Canadian canine champions welcome new Skipton-bought working sheepdog

Preseli Jim, a rising two-year-old black, white and mottled dog from South-West Wales handler and triallist, Llion Harries, a sheep farmer from Crymych in Pembrokeshire, was snapped up by the Forsyth family in Eriksdale, central Manitoba, some 118 km north of Winnipeg.

The Forsyths - husband and wife, Campbell and Molly, and daughter Kaelene - run CKF Stock Dogs and said they were excited to bring Jim into their kennels as they has been admiring the Preseli line for some time.

His breeding is certainly solid. Jim is a son of Preseli Jock, who twice represented the Welsh team in Llion’s hands and was last year’s Welsh Driving Champion. His own sire, also Jock, clinched multiple titles in the hands of Lancastrian Ricky Hutchinson, among them the English Nursery, English National and International Supreme Championships. Preseli Jock’s dam, Preseli Fly, won the 2022 International qualifier and also twice represented the Welsh National team.

Striving for versatility in their dogs, the Forsyths have been in the stock dog circle for 30 years and are prominent figures in both the cattle dog and sheepdog world in Canada. Campbell is a past Reserve USBCHA Cattle Dog Open Champion and Continental Stock Dog Champion.

He is also the reigning 2024 Canadian Cattle Dog Nursery and Reserve Open Champion. A proud moment to remember was his induction into the National Cattle Dog Association Handler Hall of Fame.

Daughter Kaelene also boasts some highly impressive credentials. She is a past National Cattle Dog Open Champion and the only woman and Canadian to win it to date. She was also a World Stock Dog Champion at Calgary Stampede and currently holds the record for the fastest pen time.

Their plans for Jim? Kaelene explained: “We are just starting to lamb here, so he had to throw on his work pants as soon as he arrived! He will have some sheep to work for the spring and we usually get some yearling calves to grass for the summer. So he will have a mixture of both cattle and sheep to work.

“As for trial preparation, I think Jim is at good time in his life to benefit from practical work, but also asking for those precise movements at a distance. So, hopefully a balance of both will keep him fit and sharp.

“We have an active provincial stock dog club here in Manitoba with monthly gatherings, so he will get a lot of exposure working different stock at different places. We are also hoping to hit up a few field trials this year, so I only hope I can run Jim half as good as Llion!”

The North Yorkshire venue remains one of the UK’s leading centres for working sheepdog sales. Skipton’s next sale is a live field-run fixture on Friday, May 23, to be followed be a timed online sale on Wednesday, June 25.