Sixty Dogs Began the International Supreme Sheepdog Championship at Daylesford Without a Single Score Being Made Public
The International Sheep Dog Society keeps the Supreme marks secret until the closing ceremony, so the winner will not be known until Sunday evening.
The International Supreme Sheepdog Championship opened on Friday 11 September 2026 at Daylesford Organic Farm near Kingham in Gloucestershire, the first time the trials have been staged at the venue. They run until Sunday 13 September.
Sixty single dogs contest the Supreme, alongside separate Brace and Young Handler classes. Handlers may direct their dogs by voice and whistle only. Thirty-two qualifying runs were scheduled for Friday along with the first part of the brace competition, twenty-eight more qualifiers and the conclusion of the brace on Saturday, and the top fifteen in Sunday's final, with awards at five o'clock.
The International Sheep Dog Society has run the trials annually since 1906, interrupted only by the two world wars and major livestock disease outbreaks. The 2026 edition falls in the society's 120th anniversary year.
The society does not publish Supreme scores. Placings are announced at the closing ceremony, which means the champion will not be known until Sunday evening. Side attractions include drystone walling, hedge laying, cidermaking and beekeeping, with admission at ten pounds and free entry for under-sixteens and society members.