Countryfile Cameras to Roll at World Sheep Dog Trials
2011-09-06

BBC Countryfile cameras will be filming at the World Sheep Dog Trials in Cumbria next week.

Getting to know you. Matt Baker, right, Gus Dermody and Jess are pictured ahead of the 2011 World Sheep Dog Trials in front of Balmoral Castle after filming One Man and His Dog earlier this year.

Presenters Matt Baker and Helen Skelton will be present on the Friday of the event, the pinnacle for the world’s top sheep dog handlers, which runs from Thursday to Sunday, September 15-18 at Lowther Estate, near Penrith.

There are plans for the duo to experience sheep dog trialling themselves through a mini-trial with a five-year-old black and white Border Collie sheep dog called Jess provided by Gus Dermody, presenter and commentator for BBC2's ‘One Man and His Dog.’

Matt has already become acquainted with Jess after meeting up with Gus, himself a noted sheep dog handler and triallist, for a training session ahead of the World Trials.

For farmer’s daughter Helen, it’s like coming home, as she was brought up on a farm in the village of Kirkby Thore in Cumbria.

Fortunately for the have-a-go duo, Jess already has experience of the sheep dog trialling world. She has competed in sheep dog nursery trials and has qualified to compete in ‘open’ trials, the next rung of the ladder for up-and-coming working sheep dogs.

A total of 240 dogs and their handlers from 23 nations around the globe will compete for the ‘top dog’ title at the World Sheep Dog Trials, which is supported by a Food & Country Festival showcasing local food, rural crafts and skills, and live displays. Full details are at www.worldsheepdogtrials.org

More4 is exclusively broadcasting the World Sheep Dog Trials. Live event and sport specialists North One Television is producing the coverage and More4 will broadcast nine hours of coverage throughout - a two-hour programme at 7pm on each day of the event, plus an event highlights show.

The shows will be presented by countryside adventure girl Ellie Harrison and motorcycle racer and British heritage fan Guy Martin, with commentary from one of the nation’s best-loved commentators, Barry Davies.

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