World Sheepdog Trials: 240 dogs and handlers from 30 countries in Dromore in Co Down

Northern Ireland is hosting the World Sheepdog Trials for the very first time, with the global event taking place at the Gill Hall Estate, Dromore from Wednesday 13 to Thursday 16 September.

Here is our guide to what's happening.

• What's on?

The World Sheepdog Trials are underway in County Down. The four day event in Dromore is like Christmas for competitors in this performance of skill, speed and communication.

• Who's there?

There are 240 sheepdogs and handlers from 30 countries, as many as 50,000 spectators at the final on Saturday, and 1,200 Scottish Blackface hill sheep.

• How many winners will there be?

There's the Senior Cup competition, the Young Handlers competition, and a notable teams prize.

• What's involved in the competition?

The objective is "to test the ability of a dog, as part of a team with the handler, to manage sheep properly under the differing circumstances that may be encountered in daily work." This includes gathering sheep up, driving them from A to B, getting them into a pen and singling sheep out. All of this is against the clock.

• What are the typical commands?

You may hear more verbal commands from some shepherds, but more whistling from others.

Castlewellan's Peter Óg Morgan, 15, gave this "whistle" stop tour of common commands he uses with his dog Tip.

He's an expert because every weekend, he competes with and against his dad, his granda and his uncle.

"You and your dog should have great partnership and work together," he said.

"I mostly use my fingers to whistle, other people would rather use a physical whistle."

As for verbal instructions, generally speaking...

Away = to the right

Come bye = to the left

Stand = stop

Get up = to walk on

• How do the dogs and handlers train?

Benjamin Birkland is another young handler from Norway.

When asked this question, he said that like any sport, it's about constant practice.

"Training almost everyday, endless hours on the mountain, and a lot of travelling," he said.

• How much for a sheepdog?

Pups can sell for anything from £600 to £2,000, while a working dog can be many thousands.

• Do the collies love it too?

The trainers say their dogs absolutely live for this and their focus when carrying out their herding duties is certainly clear.

Indeed, it's in their blood. I met one Co Armagh sheepdog Jess, who's now retired. She was there, tail wagging, but I also met her pup Ash - who was competing for Team France.

• Where did the sheep for this competition come from?

The 1,200 sheep being used for this competition are from Castlewellan, Larne and Carnlough. They need to have a temperament that will be consistent across the heats, so that it's fair for all.

• What is the prize?

To the victor of the senior competition; a trophy, a silver Logan whistle and a hand-crafted crook.... and cash. The following amounts are up for grabs;

Senior World Champion: £3,000

2nd place/ Reserve Champion: £2,000

3rd place: £1,000

4th place: £500

5th place: £250

6th place gets £150, and all other ten finalists earn £100.

Here are the specially made crooks.

• Speaking of which, is the crook fashion or function?

Laurence Barkey makes and sells crooks and he has a stall at this event.

He says a good crook requires a "good clean ram's horn, which is nearly impossible to get nowadays".

"It must be off a four-year-old-ram and it has to season for two years minimum."

He says much like someone going to a wedding in a shirt and a tie, a crook is simply part of the dress for a sheepdog trial.

"Most of these competitors are all working with a smaller crook, it is not the traditional crook, which is bigger for actually catching sheep," he said.

• Can anyone attend this event?

Yes - You pay at the gate. It'd £30 for a four-day pass, while single day entry is £10. Parking is free and disabled parking is also available. There's also a live stream available here.

• Is the sport growing or slowing?

Maria Ignes, a competitor for Team Italy answered this one.

She says that in her country, it's not just families who've been passing their skills down through the generations who are getting involved.

"I can speak only about Italy but it's growing, there are so many guys interested in this because Border Collies are really popular and they want to do something that is in their genetics, so they have a training centre in Italy where they teach it.

"They come, and they learn from the basics, and eventually they have enough experience."

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