`I'd love a hill," says Denis Birchall. "God, a hill would be great." Apart from his desire for a hill, Denis Birchall, the BBC One Man And His Dog champion, is one of the happiest people in the country. He lives in a beautiful part of Wicklow on a farm with his family, 125 sheep and his sheepdogs, Jan and Scott.
Three-time winners of the national trials, Denis and Jan are no strangers to prizes. The array of trophies on top of the kitchen cupboards in Denis's home is testimony to the special relationship between this man and his dog. "That's not all of them," says Denis's wife, Bridget. "You couldn't have them all out or you'd be killed dusting them." Bridget accompanies Denis to sheepdog trials all over Ireland, Scotland and England despite her aversion to travelling. "We take the ferry," says Bridget. "When Denis inquired about taking the dogs on the plane, he was told that they would have to go into a box. He said there was no way he was putting his dogs into a box and that was that."
Denis calls Jan in to meet the visitor and after giving me a cursory greeting, her eyes are fixed on her master watching his every move and awaiting his command. She is a small, smooth-coated, border collie with a friendly face and warm eyes. "I'll show you what she does, so," says Denis and he fetches his cap and jacket. Jan follows him eagerly.
At the bottom of the field behind the house about 25 sheep are taking it easy on this mild, rainy day. From the shelter of the kitchen, with tea and buns, I watch as Denis and Jan go to work.
Denis has a different whistle for each command and Jan obeys in lightning time, going from a sprint to a crawl and darting from side to side as Denis wishes. Within minutes, the sheep are all yards from the window. Suddenly, Jan separates four of them from the group and when she has them settled she races after the others and takes them back down the field.
The other dogs on the farm are all barking from their kennels until Denis turns and whistles a command that can only mean "Be Quiet!" as silence descends instantly. Had I been mid-sentence in the kitchen with Bridget, I would have shut up myself.
"There is no substitute for a good sheepdog," says Bridget. "Some farmers use four-wheel drives but they are just not good enough. They can't do what a dog can do. They haven't got the agility, the speed or the ability to cover the same ground."
When Jan has done her job Denis shouts, "That'll do" and she races up the field to join him. "No matter what the dog is doing," explains Bridget, "she will stop immediately and return to her master when he says, `That'll do'."
I am reminded of the film Babe and Bridget smiles. "Yes," she says, "just like Babe." With that Bridget produces a local paper from somewhere in England and shows me a picture of a woman at a sheepdog trial with a pig wearing a red scarf whom she is training for sheep trials. Life imitating art?
"Sheepdog trials are something you can do your whole life," says Bridget. "Denis used to round up his mother's turkeys when he was a boy. There are people now who are buying a bit of land, putting sheep on it and doing trials as a hobby. There is such an interest in it that you would be lucky to be able to run two dogs at a trial; and dogs have to earn points to qualify for the national trials."
With Jan by his side Denis now releases Scott, who seems determined to prove that he can be just as good as Jan. Scott acquits himself well enough in the field but when he separates his group of sheep, one of them gets aggressive and goes for him. Scott bites back and soon order is restored. "I think Scott will be a top dog," says Denis, later. "I don't mind a dog gripping [biting] in the beginning. It shows he has power. I think Irish dogs have more power than others." Denis calls Scott away from the group and sends Jan in to keep the peace while Scott takes the others back down the field. Jan is very much the respected old hand on this farm. "Jan is one in a thousand," says Denis with pride, when he rejoins us inside. "She obeys every command immediately, which is something a dog must do. She can withstand any pressure and is never nervous at trials. She has won the national trials three times and I think she can make it four," says Denis, smiling. "Then, I might have to retire her from competition because she's getting old. She's nine-and-a-half now."
The smile disappears from Denis's face and contemplation of life without Jan momentarily clouds a perfect life. Bridget recalls other dogs who were part of their family and talks about the tears that they and their three children shed at their passing.
Denis doesn't just know dogs; he knows sheep also. "It's good to know the sheep as well as the dog for trials. Different breeds have different ways and habits, and it helps if you can anticipate their movements," says Denis.
In trials such as One Man and His Dog, the dog has to separate a specific number of sheep from the group. Sometimes they could be wearing collars to differentiate them from the others. How does the dog know which sheep to separate? Does she recognise the collars?
Denis is kind and smiles only a little as he assures me that dogs do not recognise the collars. It seems that the separating or "shedding" of the sheep is one of those moments when it feels like there is telepathy between man and dog. Denis creates a small gap in the sheep by turning the dog this way and that and when the opening is right, he gives the command to "Come in". Denis has 13 different whistles for Jan - all of them from his own mouth. There isn't a manufactured whistle in sight. "You have to be very patient with a dog when you are training it," he says. "There is never any need to beat a dog. If you beat a dog it will be reluctant to come back to you and that's no good. It takes a lot of work but it's worth it.
`I start by giving voice commands and matching them with a certain whistle. Then I drop the voice command altogether and the dog recognises the whistle. Some people start their dogs at nursery trials but I don't agree with that. It puts too much pressure on a young dog. It's like pushing a child to walk before it's ready."
Denis and Jan came first in the trials at the recent World Sheep Shearing Championships in Gorey, Co Wexford and at the competition in Hollywood, Co Wicklow which, this year, was part of the celebration of the Tour de France.
"Every trophy that I took down from the dresser this year came back," says Bridget, smiling. "They have just won the Royal Highland Trials and the Great Yorkshire Trials and they are now one point ahead going into the national trials." These take place on August 20th-22nd, in Limavady, Co Derry and the International follows in September and will be held near Lanark in Scotland.
"For years people said Ireland could never win the International and then last year Frank Cashun from Wexford won it. It would be great to win the International," says Denis, smiling "and I think Jan could do it too."
As I reluctantly say goodbye to Denis, Bridget and Jan, I decide that this September I will be heading for the banks of the Clyde - and I won't be cheering for the pig.
