Irish National Sheepdog Trials set to take place in Tyrone
Ireland's top sheepdogs and handlers are set to gather in Co. Tyrone for the 2026 International Sheep Dog Society (ISDS) Irish National Sheepdog Trials.
The prestigious three-day event will take place at Stuart Hall Estate in Stewartstown from Wednesday, August 26 to Saturday, August 29, 2026.
Around 150 sheepdogs and their handlers are expected to take part in the competition.
Sheepdog trials
Organised by the International Sheep Dog Society, the trials test the skill, precision and partnership between handler and dog through a series of practical farming tasks including gathering, driving, shedding and penning sheep.
The event begins on the Wednesday afternoon at 2:00p.m with the doubles competition where one handler herds 2 dogs and 10 sheep around the course.
50 competitors will then run each day from Thursday to Saturday in the singles competition.
The top 15 handlers will qualify for the 2026 International Sheep Dog Trials, taking place in September at JCB’s Daylesford Estate in Gloucestershire.
A large number of visitors from across Ireland and the UK are expected to attend the event which will also feature a craft and fine food fair, along with a vintage car and tractor display and kids zone.
Gerard Hegarty, organising committee chair, said the trials are not only a display of elite competition, but an important celebration of rural life, farming tradition and working dogs.
"This is more than a sporting event, it is a showcase of generations of farming knowledge, skill and partnership between handler and dog.
"We are delighted to bring the ISDS Irish National Sheepdog Trials to Co. Tyrone and look forward to welcoming competitors and spectators from across the country and beyond.
"We are also organising a Crafts and Fine Food Fare on Saturday 29 which will make the day an attractive event for all the family to come along to," he said.
Competition
Nugent Trailers has been announced as the headline sponsor for the event.
"We’re proud to support the 2026 ISDS Irish National Sheepdog Trials and the farming communities this event represents," Shane Nugent, group managing director at Nugent, said.
"It’s fantastic to see such a prestigious competition coming to Mid-Ulster and to have Stuart Hall Estate being utilised as the venue. It’s a real showcase for the area," he added.
