- Sheepdog Trials 2012
The Aboyne Sheepdog Trials Association has been running from the beginning of the last century, and has held annual trials with the exception of the war years ever since. It is run by a small group of volunteers trying to keep an ancient tradition alive in the face of modern farming methods which rely on quad bikes rather than dogs.
We follow the guidelines set down by the International Sheep Dog Society, so all courses follow strict rules to ensure that participants can use their scores to compete and compare with other trials around the country.
This year’s event took place on Sunday 22nd July, a bright and breezy day in a field beside the River Dee near Potarch. Forty two folk from near and far took part in fierce competition to win the various trophies and prizes. Our youngest competitor was just 10, and we had entries from as far away as Ireland and The Shetlands.
The proceedings began at 9:30, and broke for lunch at around 12:30 with Dorothy Dinnie from Biresbeg provided the much needed refreshments. The highest score of the day was 95/100, which was remarkable on such a large field with quite a tight chute. The last dog ran at about 6 pm, and this was soon followed by a raffle and then the prize giving.
People were most impressed with the location and organization, and we are grateful to Ballogie Estates for again generously loaning their park and facilities, and of course the sheep.
H/T to Rick Paul
