Impromptu matches or wagers between competing sportsmen had long been an established part of the British country scene. Gradually landowners began expanding these into more formal competitions for sporting dog or gun, with a few of the more enlightened adding demonstrations of sheepdog work, thereby relieving the boredom of house guests and encouraging their labouring classes on none shooting days. Mr Shirley was again active in late 1873, persuading friend and fellow Kennel Club founder member, Richard J. Lloyd-Price to add a Sheep Dog Trial to the annual Gun Dog Trial held on his Rhwylas estate, Bala, North Wales, each October. Whilst the weather was less than ideal publicity attracted a large crowd of spectators, ensuring the popularity of this new form of exhibition, and Bala 1873 has since been designated the first official Sheep Dog Trial.
Having established themselves as Gundog Trial organisers, as well as a show promoting society, the Kennel Club made one tentative attempt to add Sheep Dog Trials to their list of achievements in 1876. The advertised event taking place at Alexandra Palace in the centre of London on 30th June, and although we are advised that many Show Collies were entered, all the prizes, including those for appearance were awarded to working collies from Wales. Largely due to the damage caused by poorly supervised Welsh Mountain Sheep running amok in the Palace grounds, the event was never repeated, and since this date the organisation of sheepdog trials has been left in the hands of the agricultural community, making Collies the first casualty of the show/work divide.
