There is not a lot of information on early sheepdog trials but historical research is always being conducted by a number of interested people around Australia. Apart from the 1871 and 1872 trial at Burrangong near Young in NSW, we know there were some very early trials in the Moree area of NSW as well, probably in 1874.

We also know that Sheepdog Trials were held in New Zealand even earlier. The first trials held there were in 1867. There was another in 1868 and at least two separate ones in 1869.

July 9th 1869 edition of the Oamaru Times, a New Zealand newspaper lists a report on a sheepdog trial that was held over the weekend of June 22-23 as being the 3rd annual trial. Three sheep were turned out and driven half a mile from the handler in a circle. Another 3 sheep were driven in the opposite direction and left a quarter of a mile from the first mob. The dog then gets the first mob and brings them in and returns and picks up the 2nd mob. The sheep are then joined together and yarded. The time to complete the trial was 35 minutes.

Another New Zealand trial was held in 1868 at Gibsons Run (now Waitangi and Te Aka). On January 3rd 1869, another trial was held on Black Forrest Run, Mackenzie country. Reported in the Timaru Herald Feb 3rd 1869. Three sheep were put into 3 separate pens in 30 minutes. 10 dogs were entered.

So both these countries (Australia & New Zealand) held trials earlier than 1873 which was when the first trial was held in Bala, Wales and often reported as the first sheepdog trial in the world. They even have a large monument there to record the event.

For many years the big sheepdog trial at Forbes in NSW has been quoted as Australia's first sheepdog trial and thought to have been as early as 1870 but it was actually held in 1879. We now know from records that there were at least a few sheepdog trials in Australia before this time. The Forbes trial, however, caught the imagination of the public and the dogs that attended became very well known and sought after.

The first Sheepdog Trials in Australia were a very simple affair and often consisted of a large pen 27 feet long and 9 feet wide and the handler had to command his dog to work three sheep into the pen without the handler coming within 100 yards of the pen. By 1897, the sheep had to be worked through two gaps (hurdles), 4.5 feet apart and then into a yard with a time limit of 10 minutes.

By 1901, the dogs had to work their sheep through the very difficult Maltese Cross as well as a gap and the pen. In 1903, the sheep had to be taken around three flags, a gap, the maltese cross in two different directions and then to a pen. Handlers often helped their dogs at obstacles. This is not allowed in Australian trials today.

In 1904, the Maltese Cross and the hurdles for the gap were replaced by a Race and a Bridge obstacle. Because of the difficulty of the Maltese Cross, very few competitors were able to complete the trial. In most if not all, of these early trials a dog crossing between the handler and the sheep was allowed. Today it is an instant disqualification.

By the early 1900's entries into the Sheepdog Trials were around 40. Up until 1909, Sheepdog Trials were judged by at least two men. After John Quinn complained at the Sydney Trials that the judges continually argued he was made the sole judge at the Sydney Trials and this gradually became the standard way of judging.

Mr. Walter Beilby in his book, The Dog in Australia, 1897. -"No breed of dog is so extensively used in these colonies as the one under notice, and none is more necessary. The Collie was one of the first of the canine race introduced by the early settler, long before the goldfield were discovered. A strain known as the Kelpie, that came from the island colony, (Tasmania), are still plentiful in many parts of the Riverina and Queensland."