Sheepish is how four top collie dogs are made to feel as the wool is pulled over their eyes in a promotional video for the JCB Agriculture-sponsored International Sheep Dog Trials this September. For in the one-minute film, one brave sheep decides she is more Collie than Kerry Hill and ends up herding the dogs into a pen instead.

The film also stars Richard Smith, the Senior Farms Manager at Daylesford Organic – the Cotswold-based farm and shop owned by JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford and his wife Lady Bamford. Richard appears as the perplexed shepherd who looks on in disbelief as the tables are turned on his highly-trained dogs in the humorous mini-movie put together by filmmaker Charlie Coleman.



Richard, who is Vice-Chairman of the International Sheep Dog Trial's organising committee, said: “It’s all down to well trained dogs and Charlie’s clever editing. The best bit is at the end when you see my dog, Dan, with his paw over his eyes. It was brilliant fun making it. We had a great laugh.”

The film promotes the prestigious trials being staged at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire between Friday 6 and Sunday 8 September and has been uploaded to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Up to 20,000 spectators are expected to see 60 dogs and their handlers from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales battle it out, with just 12 contesting the JCB International Supreme Championship Sheep Dog Trials on the final day.