World Sheepdog Trials 2023 Dromore: Watch Cap from the Netherlands take a cool bath after a tough competition

The competition also had an added touch of class today when Princess Anne visited. This evening, she also unveiled a Royal British Legion bench in nearby Dromore town square.

Speaking to the News Letter in the morning, Mr Fleming was relieved that last week's heatwave had passed.

"It's good weather for running dogs, we are hoping the rain stays off but it's good - it's cool, not too warm, and that suits the dogs very well," he said.

He farms some 3000 sheep in Lanark, Scotland and brings a lifetime's experience to his role.

"The organisation here has been outstanding," he said. "Host Bill Porter's family have given us every assistance on their wonderful estate and John McCullough, the local chairman of the World Trial Committee and his members, have done an outstanding job of organising things".

The competition begins with every entrant being tested in three different trials. On Wednesday The News Letter met visitors and competitors from the Faroe Islands, Canada, Austria, Germany and Sweden to name only a few nations represented.

The semi-finals for the event are on Friday and the finals on Saturday.

As in any field, the elite practitioners make it look simple, says Mr Fleming. The finalists will be the ones who can make their sheep all follow straight lines from point to point.

"They do make it look easy. They must be able to read the sheep, understand the sheep's behaviour and use the hunting ability of the collie.

"When we train it, the first thing a young dog wants to do is get hold of a sheep, bring it to you, kill it and eat it. All dogs are related to the wolf.

"So during the training you teach it not to eat the sheep but to control it. But it is a prey-predator relationship and that's why you see when the dog comes towards the sheep, their heads come up and they're looking around to see how they can escape.

"So we are utilising that relationship to control the sheep and you must have your dog very well controlled."

He says anyone visiting the fine estate and competition this week will be impressed - regardless of their background.

"I think you'll find what the dog is actually capable of doing and the communication between the dog and the man is amazing.

"The TV programme One Man And His Dog had the highest viewing figures of any programme when it was on the BBC. But seeing it in the flesh is just unbelievable. Anyone will be amazed at what these dogs can do."

Visitors can also take a tour of the estate's elite Short Horn and Aberdeen Angus cattle, he added.

See: www.worldsheepdogtrials.org

See also: Peter Óg Morgan from Castlewellan, 15, hopes to clinch World Champion title in his age group

For more information see: https://www.worldsheepdogtrials.org/