At a sheepdog trial, how far is an outrun?
Far enough that you can barely see the sheep, and you will lose the dog several times as it makes the run if you are not paying attention. That said, each trial is different.
At the 2010 National Finals trial held here in Virginia, the outrun was short for an American national trial -- 450 yards. When the Americans hold trials out west, I am told the outrun can be 650 yards or longer. Mark Billaudeau informs me that the outrun at the Edgeworth Farm Sheepdog trial in Gordonsville, VA two weeks from now, has a 600 yard outrun -- ''Long enough that there is a delay between when the whistle is given and the dog responds." Nice.
Oddly enough, while the length of the outrun is the most impressive-looking part of a trial, it does not seem to be the hardest.
Sheepherding is a bit like golf -- the long drives are the dramatic part, but the game is won or lost on the green or, in the case of sheepdog trial, at the shed and pen.
For the record, I looked up the outrun lengths for the Scottish National Trial and the Welsh National Trial. In 2008 (the most recent year I could find data for), they were 400 yards and 300 yards respectively.
Bonus Video: East meets west, and then it all devolves into gibberish. Watch to the end. Fun!
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