ONE man and his dog who have competed on the world stage won a sheepdog trial near Peebles last Saturday.

Ian Brownlie and his four-year-old best friend Dusk saw off more than 50 opponents, winning 95 points out of 100, to clinch the Perpetual Challenge Cup at Manor Water Sheepdog Trials.

Mr Brownlie, from Alloa, said: “I am delighted with the win, this year I was 2nd at the Nationals and 4th at the European Internationals but we wont talk about the world championship.” Pipped at the post was Blythbank shepherd David Wallace and his dog Jen who won the special prize for Peeblesshire.

It was a tense nine hour day for dogs and shepherds, as each team were allocated 10 minutes to move four sheep through set piece demonstrations, before judge Michael Davidson could pick a winner.

The four sheep are different for each competitor and are released from a field about 500 yeards away as course director Brian McFarlane signals with a white towel.

Mr McFarlane, a Romano Bridge shepherd said: “We had a late start this morning due to thick mist, when I arrived I could not see the sheep in the field.

“It is an open competition for Scotland and Northern England, to qualify it needs at least 30 dogs. We have shepherds from the Highlands north of Inverness and from England down to North Yorkshire.

The Manor Water trials have been part of the calendar for 54 years with numbers fluctuating each year but never less than 50 taking part.

The top dogs will be hoping to gain qualification points for the Scottish Nationals, which last year was run in Jedburgh, with placings down to fourth gaining the three points or more that are needed.

Mr McFarlane said; “I ran one young dog in the morning myself and another in the afternoon.”