Before You Go
Herding trials are not like dog shows or agility competitions. There are no grandstands. There is no announcer explaining what just happened. There is often no cell service, no coffee vendor, and no nearby bathroom. If you arrive expecting otherwise, you will be disappointed.
I say this not to discourage attendance but to prepare you. Trials run on working ranches, at livestock facilities, and on fields that serve sheep 364 days a year and become competition venues for one weekend. The setting is authentic because the work is authentic.
First-timers who understand this tend to enjoy themselves. First-timers who expected something different often leave frustrated.
Finding a Trial
The USBCHA website lists sanctioned trials searchable by date and region. Most trials also post on Facebook groups specific to their area. The herding trial community is small enough that word-of-mouth still functions; if you know anyone involved, ask them what is coming up nearby.
Trial schedules typically include:
- Location with directions (GPS may not work; follow the written directions)
- Entry fees ranging from $20-50 for most local trials, more for championships
- Entry deadlines which are strict; late entries are rarely accepted
- Stock information noting what sheep breed will be used
- Class offerings from Started through Open
For spectators, entry fees do not apply. Watching is free at nearly all trials, though donations are appreciated.
What to Bring
For spectators, the essentials are:
Chair: Folding camp chairs work best. You will be outside for hours. Standing gets old.
Binoculars: At Open distances, sheep become dots and dogs become smaller dots without optical help. Even basic binoculars transform the experience.
Weather gear: Check the forecast and then prepare for the forecast to be wrong. Layers work better than single heavy garments. Sunscreen matters even on overcast days.
Water and food: Some trials have vendors or potluck arrangements. Many do not. Bring enough to sustain yourself through a full day.
Patience: Runs take time. Between runs, there is setup time. Delays happen. This is not a spectator sport for people with short attention spans.
For competitors, add:
Your dog (obvious but worth stating; I have seen handlers arrive having left dogs at hotels)
Crate or vehicle setup for keeping your dog comfortable between runs
Registration confirmation proving you entered
Whistle on a lanyard; dropping your whistle mid-run is a memorable humiliation
Backup whistle because whistles fail and dogs do not wait while you find a replacement
Understanding What You See
If you have never watched a herding trial, the first runs will be confusing. A dog appears in the distance, sheep move around, whistles happen, and eventually someone says a number. Here is how to parse what is happening.
The Course
Before trials begin, walk the course if permitted. You will see:
- The handler’s post: where the handler stands during the run
- The sheep holding area: where stock waits to be released
- Gates/panels: obstacles the sheep must pass through during the run
- The pen: small enclosure where sheep must be put at the end
- The shedding ring: area for separating sheep if the trial includes a shed
Understanding the geography helps you follow the action.
The Handler
Handlers at the post control their dogs through whistles and voice commands. Different whistle patterns mean different things:
- A sustained note typically means “lie down” or “stop”
- A series of short notes often means “walk up” or “come this way”
- Specific patterns direct the dog left or right
Every handler uses slightly different commands. There is no universal code. But you will notice patterns across runs that help you understand who is asking their dog to do what.
The Dog
Dogs leave the handler on the outrun, swinging wide to get behind the sheep without disturbing them. This long arc might take the dog 400-600 yards from the handler at Open distances.
Watch for:
- Whether the dog runs a clean arc or cuts in toward the sheep too early
- How the dog lifts the sheep (the moment of first contact)
- Whether the sheep move calmly or scatter
Understanding what judges look for helps you read the action more effectively. Our guide on scoring and judging explains the criteria judges use to evaluate these elements.
After the outrun, dogs bring sheep toward the handler (the fetch), then push them away on a drive pattern, then complete the pen and possibly a shed.
The entire run might take 10-15 minutes at Open level. Watching closely for that duration teaches you things no written description can convey.
Trial Etiquette
The herding trial community has unwritten rules that newcomers sometimes violate. Avoid these mistakes:
Do not talk during runs. Handlers need to hear their dogs and dogs need to hear their handlers. Conversations carry across fields. Wait until between runs for discussions.
Do not bring your pet dog unless you have confirmed pets are allowed. Many trials prohibit non-working dogs to avoid distractions. Even if pets are allowed, keep them leashed and far from the action.
Do not approach working dogs. Dogs in trials are focused on their job. Distracting them undermines the handler’s efforts. Admire from a distance.
Do not critique runs loudly. You may have opinions about what you are seeing. Keep them quiet or save them for later. Handlers near enough to hear criticism do not appreciate it.
Do thank the trial host. Someone put enormous effort into making this event happen. Acknowledgment matters.
For Aspiring Competitors
If watching makes you want to compete, the path begins before you buy a dog or enter a trial.
Find a Trainer
Herding is not self-taught. The mechanics of stock work, the timing of commands, the reading of sheep behavior: these require instruction from someone who knows. The handler-dog partnership that wins trials develops through years of guided practice.
Good trainers are busy. Expect to wait for openings. Expect to travel, potentially hours each way, to train with someone qualified. The trainers producing successful trial dogs do not advertise on Google; they are found through community reputation.
Ask at trials who people recommend. Watch who is winning and ask who trained them. The community will point you toward qualified instruction.
Choose Your Dog Carefully
Not every dog herds. Not every herding dog trials. The genetic component of herding ability is real; dogs either have the instinct or they do not, and instinct alone is insufficient for competitive success.
If you want a Border Collie (the dominant breed in USBCHA trials), research bloodlines. Visit working farms. See parents in action. A well-bred puppy from working lines costs more than a pet-bred puppy but carries genetic advantages that matter enormously over a competitive career.
If you have an existing dog of a herding breed, an instinct test can reveal whether herding work is worth pursuing. Not every German Shepherd or Australian Shepherd or Collie has retained working ability across generations of pet breeding.
Start With Lessons, Not Trials
Too many handlers enter trials before they are ready. The experience is discouraging for them, stressful for their dogs, and frustrating for judges who must evaluate teams that clearly need more training.
“I see teams at Started that should still be in lessons,” admitted a judge I spoke with. “They think entering will motivate them to train harder. But they just fail publicly and quit the sport.”
My recommendation: take lessons until your trainer says you are ready for trials. Then continue taking lessons while you compete. Trial experience supplements training; it does not replace it.
Understanding Class Progression
Familiarize yourself with the class system before entering. Know what Started requires, what Pro-Novice adds, and what Open demands. Map out a realistic timeline for progression. Most handlers spend years moving from first trial to Open qualification. Rushing damages dogs and discourages handlers.
The First-Timer Experience
Once you understand how scoring works, you can appreciate what differentiates a winning run from a struggling one.
Your first trial will be overwhelming. Too much happening, too much you do not understand, too many people who seem to know things you do not. This is normal.
I remember my first trial as a spectator. I watched three runs before I understood what the panels were for. I asked a handler a question that was apparently so basic she looked at me like I had asked which direction the sky was. I left that day with more questions than answers.
But I came back. Each trial taught me something. Each conversation filled gaps in my understanding. Each year, the sport revealed more of itself.
That process is available to you. Show up. Watch. Ask questions between runs. Accept that learning takes time. As your understanding deepens, the handler-dog partnership becomes visible in ways that novice eyes cannot perceive.
The trial community is welcoming to newcomers who approach with respect and genuine interest. It is less welcoming to people who demand explanations during runs or assume they understand more than they do. Humility serves newcomers well.
What You Will Find
If you attend trials consistently, you will find a community unlike any other in the dog world. People who travel hours for the chance to work sheep for fifteen minutes. Dogs that live for the moment they see stock. Partnerships built over years of shared effort.
You will also find frustration, occasional controversy, and the inevitable politics that attend any competitive endeavor. No community is perfect. But the herding trial community has preserved working traditions across generations and continues to select for dogs that can actually do the job their ancestors were bred for.
Whether you compete or simply watch, attending trials connects you to something older and more meaningful than most dog activities offer. The work being done on those fields matters. It has mattered for centuries. It will continue to matter after everyone currently competing has retired.
Your first trial is an entry point. What you do with that entry is up to you.