0:00:02 > 0:00:03Across the country,
0:00:03 > 0:00:08thousands of farming families work tirelessly around the clock.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10Bring them up, Isabel. Well done.
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Here they come.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Shake it, baby, shake it.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16But there's one day each year
0:00:16 > 0:00:20where they get to leave the daily routine behind.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22Yahoo!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24These are show days...
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Welcome to the Pembrokeshire County Show.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28..and they come together as a community...
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Salute.
0:00:30 > 0:00:33..to showcase the fruits of their labour...
0:00:33 > 0:00:34Had a quick look at the competition.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36I'm in with a chance.
0:00:36 > 0:00:40..and try to win prizes for their breed champions...
0:00:40 > 0:00:42Well done. Wahey!
0:00:42 > 0:00:44It's show business, folks.
0:00:44 > 0:00:45..and award-winning produce.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47I got first!
0:00:48 > 0:00:50You had the last two jars.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51There will be highs...
0:00:54 > 0:00:55..and lows.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57No, no. No, no, no.
0:00:57 > 0:01:03..for the dedicated farmers who give everything to walk away a champion.
0:01:03 > 0:01:04No way!
0:01:14 > 0:01:18For centuries, farmers have faced a difficult task
0:01:18 > 0:01:19of herding their sheep,
0:01:19 > 0:01:21come rain or shine.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25The lucky ones have a vital ally...
0:01:25 > 0:01:27HE WHISTLES
0:01:27 > 0:01:29..an essential workmate...
0:01:31 > 0:01:33..and a steadfast companion -
0:01:33 > 0:01:35their sheepdogs.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39He's better than any car you'd ever buy.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Who wants a Ferrari when you can have one of these?
0:01:41 > 0:01:46There are over 60,000 registered sheepdogs in Britain,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50and becoming a skilled work dog is no easy task.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53It takes years of relentless training and dedication.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58If you look this good when you're my age, George, you'll be all right.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Farmers James Gilman and James Reid are getting ready to compete
0:02:02 > 0:02:07at the sheepdog trials at this year's Hope Show in Derbyshire.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12A win here will show the calibre of their animals...
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Oh, no!
0:02:14 > 0:02:16..and their skill in training them.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18That'll do. Come here. Good lad.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34This south-east corner of picturesque Cheshire,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36next to the Peak District,
0:02:36 > 0:02:39is home to James Gilman and his family.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Their 200-acre farm
0:02:43 > 0:02:46has been in the family for three generations.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52What I love about this job is every day's different.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55You don't know what you're going to come across every morning.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57I mean, you've got your routine jobs,
0:02:57 > 0:02:59you're going to let the hens out.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Wakey, wakey.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05And you're going to feed the animals and check everything round,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07but you just don't know what you're going to find.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Something could be giving birth, some of your animals might be out.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13You don't know what you're going to come across.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15I mean, actually, it's not a job.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18It is a way of life and I love it, I'm passionate about it.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19I love my animals.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24It's a good thing, because there's a lot of them to look after.
0:03:24 > 0:03:29As well as chickens and ducks, there's 100 cows and 400 sheep.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36But despite being passionate about all of his animals,
0:03:36 > 0:03:38James has a favourite.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43When I left school, in 1983,
0:03:43 > 0:03:47my dad bought a young collie pup and we named her Jill,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and I used to take her to fetch the cows in
0:03:50 > 0:03:54and you could say we were both starting our working life
0:03:54 > 0:03:58and neither of us had much clue what the future held for us.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08James's current favourites are two collies he bred and trained himself,
0:04:08 > 0:04:10Bob and Bonnie.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15You get such a bond with your dog.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17They look at you as being the master,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20the one that they want to work for.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23They adore you for this and they'll do anything, basically,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25that you tell them to.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35Shall I pull them off the fence, or...?
0:04:35 > 0:04:38No, she'll get moving, work them off the other way, Martha,
0:04:38 > 0:04:39don't worry about it.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42James's 21-year-old daughter, Martha,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45is on a break from studying biomedical sciences
0:04:45 > 0:04:47at Sheffield University.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51- And stop her.- Lie down. Lie down.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Her father is determined to get her working with the sheepdogs.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Lie down. Lie down. Lie down.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00She's showing a lot of enthusiasm.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Both of them are, actually, together,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04so that's good. That's the main thing.
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Lie, lie. Come by.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10Lie, lie down. Lie down!
0:05:10 > 0:05:13I'd like to see her just working on the control...
0:05:13 > 0:05:16a little bit more and calming everything down.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Lie down. Lie!
0:05:19 > 0:05:20Come on.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23I don't want to just jump in there straightaway
0:05:23 > 0:05:26and tell her how she should do it, but I will do in a minute.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29Lie down. Lie down.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Keep going now. Don't worry.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33No, don't worry. Let her keep going.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Dad, this is no good.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42I think I just don't like being told what to do.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I think that's what it is, you see.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47And I'm reluctant sometimes to tell her cos I know
0:05:47 > 0:05:50that she might not want to hear it.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- Just do us this gate, George, please.- Yeah.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02James's son George is also at university.
0:06:02 > 0:06:06He may be studying forensic science, but back on the farm,
0:06:06 > 0:06:08he's extra labour.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Oh, it's all right working with him, when he's in a good mood.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15Yeah, just make sure I do all the strenuous work.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18- I'm always in a good mood, George, what do you mean?- Yeah.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21If you look this good when you're my age, George, you'll be all right.
0:06:23 > 0:06:24Go for that feisty one in a minute.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26The feisty one.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27That's it.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31He didn't start off that interested in farming,
0:06:31 > 0:06:35but now, as he's growing up, he's been on a shearing course,
0:06:35 > 0:06:37he likes the animals, and I see now,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41he's sort of getting the bug, really, for this farming lark,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44and I sort of see him noticing things and being
0:06:44 > 0:06:46interested in what's happening a lot more on the farm,
0:06:46 > 0:06:50so things are moving in the right direction, I think.
0:06:50 > 0:06:55James is confident enough to try to make George into a hoof-trimming expert.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57Yes, this could do with another trim as well.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01They need to get rid of the sheep's excess hoof
0:07:01 > 0:07:03or they risk becoming lame.
0:07:10 > 0:07:13There is one more essential member of the family -
0:07:13 > 0:07:16James's wife of 24 years, Jane.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20I met Jane in the Young Farmers.
0:07:20 > 0:07:26I'd be 23 at the time, I was on the lookout for a partner, for a wife,
0:07:26 > 0:07:27for a future wife,
0:07:27 > 0:07:32and as soon as I saw Jane with her big smile and that long bushy hair,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I thought, "She's the one for me."
0:07:35 > 0:07:38He was chairman of his club, I was chairman of my club,
0:07:38 > 0:07:41and he came round and he actually... I came to one of the dances
0:07:41 > 0:07:45and I sold him a raffle ticket and he said, "If I win the raffle,"
0:07:45 > 0:07:48it was a meal for two at this restaurant, he says,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51"If I win, then I'll take you."
0:07:51 > 0:07:56And he won! And he actually came to take me, but the car broke down,
0:07:56 > 0:07:57so he couldn't take me,
0:07:57 > 0:08:00but then he did take me a couple of years later
0:08:00 > 0:08:01and that's when he proposed.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07She loves farming. Jane's a farmer's daughter.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10It might only be advice, but mostly she puts her wellies on,
0:08:10 > 0:08:12she comes out and helps me.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14You'll never see Jane sitting down.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19As if being a full-time farmer's wife wasn't enough,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Jane is also a primary school teacher.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I always said I'd never marry a farmer,
0:08:25 > 0:08:29having known exactly what farming entails and how hard it is,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32but then I went to university, spent three years in the city and thought,
0:08:32 > 0:08:34"I need to get back to the countryside,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37"I need to get back into this way of life." It's just lovely, yeah.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00100 miles due east in Lincolnshire is another farmer,
0:09:00 > 0:09:02also called James.
0:09:04 > 0:09:08Together with his wife Sally and three-year-old son, Tom,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12James looks after 500 ewes across 800 acres,
0:09:12 > 0:09:14most of which is arable land.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22James is a fifth-generation farmer
0:09:22 > 0:09:26who's been training sheepdogs for the past ten years.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33His love story with dogs began with a break from tradition.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35My dad would never have a dog.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39I don't know why. It took me ages to persuade him to have a dog, really,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42and then when we got one, of course, we didn't need three or four blokes
0:09:42 > 0:09:45chasing around the field after sheep. The dog did it all itself.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Away, Sam.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51There's no way I could do this job without dogs.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53Just no way. They're just fantastic.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55They're the best work pal you could ever have.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Sally also has a farming background,
0:10:02 > 0:10:06and she is an excellent work partner.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08Sally does a great job with all the dogs.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10She's always walking them and she feeds them.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14James and Sally have been married for nine years
0:10:14 > 0:10:17but their story began long before that.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24When I was a youngster, my mother wanted me to go horse riding
0:10:24 > 0:10:26and there was this beautiful girl
0:10:26 > 0:10:29that used to win all these pony club events,
0:10:29 > 0:10:31long blonde hair, called Sally.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36Years later, I went to the doctor's, I was in my boiler suit,
0:10:36 > 0:10:41covered in sheep muck, and Sally came over and you sat next to me,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43- didn't you?- Yeah. - And then we started chatting.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47When I left, I got my prescription, and I wrote on the back of it
0:10:47 > 0:10:49and then left it on her windscreen wiper.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51And of course, I thought I'd got a parking ticket!
0:10:53 > 0:10:56And as soon as they got married, they started a family...
0:10:56 > 0:10:58of Border collies.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01We had some pups, or Jess had the pups,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05she had seven pups in the October of the year we got married, 2008,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09and we decided to name two of them after ourselves,
0:11:09 > 0:11:12Jim and Sal, and obviously we kept Sally.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Occasionally, this has led to confusion.
0:11:16 > 0:11:19You know when you call a dog to you, you say, that'll do.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Well, I'd just got the car... the dogs in the boot of the car,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25I ran in the house, because we were late to get to this trial,
0:11:25 > 0:11:29weren't we, and I shouted up the stairs, "That'll do, Sally."
0:11:29 > 0:11:33- I got a bog roll straight on my head, didn't I?- Yeah, I barked back.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Sally is still one of James's favourite dogs.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48She's probably my most consistent dog.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51She's eight years old now so she knows the score
0:11:51 > 0:11:53and she's good on all sorts of sheep.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56Handles them well, really calms them and stuff.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59You can always rely on Sal.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08I think these dogs are part of British farming, they're the icons,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10some of the icons of British farming.
0:12:16 > 0:12:17I think they're brilliant animals.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19They're so intelligent.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22It's really important for these dogs to have times like this,
0:12:22 > 0:12:25just relaxing, because they're taking so much in their brain,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28it's nice for them to just have periods where they don't have to
0:12:28 > 0:12:30think about sheep and they just can enjoy themselves,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32just like we would do, really.
0:12:35 > 0:12:39As a fifth-generation farmer, James is already looking to the future.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43I hope Tom does carry on,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46so it's really important that he learns the trade as well, really.
0:12:47 > 0:12:50Right now, though, Tom has a different problem.
0:12:50 > 0:12:51If you ever have a sheepdog,
0:12:51 > 0:12:55it's best to teach it to retrieve your son's Crocs as well!
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Unfortunately, for all their skills,
0:12:58 > 0:13:00these sheepdogs are not retrievers.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04They'll chase a stick, but they won't bring it back.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Playtime over, and there's work to do.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Twice a year the sheep need an MOT -
0:13:13 > 0:13:16a few basic health checks to catch any problems.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22While he waits for his son Tom to grow up, his 15-year-old apprentice,
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Ralph, gives him a hand with the 400 sheep.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28Whoa, that'll do.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I was on my own, and then this young man came.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32He's the local vet's son, bless him,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36and he came one lambing time and he's ended up staying, really.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40He's a great help. He comes after school and, yeah, we get on like a house on fire, really.
0:13:42 > 0:13:44I'll show you how we tip one up, look.
0:13:44 > 0:13:46You just lay them back like that, look,
0:13:46 > 0:13:50and tip it up and we can now check its feet,
0:13:50 > 0:13:54check its udder, for any lumps.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57- Do you want to have a go at that? - Yeah.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00The sheep's so relaxed, look.
0:14:00 > 0:14:01It's not stressing it.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06Ralph comes from a very good veterinary background and you can see that in his work.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08- Just take it off so it's level, yeah?- Yeah.
0:14:08 > 0:14:13He's very methodical in what he does and he's so kind to the animals.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30Back in Cheshire, while there's still a lot of work to do on the farm,
0:14:30 > 0:14:33Jane is off to do her weekly bit at the village church,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36with daughter Martha in tow.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45I learnt to bell ring when I was pregnant with Martha.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50Every Monday night, we practise the bells, and every Sunday,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53we ring to bring people to church. We also ring on special occasions.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58The bells at Bosley are 250 years old
0:14:58 > 0:15:01and it's very important to keep these traditions going.
0:15:02 > 0:15:07This could be one tradition that Martha is not so keen to carry on.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10I ring the bells at Christmas and at Easter, yeah,
0:15:10 > 0:15:12just on special occasions, really,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14when Mum...when I... when Mum makes me!
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Don't say that!
0:15:19 > 0:15:22While the bells toll, James's focus has shifted
0:15:22 > 0:15:26to tomorrow's all-important dog trials at the Hope Show.
0:15:29 > 0:15:32Lie down. Lie down.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34I've been going to Hope Show about 20 years now.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37I started off at the bottom, and after a couple of years,
0:15:37 > 0:15:39managed to win my first open trial.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Since then, I caught the bug.
0:15:43 > 0:15:44Over these years,
0:15:44 > 0:15:47James's stellar reputation as a sheepdog trialer
0:15:47 > 0:15:50has grown from strength to strength.
0:15:51 > 0:15:56He gained the title of English Brace Champion in 2006 and he's been
0:15:56 > 0:16:01a member of the English national team a staggering four times.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05Yeah, that was brilliant,
0:16:05 > 0:16:10and to be there, representing your country against the other nations,
0:16:10 > 0:16:12it's quite a thing.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16I mean, you can puff your chest out and think, "Yeah, I'm here."
0:16:20 > 0:16:24James's strength lies in understanding exactly where credit is due,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27for all his many victories.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31It's not about how good the dog is, or how good the man is.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34It's how good the partnership is.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37And it's the partnership that could win this trial.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41It's not a dog or a certain handler.
0:16:41 > 0:16:42It's together.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46This is natural instinct.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48I can't train these dogs to do this.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51This is natural, this is what they're bred to do.
0:16:51 > 0:16:55I'm the boss, I'm the master, so they're holding them to me.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01These dogs are bred to work.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05They've got that in-built instinct, and it's a hunting instinct, and
0:17:05 > 0:17:09we're taking that hunting instinct and we're acting as pack leader.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15The sheep are prey to them and they want to get them in the corner,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17obviously, to go in for a kill.
0:17:17 > 0:17:22In the past, that's how they've lived, and we're using that instinct
0:17:22 > 0:17:26to train them for us, basically, to work on the farm,
0:17:26 > 0:17:30but also we're putting the finer movements to them
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and we can go out and compete with them at sheepdog trials.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Like most shows, tomorrow's will be a family affair.
0:17:46 > 0:17:51Martha's taking her Zwartbles sheep, a rare breed from the Netherlands.
0:17:53 > 0:17:54I went to my first show
0:17:54 > 0:17:58not very long ago, and I won first with this one,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00which I'm very impressed about,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02but I'm not hoping for very much tomorrow.
0:18:02 > 0:18:03We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Hopefully she'll behave. That's the main thing.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08I hope we don't have a loose sheep in the field.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Jane has no intention of missing out, either.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22I've just realised there's a honey class and I'm going to enter my honey,
0:18:22 > 0:18:25so we'll have to see. That's very exciting.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28It's a bit scary, because when you enter your honey,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32you have to shut the jar and you can't actually test the honey.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35- Got to get to the show before nine o'clock, love. - All right, no worries.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39You're always hopeful. Obviously, you're entering cos you want to win,
0:18:39 > 0:18:41and you're trying to raise the standard.
0:18:41 > 0:18:42But also, you're trying to compete,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45you want to do better than you did before, as well,
0:18:45 > 0:18:48- you know, against yourself. - It's the taking part that counts.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Yeah, with the trialling, anything can happen on the day.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54I mean, it'd be lovely to get a placing.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56There's about 60 other dogs running.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59They'll all be wanting to win as well.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02If we don't win or get a placing, we'll have a good day out.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Back at James and Sally's in Lincolnshire,
0:19:16 > 0:19:19competition is also the topic of the day,
0:19:19 > 0:19:22starting with some determined three-year-olds.
0:19:31 > 0:19:36All the local farmers have gathered at James's place for a fun race.
0:19:37 > 0:19:42Seems if you buy a big tractor, they throw in one of these for the kids.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57James is just as eager to win with his dogs tomorrow.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02Hope Show is really important to me.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05All the trials I go to, they're all really important,
0:20:05 > 0:20:08I don't just go to a trial thinking, "Oh, I might do all right today,
0:20:08 > 0:20:11"I might not," I go there to win, every single time.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15What's so important about the Hope Show is that it's an opportunity
0:20:15 > 0:20:18to qualify for the Nationals.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22I've always wanted, from the moment I started running dogs,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24to win the English National,
0:20:24 > 0:20:27because really my background is arable farming,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31- so to come into the sheepdog world...- Yeah, as a novice, yeah.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33And get there in my time and win the National would be the...
0:20:33 > 0:20:36Well, it would be the biggest achievement ever.
0:20:39 > 0:20:45James is also motivated by his desire to keep the tradition of sheepdog trials alive,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49something he is keen to pass on to his apprentice.
0:20:51 > 0:20:56The average age of a sheepdog trialler is probably 50 to 60, isn't it?
0:20:56 > 0:20:59So getting lads like that into sheepdog trialling, it's a must.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03To inspire him, James has bought Ralph a little pup.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07This is Mist. She's my best friend, really.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09I love her to bits.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13James intends to train both of them up into a winning team.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16We're going to get those three sheep calmly into that pen.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- Yup.- Yep? So we're going to need to keep the dog off them
0:21:19 > 0:21:23and bring them quietly up, walking, and then try not to spook them.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Lie down. Lie down.
0:21:38 > 0:21:41I'd love to win the English Sheepdog National.
0:21:41 > 0:21:46It just seems like a million miles away now, but I'd really love to do that one day.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51Away.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Away, Mist, away.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00And success for this young pair.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Good girl, well done. That's the first time we've ever
0:22:07 > 0:22:09penned any sheep before, so I'm really proud of her.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18With everyone psyched for the show,
0:22:18 > 0:22:23the last thing to do is to prepare one of the stars, Tom, the sheepdog.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25Good lad.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28If you look after your dog, it's going to look after you.
0:22:28 > 0:22:31The things you do for your dog, it pays you back.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35How can you repay these dogs what they do for us?
0:22:35 > 0:22:36Your best work pal.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39It's better than any car you'd ever buy.
0:22:39 > 0:22:42Who wants a Ferrari when you can have one of these?
0:22:43 > 0:22:47If somebody offered me 50 grand for this dog, I wouldn't take it.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53You'll do me proud this weekend, hey? Good lad. Good lad.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01At last, it's show day.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05Come on. Don't want to be late today.
0:23:10 > 0:23:15The Reids and the Gilmans have known each other for the past nine years,
0:23:15 > 0:23:17but this is the first time
0:23:17 > 0:23:20they'll be competing at the Hope Show against each other.
0:23:23 > 0:23:24With two dogs each,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28they'll both have two chances to show off their talent.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31Bit nervous, but we'll see how it goes.
0:23:31 > 0:23:36It'll be one of Sally's last times but I hope she'll pull it out the bag, and Tom, well, you never know.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38Come on, Bob, get in.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40And in the farming community,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43nothing makes you more competitive
0:23:43 > 0:23:46than the prospect of beating old friends.
0:23:47 > 0:23:51He's coming off the flat into the hills and he doesn't realise
0:23:51 > 0:23:55what opposition he's going to come up against, so I'm ready for him.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08- Yahoo!- Whoo-hoo!
0:24:26 > 0:24:30It's the end of summer in the magnificent Hope Valley
0:24:30 > 0:24:34and this can only mean one thing - the Hope Show is about to begin.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41This unmissable event set in the heart of the Peak District
0:24:41 > 0:24:45started life at the end of the 19th century as a sheepdog trial,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49but it has grown into a celebration of the best of the rural community.
0:24:53 > 0:24:59I'm the current 2017 president, and I'm only the second woman
0:24:59 > 0:25:00to be president at Hope Show
0:25:00 > 0:25:02in nearly 150 years.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16I've been coming to Hope Show since I was a little girl.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19It's our local agricultural show.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23It means a lot to people in the Hope Valley and it's the one show
0:25:23 > 0:25:26that everybody feels they want to make an effort to come and see.
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Winning here is a great honour for the farmers,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and a potential boost to their business.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42The dog trials will take place
0:25:42 > 0:25:45in a ten-acre field next to the showgrounds.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48It's too early for the competition,
0:25:48 > 0:25:51but James Gilman and his dogs are keen
0:25:51 > 0:25:53to check out the lay of the land.
0:25:54 > 0:25:57All ready. Well, they're looking good, anyway.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59They look better than me.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03In a minute, the competition will start.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05I'll put these dogs away and keep them quiet,
0:26:05 > 0:26:09and then I'll just walk them out individually just before I run them
0:26:09 > 0:26:14and just try to settle them down and settle my own nerves down, really.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16I'm not over-worried, really.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21I know I've got some good dogs and if I show my nerves, it'll...
0:26:21 > 0:26:26The dogs'll pick up on it, you see, and it will make it even worse.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28So, does she look nervous?
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Also here bright and early is another old hand.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40I'm judging the dog trial today.
0:26:40 > 0:26:45I won the trial last year, so they ask you to judge the next year.
0:26:45 > 0:26:50I've been judging sheepdog trials since the early '80s.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52This is a nice one to judge.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Looking forward to it.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58This judge, Colin,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02he actually won the trial last year, and he just beat me.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04But I know he's a fair judge.
0:27:04 > 0:27:05He'll be quite strict.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Arriving for the first time at Hope Show,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16James Reid is looking forward to making his name known on these hallowed fields.
0:27:16 > 0:27:19Now then, mate, are you all right?
0:27:19 > 0:27:20You'll get lost around here, you will.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23- You found it up these hills? - Yeah, yeah, it's nice, isn't it?
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it? - Yes, you lucky chap.- Yeah.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28It's not all flat where we are, anyway.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Isn't it? Have you got some holes, have you?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Not quite as big as the hills round here.
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Right. What do you think of the course, then?
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Yes, that old bitch of mine struggles with her hearing when the tannoy starts going as well.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Anyway, enough of the excuses.
0:27:41 > 0:27:43Don't start the excuses already!
0:27:45 > 0:27:48So, ladies and gentlemen, good morning,
0:27:48 > 0:27:54a very warm welcome to the 2017 Hope Valley Agricultural Show.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03The judge has now taken his position and it's time to start.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08There are 50 dogs competing today,
0:28:08 > 0:28:12and everybody is waiting for James to show them how it's done.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17- Lie down.- The next competitor will be James Gilman with Bonnie.
0:28:18 > 0:28:24Jane and Sally look on as two-year-old Bonnie walks out for one of her first trials.
0:28:27 > 0:28:31As a young dog with lots of energy, she may be too excited,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35but veteran James is eager to prove he can deliver with a beginner.
0:28:41 > 0:28:42Away.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Each competitor has ten minutes to complete the course
0:28:48 > 0:28:51before the bell rings.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58First, Bonnie has to fetch the sheep from the far end of the field.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09Then she has to drive them through a series of gates.
0:29:16 > 0:29:21Now the flock needs to be divided and then regrouped.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28This is called shedding.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30Lie down!
0:29:38 > 0:29:41Finally, with seconds ticking away,
0:29:41 > 0:29:44Bonnie and James must manoeuvre them into the pen.
0:29:47 > 0:29:50Away, Bonnie.
0:29:50 > 0:29:51BELL RINGS
0:29:51 > 0:29:55But time's up. They've just missed it.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Bonnie worked really well. I got a good shed with her,
0:29:58 > 0:30:02but I hadn't enough time to settle them at the pen.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05I'm sort of satisfied but I would have liked to have got finished.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10I've another one to go. Not disheartened.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17As well as all the dogs,
0:30:17 > 0:30:19thousands of people are here at Hope Show
0:30:19 > 0:30:22to enjoy the best of rural life.
0:30:30 > 0:30:33There's no shortage of things on show today,
0:30:33 > 0:30:37from the traditional to the unexpected.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42Derbyshire's legendary Red Barrows, from the village of Barlow,
0:30:42 > 0:30:45are one of today's biggest crowd pullers.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49We are very patriotic, as you can see.
0:30:49 > 0:30:53The red is for the red cabbage of Barlow, the white,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55the white of the cauliflower, and the blue tights,
0:30:55 > 0:30:59the bluebells in and around the woods of the village of Barlow in Derbyshire.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06What we do is we go around carnivals in Derbyshire and shows.
0:31:06 > 0:31:09We go for free, and people donate money to our charities,
0:31:09 > 0:31:12of which we've raised tens of thousands
0:31:12 > 0:31:13over the last five or six years.
0:31:13 > 0:31:17All our work is about children and what we can do to support children.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19Salute!
0:31:19 > 0:31:23And if you get really exhausted after all this fun,
0:31:23 > 0:31:25there's always time for an ice cream.
0:31:27 > 0:31:28Or a little nap.
0:31:37 > 0:31:42Back to the dog trials, and pressure is mounting on the field again
0:31:42 > 0:31:44as James Reid is stepping in with Sally
0:31:44 > 0:31:47for his first-ever trial at Hope Show.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50I'll watch James very keenly.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53I mean, he's come a long way to be here and to compete.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55Very keen to see how his dog runs.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06Eight-year-old Sally is James's most successful trial dog so far.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11However, she is soon to retire
0:32:11 > 0:32:15and James is hoping to end her career on a high.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22But she's missed the first gate, and that's going to cost points.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31Sally manages to regroup and is doing well.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39With the run almost over, she's holding steady.
0:32:44 > 0:32:46Keep going. Keep going.
0:32:46 > 0:32:49- And she's done it.- Well done, Daddy!
0:32:51 > 0:32:54But time will tell what the judge makes of this run.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59Sally has done well, but the heat has exhausted her.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Look, Sal's having a... she's having a paddle, look.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04She's cooling off, Tom.
0:33:07 > 0:33:09You don't want a Chihuahua.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11No.
0:33:11 > 0:33:14The Reids take a quick break to look around the rest of the show
0:33:14 > 0:33:17and take their mind off competition.
0:33:20 > 0:33:2376-year-old John Duncan and his collection
0:33:23 > 0:33:25of hand-carved wooden models
0:33:25 > 0:33:29have been a regular at Hope Show for more than half a century.
0:33:31 > 0:33:35I was introduced to handcrafted things
0:33:35 > 0:33:38by a PoW in World War II,
0:33:38 > 0:33:43a volunteer agricultural worker on my grandfather's farm.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45These were just ordinary people
0:33:45 > 0:33:48who didn't really want to be mixed up in a war.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51And he'd got a lot of time when he'd finished his work
0:33:51 > 0:33:54and I was a nosy little brat, and that's how it all started!
0:33:56 > 0:34:01I've been doing this for a good 70 years, 70-plus years.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06Each of these pieces has a personal connection,
0:34:06 > 0:34:09and they are not for sale.
0:34:09 > 0:34:11It annoys people, these very rich people,
0:34:11 > 0:34:13who think they can buy anything,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16when you tell them they haven't got enough money to buy one.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18It really upsets them, that does.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23To create something from nothing is an achievement.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27Cos people do get a great deal of pleasure from them,
0:34:27 > 0:34:32because they can identify with some of the things, things from the past.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34There's a tractor at the bottom.
0:34:34 > 0:34:37A lot of us learnt to drive on those, my age group.
0:34:37 > 0:34:40That was the first mechanical thing we ever saw.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Times have not changed that much since then.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48Do you want to sit in a tractor?
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Yes!
0:34:50 > 0:34:53How do you open this, then? It's good, isn't it?
0:34:53 > 0:34:57When we come to country shows, we have to go on every single tractor
0:34:57 > 0:35:00and sit on every quad bike and every Gator.
0:35:01 > 0:35:06What do you reckon, Tom? Do we want one of these on the farm?
0:35:06 > 0:35:07Yeah?
0:35:12 > 0:35:14On the other side of the showground,
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Martha has just returned from showing her sheep.
0:35:18 > 0:35:22Not a successful day at the show, but never mind.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24So I entered both of these in the class
0:35:24 > 0:35:26and unfortunately we didn't get any rosettes,
0:35:26 > 0:35:28but it's very tough competition here at Hope Show,
0:35:28 > 0:35:31so maybe next year we'll get some rosettes, but not this year.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33But it's not all bad news.
0:35:33 > 0:35:36I did manage to sell some of my sheep today.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38A farmer's seen my sheep and wanted to buy some,
0:35:38 > 0:35:42so that's been really good. So no rosettes, but some business, which has been quite nice.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50Break over, it's James Reid's turn to run again,
0:35:50 > 0:35:54and this time, the stakes are higher.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57This will be James Reid from Louth with Tom.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02Six-year-old Tom is James's best hope for the day.
0:36:02 > 0:36:03Away.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09He desperately needs Tom to perfect this run
0:36:09 > 0:36:13if he's going to get enough points to qualify for the Nationals.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15He's not happy.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18He needs to settle down a bit.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20He's struggling here.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26The sheep don't seem to be cooperating.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29Now he's got to go like Billy O to catch him.
0:36:30 > 0:36:34No matter what Tom does, it's a lost battle.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37Lie down. Lie down.
0:36:37 > 0:36:39It's like he's just having a bit of a rough do, isn't he?
0:36:39 > 0:36:43Lie down. Lie down! Will you lie down? Lie down.
0:36:43 > 0:36:45He was just struggling there.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49Sometimes you get the sheep, they just won't play ball.
0:36:49 > 0:36:50Oh!
0:36:50 > 0:36:52Oh.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54Listen, lie down!
0:36:55 > 0:36:56His dog's gone off now.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58It's gone tired.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01Is he retiring?
0:37:03 > 0:37:06James decides to retreat.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10- Thank you, James.- I don't know what I could have done there.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13They wouldn't just look in the pen.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16That one with horns, it wasn't matching the rest.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18That's the trouble with all different sorts of sheep.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20I've never seen him flag like that before.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22It's really hot out there, though, isn't it?
0:37:22 > 0:37:24All this left, right, left, right, left, right,
0:37:24 > 0:37:27it's exhausting for them. You think they're not doing a lot,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30- but it's a lot of work for them, isn't it?- Yeah, that's trialling.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33And that's why we do it, really, cos it's such a challenge,
0:37:33 > 0:37:36but when it goes really sweet, it's wonderful,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38but it's not always that easy.
0:37:38 > 0:37:39No.
0:37:40 > 0:37:43It's not easy for their fans, either.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46We get tense, don't we?
0:37:46 > 0:37:48I've got no nails left now.
0:37:48 > 0:37:50- And you're, like, willing them on. - Yeah!
0:37:50 > 0:37:52I dread to think what we look like actually watching,
0:37:52 > 0:37:54because it's like concentration.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56- Edge of the seats, weren't we?- Yeah.
0:37:56 > 0:37:57It was good, though.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01It's almost time for James Gilman's final run,
0:38:01 > 0:38:04one more chance to change the course of history.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06He's a better handler than me,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09so I'm hoping for another good lesson, anyway.
0:38:10 > 0:38:14By watching a lot of the other runs, I know it's really tough.
0:38:14 > 0:38:15We'll see. You never know what'll happen.
0:38:15 > 0:38:17I've got every faith in you.
0:38:17 > 0:38:18Have you? Cheers, mate.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22That'll do. Stand.
0:38:22 > 0:38:26The dog always tries his best for James and will do what he can,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29but of course, the problem is the sheep, as you found out,
0:38:29 > 0:38:34so, it depends if the sheep play the game or if they don't.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36So it'll be very interesting and very exciting.
0:38:36 > 0:38:38- Yes, and...- Nerve-racking.
0:38:38 > 0:38:39- Another nerve-racking run.- Yeah.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42That'll do, Bob, that'll do.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47Bob is the best dog James has ever had.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49Come by.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54It's his fifth time at the Hope Show.
0:38:54 > 0:38:58He won a few years ago, and just last year, he came second.
0:39:01 > 0:39:06As Bob tackles this familiar field, he seems to have real authority.
0:39:07 > 0:39:08Oh, no!
0:39:08 > 0:39:11But the sheep have different ideas.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18Stand. Stand.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24He just gets them into the pen.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27Oh, no!
0:39:27 > 0:39:29But it doesn't count.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31The gate has to be shut before the bell.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Oh, the bell's gone!
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Come here. Good lad.
0:39:39 > 0:39:42Oh, no. Oh, dear.
0:39:42 > 0:39:43- Well done, mate.- No, you did well.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45What do you think about that?
0:39:45 > 0:39:47He worked well, Bob did, didn't he?
0:39:47 > 0:39:49Couldn't have done any more.
0:39:49 > 0:39:52It's just, when you're battling against sheep like that.
0:39:52 > 0:39:54Never mind. I'll have to have a few more lessons.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Come to Lincolnshire, the judges will give you a bit more time.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Yeah, only needed two more seconds.
0:40:01 > 0:40:03- That's all I needed.- Well done.
0:40:03 > 0:40:05Anyway, good competition today.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07- Definitely.- Where's Lincolnshire?
0:40:11 > 0:40:15It's the end of a long day and the dog trials are over.
0:40:16 > 0:40:21It's been a tough one and it shows just how hard this can be,
0:40:21 > 0:40:22even for the experts.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26Even though we're all probably a bunch of friends,
0:40:26 > 0:40:29in this country, we're so special at what we do,
0:40:29 > 0:40:31because we're competing against our neighbours all the time.
0:40:31 > 0:40:34It makes us better and better and better.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36Hooray, good lad, David!
0:40:36 > 0:40:39Doing well on the trial field puts your name out there.
0:40:39 > 0:40:42This is a shop window, and if I can show my dogs off,
0:40:42 > 0:40:43show what they can do,
0:40:43 > 0:40:46people are going to be drawn to my dogs
0:40:46 > 0:40:50and if that can help me in the future, then that's wonderful.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54- Anyway, I'd better go. - All right, see you.
0:40:58 > 0:41:01And there is an unexpected surprise in store for the Gilmans.
0:41:03 > 0:41:05- What is it?- I got first!- You did?!
0:41:06 > 0:41:10- Well done!- Yeah! Oh, my goodness.
0:41:10 > 0:41:12Jane's honey has brought it home.
0:41:15 > 0:41:16And your first time!
0:41:16 > 0:41:17My first time, yeah!
0:41:17 > 0:41:19Must be good bees.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Must be looked after well, yeah, that's it!
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- Great stuff.- I can't believe it, actually.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28Yes, that's the first time I've ever won and I've actually got
0:41:28 > 0:41:31a red prize card to go next to all these pairs' red prize cards now.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Red is best. He's always laughed, because mine have never been red,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36you see, so now I've got a red card now.
0:41:44 > 0:41:48The Hope Show is coming to an end for another year.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52Time for our farmers to stand back and reflect.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57I feel proud coming here today because I think the dogs have worked
0:41:57 > 0:42:00their hearts out and I don't think I've done too bad a job myself,
0:42:00 > 0:42:04either, with difficult sheep, we've got the job done
0:42:04 > 0:42:07and I think we've kept the end up for Lincolnshire, really.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11The show's been fantastic today.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15The weather's been glorious, the crowds have come out
0:42:15 > 0:42:18and we've put a good show on with these dogs today.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21And it can only be good when town meets country.
0:42:23 > 0:42:24It's been a day of challenges.
0:42:24 > 0:42:25Oh!
0:42:27 > 0:42:28And surprises.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31Yes, I've done it!
0:42:33 > 0:42:34Good lad.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37And above all, it's been an inspiration.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41One day, I'd really like to compete at this level.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45I think Ralph has got a lot of potential.
0:42:45 > 0:42:47I'm sure he'll beat me one day, anyway.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51I'd really love to beat James one day,
0:42:51 > 0:42:54but I still want to learn everything I can before I beat him,
0:42:54 > 0:42:56because he might stop teaching me.