A sheepdog and his handler battled through difficult weather conditions to claim victory at the recent Mannanan Sheepdog Trials.

Stu Metcalfe and Max were crowned champions following two days of competition at the event on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27 at Bishopscourt Farm in Kirk Michael.

The opening day began in glorious sunshine, with competitors facing a course where accurate penning and shedding proved crucial to securing a place among the leading four.

Phil Rigby was first to the post and set the standard with an impressive score of 91, despite a handful of minor deviations from the lines.

With sheep generally running well around the course, the pen and shed became increasingly important for handlers hoping to challenge at the top of the leaderboard.

Tom Rome and Jessie produced one of the performances of the day, mastering a difficult group of sheep that were reluctant to split, while Manx competitors Orry Martin with Ace and Whack Kelly with Gyp also put in strong performances.

But it was Metcalfe and Max who produced the standout run of the opening day.

The pair put together what organisers described as a ‘very classy display’, finishing with a score of 94 out of 100.

Sunday brought a very different challenge, with strong winds and heavy rain making conditions particularly testing for competitors and their dogs.

Despite the weather, a number of handlers produced impressive performances.

Britta Sendlhofer and her young dog Mole showed composure during their outfield work before completing a clean pen and shed to finish with a score of 80.

John Tourish and Tess, competing at their first Mannanan trial, also impressed, recording a score of 91.

However, they were narrowly beaten by regular competitor Victoria Graham and Teal.

Graham and Teal guided their sheep around the course in what organisers described as ‘horrendous conditions’ to record a winning score of 91 OLF.

The weather improved for the double gather final, giving the qualifying competitors a more favourable set of conditions.

Metcalfe and Max were first to the post and again produced an outstanding performance.

Their run featured what organisers described as perfect outruns and a perfect drive, with the only blemish coming during the pen.

They finished with 139 out of 150, enough to secure the overall championship.

Tourish and Tess followed with a strong performance and a particularly impressive finish, with Tess holding her ground against stubborn sheep.

Sarah Thompson and Dunelle Tess also produced a brilliant run, with only a slight deviation from the lines on the first outrun separating them from the eventual winners.

Metcalfe and Max were ultimately awarded the title of Mannanan Sheepdog Champions.

There were also notable performances from newcomers to the open competition.

Finn Mounsey competed in his first open sheepdog trial, running his grandfather Frank Satterthwaite's dog Tweed.

Organisers praised the youngster for an ‘exceptionally’ good performance.

Colm O'Donnell and Rex, from Sligo, were also competing at the trial for the first time and took the award for best drive of the day following what organisers described as some ‘excellent handling’.