In short
Entries, draws and classes at a British working dog trial follow a fixed sequence. An exhibitor submits an entry form to the trial secretary before the closing date, the society then holds a draw for places when the entry exceeds the number allowed, and dogs run in a class such as novice, all aged or open, each with its own qualification rules. Once the running order is posted, the day itself comes down to judging in the field and a score sheet that every competitor is entitled to question through the official channels. Readers who want this set out from the beginner side of the rope can follow the British working dog trial guides on The Trial Ground, a blog that covers gundog trials, sheepdog trials and dog sports in the same plain terms used here.
On this page
How do entries, draws and classes work at a trial?
An entry is made on a form, or through an online entry service, sent to the trial secretary of the society running the event. The form asks for the dog's registered name, breed, date of birth and the handler's details, along with the class or classes entered. Entries close on a published date, usually several weeks before the trial, and nothing submitted after that date is accepted.
When entries exceed the number of dogs the society can run in a day, often between twenty and sixty depending on the format and the ground, a draw is held. The draw assigns running places at random, and most societies prioritize in a published order: members of the society first, then previous qualifiers, then open entries. The result is a running order, posted before the trial or read out on the day, and handlers are expected to be ready when their number is called. A dog drawn low in the order may wait most of the day, so handlers plan water, shade and rest accordingly.
Gundog classes divide by experience. A novice class is for dogs that have not won a first prize in a novice stake or any higher stake, so it functions as the entry level for field trials. An all aged class is open to dogs of any age and any level of achievement, which is why it often mixes young dogs with seasoned winners. An open class sits at the top and typically qualifies winners for championship stakes. For spaniels, working tests often mirror these divisions, while pointing breeds add a specific structure: pointers and setters run in couples on the moor, two dogs working the same ground at the same time so the judge can compare pace, pattern and game finding side by side.
Sheepdog trials use a parallel but distinct vocabulary. Classes include nursery trials for young or beginner dogs and open trials for experienced competitors, and the running order is likewise drawn. The course is standardized in outline, from the outrun through the lift, the fetch, driving, shedding and a single, and the same draw system decides who runs when.
How is a working test on the moor judged?
Working tests for gundogs are judged against a fixed scale, commonly a total of twenty points per exercise or per dog, and the judge scores by watching each dog against the standard rather than against the other dogs directly. Exercises include a marked retrieve, a blind retrieve, a directional control element and a steadiness element, and each is scored out of the points the judge has allocated to it.
On the moor, the ground itself shapes the test. Heather, wind direction and slope determine how a dog scents, how a mark falls out of sight and how far a blind retrieve is reasonable. Judges place dummies or cold game with the wind in mind and expect a dog to take the line given by the handler rather than hunt by scent alone. For pointers and setters working in couples, the judge watches for quartering into the wind, range suited to the ground, and game finding. When a dog points, the handler flushes the birds and the dog must be steady to flush and to shot if shot is used.
Sheepdog judging works by subtraction rather than addition. The course starts at a perfect score, and the judge deducts points for faults at each stage: a wide outrun may lose little, a dog that crosses over the sheep or bites loses heavily or is disqualified. A run that ends with the sheep in the pen and a completed single keeps most of its points, while a retired dog leaves the field with the score earned up to that point. This subtractive logic means a score sheet shows what was lost, not what was gained, and reading it well requires knowing the deductions attached to each obstacle.
How do you read a score sheet?
A score sheet lists the dogs in running order, the exercises or obstacles, the points available for each, and the points awarded or deducted. For a working test marked out of twenty, the sheet shows each element scored separately, so a dog that scored well on marks but poorly on steadiness can be read at a glance. Ties are common, and societies publish a tie break rule in the schedule, often the total of specific exercises or a countback from the final element.
For sheepdog trials, the sheet runs the other way. Each obstacle carries a maximum, say twenty points for the fetch and ten for the shed, and the judge deducts within that ceiling. A run can end at zero on an obstacle without being disqualified, and a disqualified run appears as such rather than as a score. Placings are decided on total points remaining, and prize money or qualifications follow the published awards list.
Comparing sheets across judges is a skill in itself. Two judges weight the same faults differently, one hard on pace, another hard on handling noise, so a competitor who reads sheets over a season learns which judge rewards their dog's strengths. The sheets also show the spread within a class: a tight cluster of scores near the top signals a close trial, while one high score and a long tail signals a single standout run.
How do you complain about a result?
Complaints follow procedure, not volume. At a field trial or working test, the first step is a quiet word with the trial secretary, who records the query and can approach the judge. Formal complaints must be made in writing, within the time set by the society's schedule, and state the rule or the score the competitor believes was misapplied. Judges' marking of style and game finding is discretionary and rarely overturnable, but arithmetic errors, a dog run out of order or a breach of the schedule are matters a society can correct.
For sheepdog trials held under International Sheep Dog Society rules, objections are made in writing to the trial secretary with a deposit, and the society's council decides whether the result stands. The same principle holds everywhere: the score sheet is the record, the schedule is the contract, and the complaint must tie one to the other. Handlers who read both documents before the trial, rather than after a disappointing result, file fewer complaints and lose fewer of them.
The Kennel Club publishes the field trial and working test regulations that govern gundog stakes in Britain, and its rulebook is the reference a written complaint will be measured against.
