A ten-strong committee has organised its inaugural ‘The Trial of the Glens’, which is set to take place beneath the hills of Glendowan, Glenswilly and Glenveagh on Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way later this summer.
The initiative – which will run from July 6th, 7th and 8th, 2023 inclusive – is the brainchild of Noel McDevitt, Barry Nelis, Brian Farrelly, Hugh McMonagle, Martin Harold, James McDaid, Michael Sweeney, John Bradley, Kieran McMonagle and Neil Gallagher.
Two days of qualifying trials will take place on July 6th and 7th, with two trials scheduled for each day.
Competitors will swap fields for the second day of the qualifying round (i.e., whoever runs on field one on day one, will move to field two on the second day and visa versa).
The 20 dogs with the highest combined points from the two qualifying days will qualify for the final on July 8th.
The Trial of the Glens
A committee spokesperson told That’s Farming editor, Catherina Cunnane:
“We are very fortunate to have a group of men who all live within a few miles of each other who hold a very strong interest in sheepdog trialling.”
“It makes running a trial like this that bit easier when you know you have many hands to help. We decided to organise these trials as there really are little or no other three-day trials like this in Ireland.”
“It is something we had discussed previously, and we finally made the decision to give it a try this summer.”
“We saw that there were several trials like this across the UK each year that were very successful, so we wanted to try and bring the same to the island of Ireland.”
“Our event is targeted at sheepdog handlers from all across Ireland, and we would also hope to attract some handlers from the UK also. All spectators are welcome to view the trials also.”
“Our aim is to make this an annual event from this year on and to build and improve on it each year.”
“There is fantastic prize money on offer to the top 3 placed dogs in the final, with the 1st placed dog getting €1,000, 2nd placed getting €500 and 3rd receiving €250.”
How to enter
The entry fee is €30 per dog, and there is a maximum of two dogs per handler permitted to run in the trial.
The entry forms will be available from the event’s Facebook page, The Trial of The Glens, from 8 am on Friday, April 14th, 2023.
According to organisers, the closing date for entries will be determined by the volume of entries received, so it is advised to complete forms as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Completed entry forms must be returned via email to [email protected]
 will run from July 6th, 7th and 8th, 2023, in County Donegal.){kind=link}