Our accommodation, the Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore. HQ for the 2005
World Sheepdog Trials
The World Sheep Dog Trial Committee had their work cut
out in preparing for this event. Most of the committee are Border Collie
handlers and so understood the needs for everyone involved with this major
sheep dog competition. The ISDS had lots of behind the scenes work in
organizing this trial but the actual on-field work came down to the local
sheep dog committee, headed by Simon Mosse.
The Bridge House Hotel was the HQ for the ISDS, the International Sheep
Dog Society, and the World Trial, and all the Border Collie folk who had
traveled to the World Sheep Dog Trials. It was far from what I ever expected
us to be staying in. It was amazingly huge and very "posh". I loved it,
and we enjoyed our 6 days there immensely.
As soon as we finished unpacking our equipment we were off to the site of
the 4 days of trials and to see how things were setting up, and meet all the
organizers. We were pretty tired because it was Tuesday, and we had gotten
on the plane on the Monday. I think it hit me more than it hit dad, though.
It was there that we met Norman Lorton, (executive director of the ISDS);
Simon Mosse, (chairman of the World Sheepdog Trials), Jim Easton, and Con
McGarry, bringing me to the conclusion that Irish men were the most jolly,
carefree men of the world. Their hospitality and helpfulness was so awesome
and it really helped me to feel at home among them.
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