Norway native named ‘Prime Canine’ at World Sheepdog Trials

Petter Landfald, from Norway and his canine Max, have been topped World Champions on the World Sheepdog Trials final Saturday ( September 16).

The occasion happened at Gill Corridor Property in Co. Down over 4 days final week.

Organised by the Worldwide Sheep Canine Society, Petter went head-to-head with 16 of the world’s greatest sheepdogs and handlers over the primary three days of qualifiers and emerged victorious, with a powerful rating.

In the meantime 17-year-old Tyler McKinlay, from Lanark, Scotland and her canine, Heatherstane Squiggle, have been named Younger Handler World Champions on the occasion.

That is the primary yr that the trials have had an all-female closing within the junior competitors.

The staff occasion first prize went to the Irish grouping of: Martin O’Malley; Eamonn Connell; Allistair Lyttle; James McCloskey; and Paddy Fanning.

John McCullough, chairman of the World Trial Committee congratulated Petter and Tyler on their respective achievements.

“The requirements proven on the trials this week have been distinctive so to stroll away with world titles is actually no imply feat. It was an absolute pleasure to look at Petter and Tyler in motion within the competitors discipline over the previous few days,” he stated.

“Internet hosting the World Sheepdog Trials at Gill Corridor Property in Dromore has been a privilege. We have now welcomed roughly 30,000 spectators alongside 240 handlers from over 30 completely different international locations over the previous 4 days which has massively boosted many native companies and the broader economic system.

“Northern Eire has a wealthy farming historical past and we’re so proud to have contributed to this by bringing a once-in-a-lifetime occasion to our shores.

“We hope that everybody who attended all through the week loved witnessing the unbelievable partnership between sheepdogs and their handlers,” McCullough added.

Isabel Department, CEO of the Worldwide Sheep Canine Society added: 

“The 2023 World Sheepdog Trials have been an enormous success and on behalf of the committee, we’re delighted.

“We have now seen a number of powerful competitors and it’s a testomony to farmers all over the world who stay dedicated to preserving extra conventional strategies of farming and to selling the easiest when it comes to breeding.

“Congratulations to Petter and Tyler in your world titles. Being topped the very best on the earth at what’s generally known as the ‘Olympics’ of the sheepdog neighborhood, is a outstanding achievement.”

Allistair Lyttle from Kesh in Co. Fermanagh was a member of the profitable Irish staff. He’s additionally a member of the committee that organised all the Gill Corridor occasion.

“It was an incredible honour for Northern Eire to host the 2023 World Championships. And Gill Corridor was the right venue,” Lyttle stated.

In keeping with Lyttle, it took an incredible, cooperative effort to get all the competitors over the road.

A working example was the sourcing of 800 ewes from sheep producers throughout Northern Eire.

Lyttle additionally confirmed that sheep canine trialling is extraordinarily fashionable throughout the island of Eire.

“Occasions are going down across the nation each week of the yr,” he stated.

“As much as 70 canine may very well be participating in every of those competitions, all of which can entice massive crowds of spectators.”