The sraight line is the shortest distance between two points; it is not always the most beautifull.
The other way
Wales is not Scotland, that goes without saying.
Often the competitions in Cymru are very technical and therefore very demanding for dog and handler. Technically because of the complexity of the fields, less extensive sometimes, but oh so difficult.
Many Belgian handlers have made the crossing over the Channel several times already.
Dolgellau, Bro Feistinoch , Aberystwyth, Vivod trial (first run in 1874) and many, many others are definitely recommended for handlers who want to try their luck in the UK.
There are some obstacles to overcome, Brexit permitted, the crossing is rather easy. The Welsh language is less ...
Once finished on the pole, there are several dangers a handler can and often has to endure.
Welsh mountain sheep, for example, are not very fond of human contact: a too fierce lift, an unexpected movement of a dog or handler.
or even a rustling coat by the pen, these timorous sheep can be so anxious that completing the course becomes quite a task or even impossible.
The runs are very tightly timed not to say there is little room for failure. But fortunately there are many trials, often in one day where the handlers commute criss-cross from one race to the next.
Some summer Saturdays you can choose from 5, 6, 7 different races or try to run them all.
In 2016 Ceri Rundle organised a nice package of competitions by invitation in Bodfari. In the home base of the defunct Glyn H. Jones these competitions have been organised for about 30 years.
Ceri is one of the daughters of the legendary Glyn H. Jones (1927-2013) who made a name for himself in the last century with his Bwlch lines, named after his hometown Bwlch Isaf, Bodfari.
His fantastic book "A way of live" about his life as a shepherd, and especially how to train a collie, also contributed to his international fame.
The qualifications were tough but the final with 2X3 sheep was even more so.
In the excerpt you see Gethin Jones with Fran.
Gethin and his brother Elwin are Welsh handlers from Cwm-y-Geifir, Llanarmon. Their father Glyn L. Jones is certainly no stranger in Belgium.
The jury Aled Owen (2x world champion, 4 x international winner with 4 different dogs) needs no further introduction.
There are many difficulties to overcome in this particular run: the outrun steep uphill through the gate, the sheep standing blind when the dog comes into the right position at the lift, the possible acceleration of the sheep when entering the second terrain, etc.
Not to mention the location of the pen (without gate) in the third area, where there is so little space that sheep herding requires not only an obedient dog, but also a handler who thinks tactically.
In Gethin's run you can see how he takes a few steps backwards with the pen at the right time so as not to put pressure on the sheep to let them get to the mouth of the pen.
At the same time, Fran does not come straight ahead at all so as not to frighten the sheep, but flanks them at right angles to every command.
Sheep handling like playing chess ....
In the link you can also take a closer look at the other runs, not all as successful as those of Gethin.