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This year’s One Man and His Dog competition comes from Chirk Castle, a medieval monument on the Welsh/English border that has had more than its fair share of battles over its 800 year history. Travelling from all corners of the United Kingdom, the 2015 event sees each country’s best junior and senior handlers team up to compete for their nations. It all takes place in a specially prepared trialling arena with Chirk’s very own Black Welsh Mountain Sheep. But whilst the juniors tackle a course which includes an obstacle known as Maltese Cross, the seniors have even more on their hands when they’re told they’ll be herding sheep not into a pen, but into a trailer. 

We may be used to seeing the border collie working sheep in farms and on the trialling field, but in Wales a different dog was once king.  Believed to be mentioned in manuscripts as far back as 900AD, the Welsh Sheepdog was as highly prized and valued as the stock they guarded. But despite their aptitude for coping with harsh terrain and huge droves of livestock, this multi-coloured and characterful breed had all but disappeared by the late 20th century. Ellie meets Adeline Jones, secretary of the Welsh Sheepdog Society, who is part of an effort to revive interest in the Welsh Sheepdog - and on her way to deliver a puppy to a local farmer. Keen to see an adult dog in action, she then joins up with Alwyn Evans, a farmer near Lake Vyrwy. With his dog Taff, Alwyn demonstrates the Welsh Sheepdog’s characteristic technique of positioning its tail high and barking whilst herding a group of livestock.

Ellie Harrison takes a closer look at the medieval monument that forms the back drop to this year’s event, Chirk Castle. No stranger to battle, Chirk sits on the once highly contested borderland between England and Wales, but now enjoys a more peaceful existence as a tourist attraction under the management of the  National Trust. In the castle’s Long Gallery, Ellie meets Guy Myddelton, the 13th generation of the his family to inhabit Chirk. Although Guy no longer lives there full time, his fabulous memories of growing up in a castle, complete with its own dungeon and tower, are enough to make most children envious. Ellie then explores the estate to see conservation efforts and meet the four-legged inhabitants who are vital to this year’s competition, Guy’s flock of Black Mountain Welsh Sheep.

John Maginn is a fourth generation sheep farmer and the 2014 Irish National Champion. He works up to a thousand black face sheep on Northern Irelands’ tallest mountain, Slieve Donard, with his faithful dog Mozz. John’s junior partner in the competition is thirteen year old Shannon Conn. Shannon and her nine year old dog Bill have just been crowned Irish junior champions, despite only having been trialling for the last two years. 

The senior competitor for Team Scotland is 2014 Scottish National winner Julie Hill – the first and only woman to win the International Supreme Championship. Julie will be with her dog Mac. Junior handler Joe McKenzie makes up the other half of Julie’s team. He persuaded his mum and dad to buy him a sheepdog, even though they had no sheep. Now he trains his dog Tweedie every day after school.  Joe was inspired after seeing One Man and His Dog on television and says it’s been his ambition to take part in the competition

The junior competitor from Wales is 13 year old Rhion Owen from Isle of Anglesey, who this year astonished judges by beating a double world champion, as well as One Man and his Dog teammate, Medwyn Evans. Medwyn is a former One Man and His Dog winner and two time Welsh champion. He has been a shepherd of Welsh ewes for nearly forty years and says there’s little need for training as he and 4 year old Meg work the land together every single day.

12 year old Henrietta Cropper practices by herding sheep while riding her pony – but for the competition she will be relying on faithful dog Lad.  And she has a secret weapon as her mum Katy Cropper was the first woman to win One Man and His Dog back in 1990. Meanwhile in Yorkshire, highly experienced handler James Howard is hoping his dog Wisp can keep up his good form. The dog helped him win the 2014 English Nationals. But this year James has had his distractions – he’s just got married.  New wife Amy, a vet, will be cheering him on from the sidelines on competition day.