Caithness farmer Michael Shearer, of Westfield, Thurso, and his nine-year-old, Bob, started the World Sheepdog Trial final day on a high note on Saturday morning, with a first-class run that was immediately tipped for the top.
The pair brought the four-day trial to a close, when they stepped forward to claim the title at Tain.
Alex McCuish, of Skipness, one of the final trial’s five judges, said: “Bob did nothing wrong and he suited the sheep. Man and dog showed their experience of working together to handle sheep like this.”
Bob worked his way to the top of 240 dogs from around the world, after a qualifying run on Wednesday, a semi-final run on Friday and the winning run in Saturday’s final.
Not only did Michael claim the individual championship, he went into the world trial as Scottish captain and emerged with his team of five nominated dogs and their handlers, in first place, followed by Norway and Ireland, respectively.
The final trial set a gruelling challenge for the dogs to complete in 30 minutes.
Finalists were required to run out 800 yds to lift 10 sheep, fetch them to a marked point and leave them there, to go back in another direction, gather another 10 and fetch them to the same point.
The ewes were then to be united and driven through two sets of gates to a ring where 15 unmarked sheep in the lot were to be shed off from five red collared sheep and the five herded into a pen.
After he came off the field, Michael said: “That is the best run I have ever had on a big double lift course, anywhere.
“Everything went just as it should.”
Around 3,000 spectators were estimated to have passed through the gate on the final day, with a further 2,000 attending on eachof the previous three days.
Results 1 Michael Shearer, Bob, 691, Scotland; 2, Kevin Evans, Greg, 683, Wales; 3, Ricky Hutchinson, Sweep, 676, England; 4, Jaran Knive, Bea, 671, Norway; 5, Aled Owen, Llangwm Cap, 660, Wales; 6, James McGee, Glencregg Silver, 653, Ireland; 7, Jo Hansen, Sisko, 608, Norway; 8, Nigel Watkins, Molly, 563, England; 9, Susanne Lejuez, Eryri Jaff, 535, Netherlands; 10, Vic Morris, Bob, 521, England;
Team 1 Scotland, 2 Norway, 3 Ireland.