A sheep dog trial is the ultimate test of the ability of the shepherd and his dog to work together. The trial is a combination of several stages and competitors are given 9 minutes to complete it. The following is a guide only as different judges may have their own system of awarding points: -

1. The Outrun [20 points] - The shepherd stands at the cross and sends his dog up the field to the three sheep. The dog can be sent either to the right or left, but it must be a pear shaped run around the sheep so that it approaches from behind the sheep and slows or stops.

2. The Lift [10 points] - The sheep's heads should come up and they should slowly move away from the dog towards the fetch gates.

3. The Fetch [20 points] - The sheep should now be driven steadily in as straight a line as possible, without stopping, through the fetch gates to the shepherd. They should then be turned round the back of the shepherd and out away from his left hand.

4. The Drive [30 points] - As the sheep complete their turn around the shepherd they begin the Drive. This tests the ability of the dog to drive sheep away from the shepherd, 'push' them through the obstacle on the left hand side of the field, then across the field to the obstacle at the right hand side, where they should be 'pulled' through from the top side of the gates, and back to the shepherd at the cross.

5. The Cross [10 points] - The shepherd may now leave his position at the cross and help the dog to guide the sheep into the cross. All the sheep must pass through the cross from left to right.

6. The Pen [10 points] - The shepherd now moves across to the pen where he has to hold the rope fastened to the gate and cannot let go once the penning task has been started nor may he touch any of the sheep, but he may help to guide the sheep towards the pen with his crook. The pen is complete when the gate is shut on the sheep.

The Doubles is much the same as the singles but using two dogs to run six sheep, one sent out left handed the other right handed. The course is then run the same until the sheep come back to the cross where the shepherd using a dog splits the flock into two halves. He then pens half the flock in the left hand diamond pen and leaves that dog sat at the entrance to keep the sheep in. He will then walk across the field to the right hand pen where the other dog will bring the remaining sheep and pen them as in the singles.