Information for Spectators
September 18-26, 2010 Middletown, Virginia
Spectators are welcome at the 2010 National Sheepdog Finals. In addition to the actual competition of working border collies, we will have vendors, demonstrations, and other activities that are sure to interest the whole family. Tickets will be available for purchase in advance online. If you will be traveling to the Finals from outside of the area, the Winchester-Frederick County Visitor Center is a great source of information regarding restaurants, things to see and do, and places to stay. You can also take a look at our ratings of dog-friendly nearby motels. If you're traveling without canine companions, be sure to check out the lovely Fairfield Inn and Suites in Strasburg, VA, which has offered generous discounts for our judges.
General information about the rules of sheepdog trials can be found here. We also encourage all spectators new to dog trials to visit our Sheepdogs section to learn more about the working border collie and how our trials are judged.
In addition to the sheepdog trial, we hope to have demonstrations of rural and agricultural life that might include sheep shearing, wool spinning and weaving, and general information on the uses of wool and the importance of animal husbandry. Information about sheep shearing can be found here. You might also want to look at this video of the actual process.
The schedule of the trial will be as follows:
September 18-19: Nursery Finals. The Nursery Finals are for young dogs, the oldest of whom are about three. These dogs will run a course a little smaller and less demanding than the course run by the more seasoned competitors, in deference to their age. All of the nursery dogs will run once; a subset of the top-scoring dogs will run a second time. The nursery champion is the dog who has the highest aggregate score of those two runs.
September 20: A free day. Have fun sightseeing and relaxing!
September 21-24: The preliminary rounds of the Open finals. The top 150 sheepdogs in the country will each compete in a full course. The top 40 scores from among these will run a second time to determine the ultimate finalists.
September 25: Semi-final round for the top 40 dogs.
September 26: Double-lift finals. The top 17 dogs will compete in a double-lift trial for the ultimate title of national sheepdog champion. Each course will be a half-hour in length and will consist of two outruns to gather a total of twenty sheep, culminating in the exciting "international shed" and pen.
Ticket Prices
- Adults (12 and over): $12 per day; $60 for the entire event
- Children (6-12): $6 per day; $30 for the entire event
- Under 6: free
General information about the rules of sheepdog trials can be found here. We also encourage all spectators new to dog trials to visit our Sheepdogs section to learn more about the working border collie and how our trials are judged.
In addition to the sheepdog trial, we hope to have demonstrations of rural and agricultural life that might include sheep shearing, wool spinning and weaving, and general information on the uses of wool and the importance of animal husbandry. Information about sheep shearing can be found here. You might also want to look at this video of the actual process.
The schedule of the trial will be as follows:
September 18-19: Nursery Finals. The Nursery Finals are for young dogs, the oldest of whom are about three. These dogs will run a course a little smaller and less demanding than the course run by the more seasoned competitors, in deference to their age. All of the nursery dogs will run once; a subset of the top-scoring dogs will run a second time. The nursery champion is the dog who has the highest aggregate score of those two runs.
September 20: A free day. Have fun sightseeing and relaxing!
September 21-24: The preliminary rounds of the Open finals. The top 150 sheepdogs in the country will each compete in a full course. The top 40 scores from among these will run a second time to determine the ultimate finalists.
September 25: Semi-final round for the top 40 dogs.
September 26: Double-lift finals. The top 17 dogs will compete in a double-lift trial for the ultimate title of national sheepdog champion. Each course will be a half-hour in length and will consist of two outruns to gather a total of twenty sheep, culminating in the exciting "international shed" and pen.
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