This year the trailer was placed in the open, making the task more difficult than at last year's championship where it had been placed against a hill so the sheep could not go around it. In addition, the five sheep were strongly attracted to the sheep in the holding pens where the course began and ended, and this exercise being at the end of the course, the dogs were becoming tired. Winner of the championship trial was Gatine, a Border Collie. Gatine's owner, Mr. Gaillard, works as shepherd year-round, with 750 ewes at his farm. For us, there is no special training for competitions.
Training is every day, with real work.
Gatine was also named Champion of France for 1996. From year to year, we get strong and stronger dogs. Their stamina is phenomenal. To make five stubborn ewes climb into this cattle truck, they need incredible resources. The course, approximately 1200 yards, was marked out on steep terrain with a stream, after a few modifications, found necessary from the work of the pilot dog, had been approved by the jury and the participants.