The full programme for the Sheep Dog World Trials 2026 has been unveiled at the Royal Highland Show, as the most significant event in the international sheep dog trialling calendar prepares to descend on the Scottish Borders this September.
From 16 to 20 September, Huntington Farm near Lauder will welcome more than 300 of the world’s finest handlers and their dogs, representing 31 nations, for four days of world-championship competition. For the great majority of those dogs — border collies — it’s a homecoming in the truest sense, a return to the Border country that gave their breed its name.
The countdown began in the main ring of the Royal Highland Show on Thursday, when five of Scotland’s top handlers, with six dogs, gave Royal Highland Show crowds a first taste of the spectacle to come.
Current Scottish National Champion Chris Toner, from Lochgoilhead was joined by reserve Scottish Champion Wullie Welsh, from Thornhill in Dumfriesshire; Neil Campbell, from Kinross; world champion shearer Hamish Mitchell, from Perthshire; and former Scottish Champion Duncan Robertson, from Greenock in competitive runs that offered the audience a vivid taster of the skill, partnership and drama that will fill the trial fields at Lauder in September.
Chris Toner was crowned the winner of the Royal Highland Show Sheep Dog Trial. The youngest dog in the field, three-year-old, Grace, secured top position, while her sire Mace, placed as reserve champion.
Fiona McMillan, Scottish President of the International Sheep Dog Society and Chair of the World Trials, said:
“To bring the Sheep Dog World Trials home to the Scottish Borders is a genuine privilege and a great honour. This is the landscape that shaped the working sheepdog, and in September the very best in the world will gather to compete at the highest level.
“The opportunity to give visitors to the Royal Highland Show a taste of what’s to come was fantastic. Watching the crowds fall silent as the dogs worked, I was reminded just how captivating this sport is, and you don’t need to know a thing about sheep dog trialling to be spellbound by it. It truly is a spectacle that everyone can enjoy.”
Alongside the competitive elements, the wider programme promises a vibrant celebration of the region and a family-friendly day out. A Scottish Borders Showcase, supported by Scottish Borders Council, will place the area’s cultural heritage at the centre of celebrations, with demonstrations and displays from the Tweed Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, and from the Tweeddale Stickdressers, whose hand-crafted shepherd’s crooks are an art form in their own right.
The World Trials will also welcome some of farming’s best-known social media voices. Borders-born shepherdess Emma Gray will be on the field across all four days, leading an “Expert Corner” to help visitors new to the sport follow the action as it unfolds.
Other high profile farming influencers heading to the event are Hannah Jackson, the Red Shepherdess, and Tom Carlisle, the Dales Farmer, who will both join the crowds on the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
Farmer Ben of Dalscone Farm will attend on Sunday, bringing along some of the farm’s newest sheepdogs. Ben will also share the story of Fiona, the rescued ewe once known as the loneliest sheep in the world, and he’ll explain why he’s adding sheep dog trials to the farm. All four social media stars will host Q&As and meet-and-greets with visitors across the weekend.
“The Sheep Dog World Trials are the pinnacle of sheep dog trialling, and for them to take place in the Scottish Borders for the very first time is a proud moment for the Society. Thirty-one nations will send their finest handlers and dogs to Lauder this September. The standard will be extraordinary, and the welcome, I know, will be warmer still.” - John McCullough, Chair of the International Sheep Dog Society
“I’m from the Borders, so this event means the world to me. I first caught the bug watching a trial near Hawick back in 2006 never imagining where it would lead, and now the whole world is coming to compete on home ground. That’s why I’ll be there for all four days. I want to help anyone who’s never seen trialling before understand what they’re watching and appreciate the extraordinary skill of these handlers and their dogs. This event is our equivalent of the Olympics. It’s going to be a real celebration of the people, the place and the dogs that have taken the Borders name right around the world.” - Emma Gray, shepherdess and sheep dog trial enthusiast
“I am delighted that we’ve been able to support the organisers to bring this exciting event to the Scottish Borders for the very first time. It is a truly global event, and we expect to welcome thousands of visitors to our region for it, benefiting a range of Borders businesses and accommodation providers. It’s also a great opportunity to highlight and celebrate our local area, and some of the incredibly skilled local craftsmen and women we have here.” - Councillor Euan Jardine, Scottish Borders Council Leader
“The World Sheep Dog Trials are a fantastic example of the diversity of Scotland’s event offering, reinforcing our reputation as a world-leading tourism and events destination. I’ve no doubt this year’s exciting programme will capture the imagination of visitors old and new, showcasing the very best of rural Scotland - its people, culture and landscapes – to audiences watching in person and via the global livestream.” - Rebecca Edser, VisitScotland Head of Events
The full programme and tickets are available now at www.sheepdogworldtrial.com
Adult day admission is £10, with under-16s free and parking £5.
