:23:560:23:58

Come by. Come by.

0:23:580:24:00

Come by.

0:24:000:24:01

Get up. Get up.

0:24:020:24:04

Lie down. Away.

0:24:040:24:06

Lie down.

0:24:070:24:08

Away. Lie down.

0:24:110:24:13

Lie down.

0:24:140:24:15

And they're in.

0:24:180:24:19

Lie down.

0:24:190:24:20

Lie down.

0:24:220:24:23

The last thing Shirley has to do is to split them into pairs.

0:24:240:24:28

She's done it...

0:24:400:24:41

..just before the judge hoots to indicate that her time is up.

0:24:430:24:46

Why wouldn't they go in the pen?

0:24:500:24:52

You panicked.

0:24:520:24:54

They don't tell you your score until the end of the day

0:24:560:24:59

so I don't know how I've done.

0:24:590:25:01

The trickiest bit for me then was the pen.

0:25:010:25:04

They looked like they were going in straightaway

0:25:040:25:07

and I think the dog just moved a tiny little bit.

0:25:070:25:09

But I won't get the full ten points.

0:25:110:25:13

To get the full ten points they've got to go in straightaway.

0:25:130:25:16

Come on, Danny, get in.

0:25:160:25:18

Go on, Shirley, get in.

0:25:180:25:19

I'm not getting in!

0:25:190:25:21

Unfortunately, or fortunately for me,

0:25:240:25:27

she had one bad sheep out of the four.

0:25:270:25:30

She's left plenty of room.

0:25:300:25:32

As long as I get four good sheep, I should be OK.

0:25:320:25:35

The competition's heating up.

0:25:390:25:41

Shirley's set the bar and now it's time to see if rival John

0:25:410:25:45

and his White Rose Queen can make a better run of it.

0:25:450:25:48

I'm thinking about where they are and which side to send it

0:25:500:25:53

but I think I'll go right on the away side

0:25:530:25:55

and go up behind those trees

0:25:550:25:58

and see how she goes. Fingers crossed, everything crossed.

0:25:580:26:01

Have to see what he can do.

0:26:010:26:04

There's two good dogs coming on now and then that's the last.

0:26:040:26:06

You've got to hope that the next man does bad,

0:26:080:26:11

and we shouldn't do really, but you do.

0:26:110:26:13

When you're trialling you think, "I hope he does bad."

0:26:130:26:16

And it's...

0:26:160:26:18

You shouldn't really think that way, but you do.

0:26:180:26:21

And off they go.

0:26:280:26:29

You are tense while you're running.

0:26:320:26:35

There is nothing easy about it.

0:26:360:26:38

You're concentrating on the sheep so strongly, you're not thinking,

0:26:380:26:41

"This is fun."

0:26:410:26:43

Concentration is paying off because within a few minutes,

0:26:430:26:46

John's got them through the gates.

0:26:460:26:48

Lie down. Come by.

0:26:490:26:50

Now it's the tricky bit.

0:26:500:26:51

Getting them into that pen.

0:26:520:26:54

Lie down.

0:26:540:26:55

Can he do it in better time than Shirley?

0:26:560:26:59

Lie down.

0:26:590:27:01

And he's done it like a pro.

0:27:010:27:03

APPLAUSE

0:27:030:27:05

Lie down, lie down.

0:27:050:27:06

Now all that's left is to split them into pairs.

0:27:070:27:09

But the sheep aren't interested.

0:27:110:27:13

Away. Lie down. Come by.

0:27:130:27:15

-Lie down. Away.

-HORN TOOTS

0:27:150:27:18

Time's up.

0:27:180:27:19

Despite some good moves, John hasn't finished the run.

0:27:200:27:23

We'll just have to see. He could still be in front of me.

0:27:270:27:29

It was a very good run.

0:27:290:27:31

It depends on the judge and what the judge likes at the end of the day.

0:27:310:27:35

It's not up to us, sadly.

0:27:350:27:37

It was a shame that I just ran out of time for the split,

0:27:380:27:40

which is a big deduction.

0:27:400:27:42

It could be tight because...

0:27:420:27:44

..she had quite a lot of flaws on the course that we didn't have,

0:27:450:27:49

so those points will be going.

0:27:490:27:51

Even though I lost ten at the end,

0:27:510:27:52

it will be interesting to know how the judges judged her on the course.

0:27:520:27:57

It all depends on that man sat in the vehicle over there.

0:27:570:28:01

Queen, where are you going? She's going under the bridge.

0:28:010:28:04

Come here. What are you doing? Where have you been?

0:28:040:28:07

Come on, that'll do. Come on, my favourite. Come here.

0:28:080:28:12

Stay there now.

0:28:120:28:13

The Nidderdale Agricultural Show was founded in 1895.

0:28:180:28:21

Each year the Meltham Mills Brass Band, led by the show officials,

0:28:280:28:32

weaves its traditional route through the market town

0:28:320:28:35

to celebrate show day.

0:28:350:28:37

There was a committee of ten started it off.

0:28:390:28:42

We now have a committee of something like nearly 80 and those wise men

0:28:420:28:47

and maybe some ladies kept it going and it's grown throughout the years

0:28:470:28:52

as much as it can. We can't hardly fit anything else in now.

0:28:520:28:55

As well as the menagerie of animals here to compete,

0:28:560:28:59

there are also dozens of opportunities for farmers

0:28:590:29:02

to display their wares.

0:29:020:29:04

John is taking a break to explore one of his favourite tents

0:29:140:29:18

where they are displaying the sheep fleeces.

0:29:180:29:21

You see this one's a Yorkshire fleece,

0:29:230:29:25

it's from a Swaledale up in the Dales.

0:29:250:29:27

There are over 90 different breeds of sheep in Britain,

0:29:300:29:33

and their wool differs depending on where they come from.

0:29:330:29:36

There's some beautiful fleeces here.

0:29:400:29:42

For clothing, you need fine, delicate wools,

0:29:420:29:45

and those wools are usually what they call virgin wool.

0:29:450:29:50

Virgin wool is the first clip of the sheep.

0:29:520:29:56

As the sheep matures, the wool gets stronger.

0:29:560:29:58

The stronger wools, they're used for making carpets and various things.

0:29:580:30:03

So when you buy a carpet, 100% wool, it'll be all from a sheep,

0:30:060:30:10

but it's a strong wool.

0:30:100:30:11

I think it's a credit to the show, and to the people that organise it,

0:30:130:30:17

to put this on display, cos it's all British wool.

0:30:170:30:19

It's the lanolin in the wool -

0:30:210:30:22

does your hands good, makes them soft.

0:30:220:30:24

After a very competitive start to the morning,

0:30:310:30:33

the next triallist up will be the legend, Jimmy Cropper.

0:30:330:30:38

Come on.

0:30:380:30:39

I'll definitely watch the Godfather here, won't we, eh?

0:30:410:30:44

Good lord! Favourite to win it, Jim? No pressure, then. No pressure.

0:30:440:30:48

I'm too old for this job now!

0:30:480:30:49

-Oh!

-Jimmy Corleone!

0:30:490:30:51

-Jimmy Corleo...!

-I've got a new hobby.

0:30:510:30:54

John's not the only one who thinks Jimmy might just have the upper hand.

0:30:540:30:58

This man Cropper, I don't like to give any plaudits,

0:30:580:31:04

but he's the Nelson Mandela of the sheepdog world.

0:31:040:31:08

I said the Godfather - Nelson Mandela...!

0:31:080:31:10

-Who's Nelson Mandela?

-Nelson Mandela!

0:31:100:31:13

So all eyes turn as the great man himself enters the field.

0:31:160:31:21

Now in his 70s, it's not quite his heyday,

0:31:220:31:26

but it's still a rare opportunity to see the master at work.

0:31:260:31:29

Mr 100%'s coming up in a bit, my husband, Jimmy Cropper.

0:31:310:31:35

So, yeah, I'll be watching him closely.

0:31:350:31:37

She's getting that good, she's beating me every time.

0:31:380:31:42

And I'm getting a bit fed up, I think I'll divorce her!

0:31:420:31:45

Away, away here.

0:31:500:31:52

Away. Stand there.

0:31:520:31:53

Away.

0:31:580:31:59

And he's off.

0:31:590:32:00

But even a champion at this level can still feel the pressure.

0:32:040:32:08

I know what I've got to do, but doing it is a different tale.

0:32:090:32:13

The sheep will only allow you to do certain things.

0:32:130:32:16

If you get a very wild sheep, then it's going to spoil your run.

0:32:160:32:19

Jimmy's got them through the gates in no time.

0:32:200:32:23

But there's something amiss going on at the pen.

0:32:270:32:29

Come by.

0:32:360:32:37

Away!

0:32:370:32:40

Come by. Come by!

0:32:400:32:41

Away. Away.

0:32:410:32:43

Away.

0:32:440:32:45

Lie down.

0:32:460:32:47

Finally, he gets the troublesome sheep in,

0:32:500:32:52

like the professional he is.

0:32:520:32:55

Come by. Lie down.

0:32:550:32:57

He just needs to spread the sheep, and he's home free.

0:32:570:33:00

Lie down, lie down!

0:33:010:33:03

But the clock is ticking away.

0:33:030:33:06

Lie down, lie down!

0:33:060:33:07

HORN TOOTS And suddenly, the judge calls time.

0:33:100:33:13

I thought I'd had a good course,

0:33:280:33:30

and I thought my time might be running out,

0:33:300:33:32

cos I saw John's time run out.

0:33:320:33:34

And when John's time ran out, he had quite a good run,

0:33:340:33:37

and I thought my time might be going.

0:33:370:33:39

So then, you start to panic and try and get 'em in the pen in a hurry,

0:33:390:33:44

and that's when things go wrong.

0:33:440:33:45

We both agreed that he was beating Shirley's run

0:33:470:33:50

all the way to the pen.

0:33:500:33:52

-He had...

-Yeah.

-Didn't he?

-Yeah.

0:33:520:33:54

But the sheep started separating a bit just before the pen.

0:33:540:33:58

The major thing about the pen was,

0:33:580:34:00

-he was losing time trying to get them in.

-Yeah.

0:34:000:34:02

So unfortunately, he ran out of time for the split, where he'd...

0:34:020:34:07

Just like I did.

0:34:070:34:08

And that was because he went round the course in a nice, steady manner.

0:34:080:34:11

Yeah, you can be...

0:34:110:34:12

You've got to be steady with your dog on sheep,

0:34:120:34:16

on a small course like this.

0:34:160:34:18

And... But the time is always against you.

0:34:180:34:22

Both John and Jimmy, they both had better runs than me

0:34:220:34:25

out in the field.

0:34:250:34:27

But it's close competition.

0:34:270:34:29

It is, it is.

0:34:290:34:30

They won't be... They might be still in front of me...

0:34:300:34:34

..but we'll just have to see, see what the judge prefers.

0:34:350:34:38

Sheepdog trials have been an integral part of the Nidderdale Show

0:34:460:34:50

for close on 100 years.

0:34:500:34:52

Like their predecessors,

0:34:550:34:56

the 50 triallists here today are all trying their best to show

0:34:560:35:00

how well they can train their dogs.

0:35:000:35:02

Only ten prizes will be given out,

0:35:070:35:09

and there's no results till the end of the day.

0:35:090:35:12

John and Shirley have already had one run each.

0:35:130:35:16

But Shirley's got an ace up her sleeve.

0:35:170:35:19

Are you going again, Shirley?

0:35:200:35:21

-Yeah.

-With another dog, in the singles?

-Yeah, yeah.

0:35:210:35:25

So you're playing with two darts today, and...

0:35:250:35:27

-Yeah.

-..I only had one!

0:35:270:35:28

-Two bites of the cherry, John!

-Two bites of the cherry!

0:35:280:35:31

You might get another bad sheep!

0:35:340:35:36

-You had good sheep!

-I did have good sheep, I'll give you that.

0:35:360:35:38

-I did.

-You did, they were all friends, weren't they?

0:35:380:35:41

They were very friendly, I couldn't have picked 'em better meself!

0:35:410:35:44

You might get a dropper next time round!

0:35:470:35:49

Oh, shut up!

0:35:490:35:51

Oh, dear!

0:35:510:35:52

As long as you use a different sheepdog,

0:35:550:35:57

the rules say you can have another shot.

0:35:570:36:00

With Ben, I'm going to have to do a lot better.

0:36:040:36:07

I'm going to have to try and get better turns,

0:36:070:36:10

try and get them straight in the pen.

0:36:100:36:12

Ben, Ben.

0:36:120:36:13

-ANNOUNCER:

-The next competitor is Shirley Cropper, with Ben.

0:36:160:36:19

Lie down.

0:36:230:36:25

Away.

0:36:250:36:26

And they're off.

0:36:260:36:27

CONTINUOUS WHISTLING

0:36:300:36:32

Shirley's through the gate.

0:36:380:36:39

But last time she struggled with the pen -

0:36:400:36:43

will she do any better this time?

0:36:430:36:45

Lie down. Come by, lie down.

0:36:450:36:47

Lie down. Lie down.

0:36:470:36:49

Lie down. Lie down.

0:36:490:36:51

Lie down. Lie down.

0:36:510:36:53

And she's done it - an excellent performance.

0:36:530:36:55

Now she's just got to split them into pairs, before time runs out.

0:36:570:37:01

Away.

0:37:060:37:07

Come by, come by.

0:37:080:37:10

Lie down. That'll do, that'll do, that'll do.

0:37:100:37:13

That'll do, that'll do, that'll do.

0:37:130:37:15

Get up, get up.

0:37:150:37:18

And they're split.

0:37:180:37:20

HORN TOOTS

0:37:200:37:21

A successful run for Shirley,

0:37:230:37:25

but she wants it to be stronger than her last.

0:37:250:37:28

Well, I think we're both agreed, she had a very good run round.

0:37:280:37:31

-Yeah, she did.

-Excellent run.

0:37:310:37:32

It's not just having the dog, and the...

0:37:320:37:34

It's reading the sheep.

0:37:340:37:36

-Yeah.

-You've got to be able to read these sheep,

0:37:360:37:38

and how they're going to try and get away from the dog,

0:37:380:37:40

and that sort of thing. And she's got that, what we call, sheep sense.

0:37:400:37:44

-Yeah.

-And that's what Jim has taught her.

0:37:440:37:46

It's the only thing I could teach her, I think, really!

0:37:460:37:49

-I don't know, Jim. But we won't go into that!

-No!

0:37:500:37:53

It's a good run, I'd say it's a good run, up to now.

0:37:570:38:00

But you don't like to say it too much in case somebody else

0:38:000:38:03

comes along and just knocks you off the top spot, which they can do.

0:38:030:38:07

I made mistakes, just a few, minor,

0:38:070:38:10

but somebody could still do it 100% better.

0:38:100:38:14

I think it might be going to Lancashire!

0:38:140:38:16

Not Yorkshire!

0:38:160:38:18

But John and Shirley won't have long to wait now.

0:38:250:38:28

Across Nidderdale, the show is beginning to wind down.

0:38:280:38:31

And in the fields, the sheepdog trials are over.

0:38:310:38:34

All they can do is hope, while the judge tots up the scores.

0:38:380:38:42

The judge doesn't look like he knows himself yet.

0:38:420:38:45

So I wouldn't like to say, cos he's turning pages over,

0:38:450:38:48

going back and reckoning it all up, so I don't know.

0:38:480:38:53

Mmm. Mmm.

0:38:530:38:55

Both John and Shirley have given their all.

0:38:580:39:01

But it's out of their hands now.

0:39:010:39:03

Finally, the judge has come to a decision.

0:39:110:39:13

Time for the Nidderdale Singles Champion to be crowned.

0:39:170:39:21

OK, so, here are the results for the 2016 Nidderdale Show

0:39:310:39:34

sheepdog trials.

0:39:340:39:36

In reverse order.

0:39:380:39:39

In tenth place, Sandy Beaton, on 68.

0:39:410:39:44

-Thank you very much.

-OK.

0:39:480:39:51

In ninth place, we have John Atkinson on 70.

0:39:530:39:56

I thank you!

0:39:560:39:57

Thank you very much. Thank you.

0:39:590:40:00

John's a winner, but not quite what he was hoping for.

0:40:000:40:03

I got lost in the time.

0:40:060:40:09

Because I'm concerned about the sheep

0:40:090:40:11

and being caring for the sheep - being a shepherd, that's my job.

0:40:110:40:15

Trying to be careful with them and kind to them,

0:40:150:40:18

and because I was caring for them, and trying to be gentle with them,

0:40:180:40:23

I ran out of time at the trial,

0:40:230:40:25

and I should think more about the competition.

0:40:250:40:27

John and White Rose Queen were very unlucky, actually.

0:40:280:40:32

He was just beeped out for time.

0:40:330:40:36

Which lost him ten points, cos the shed was fine,

0:40:380:40:41

but it was out of time.

0:40:410:40:43

Which would have made him into third place, actually.

0:40:430:40:46

With first prize still up for grabs,

0:40:480:40:51

Shirley's in the running for the coveted cup.

0:40:510:40:54

And in first place, we have Shirley Cropper, on 106.

0:41:000:41:03

For this former hair and beauty stylist turned farmer...

0:41:050:41:08

-Oh, thank you!

-..to break through at this level is a real achievement.

0:41:080:41:12

I think Shirley's done very well.

0:41:220:41:24

Very well. Yeah.

0:41:240:41:26

It's always good to finish on a high,

0:41:340:41:36

and to do your best and to get the best out of your dogs,

0:41:360:41:41

and come away with some lovely silverware!

0:41:410:41:46

Shirley doesn't really need to improve on anything.

0:41:460:41:48

She is a very accomplished handler.

0:41:480:41:51

Even if I'd done the final exercise, where I'd split the sheep,

0:41:510:41:56

I wouldn't have won the trial, I would have been second to Shirley.

0:41:560:41:59

So...

0:41:590:42:00

Tough luck!

0:42:010:42:02

I feel really proud to see her win everything, I do.

0:42:030:42:07

-Vice versa!

-Yes.

0:42:090:42:10

The trip home, we'll probably have steak and chips.

0:42:120:42:15

Might have a bit of sweet cake.

0:42:170:42:18

For Shirley and John, it's time to put the rivalry to bed,

0:42:210:42:25

for the time being at least!

0:42:250:42:27

-Well done, Shirley.

-Thank you, John.

0:42:270:42:29

Well done to you as well.

0:42:290:42:30

Hey, look! Red rose, white rose!

0:42:300:42:33

Unfortunately, she's the winner!

0:42:330:42:35

LAUGHTER

0:42:350:42:37

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