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This week, Country Focus takes you to the heart of one of the most iconic rural competitions in the UK – the International Sheepdog Championship 2025, held at Brynkinalt Estate near Wrexham.

This prestigious three-day event sees the very best handlers and their sheepdogs from Wales, Scotland, England, and Ireland compete for individual and team titles, demonstrating the incredible skill, trust and communication required to manage livestock in the field.

Presenter Ifan Jones Evans, is joined by Erin McNaught, a champion trialist and former winner of One Man and His Dog, who brings her expertise to the programme. Erin guides listeners through the mechanics of the competition – how it’s judged, how the course works, and what separates a good run from a great one. With exclusive commentary from the final day, we follow the highs and lows of this year’s climactic runs and meet some of the standout handlers and their dogs.

We also hear from one of the local organisers, who explains what it takes to bring an event of this size and significance to life.

Meanwhile, Rhodri Davies travels to Pembrokeshire, where he meets Dyfed and Megan Davies, a farming couple who rely on their sheepdogs to manage their hefted flocks across the wild, exposed slopes of the Preseli Hills. They’ve recently developed a clever innovation to make everyday work easier – a new type of collar called the Coleri Clip, designed with hill farming conditions in mind.

From modern innovation to timeless tradition, this episode celebrates the enduring importance of the working sheepdog in rural life. Whether you're a farmer, a dog lover, or simply fascinated by the skill involved in sheepdog trials, this is a rich and rewarding listen.