A COUNTY shepherd has received special praise from the International Sheep Dog News.

The Spring edition of the publication gave a special tribute to Derek Lloyd.

The farmer from Kimbolton competed in sheep dog trial for well over 60 years – even as he passed the age of 80.

Derek, pictured right, qualified to compete at English National Sheepdog Championships on numerous occasions, with two outstanding results that elevated him to a champion in his sport.

His trials dogs were also his working farm dogs that herded sheep on the fields at home and also on the hilly open land linked to his Bircher Common farm.

In the past Derek also was an instructor for the ‘Agricultural Training Board’, helping both working farmers and new trial entrants to improve their dog handling skills and hopefully sheep sense.

His father bought him his first dog, called Fly, when he was just a child and, after working together around the family farm, the pair built up a good enough understanding for Derek to start Fly in a few local trials.

Derek, who died earlier this year aged 84 following a short illness, had his first win at a Builth Wells trial with his original border collie dog Fly. Fly and then Floss set Derek on the open trials trail and by the time 1983 came round he was right up there with the best handlers.

Derek went on to run his Scottish-bred dog, Jim, in the English National championships in 1983 in Gloucestershire, and won.

He was English Champion again 20 years later in 2003 at Bolton Abbey, with Moss; a great-great grandson of his 1983 English National winner Jim.

Derek and Moss went on to compete at the International Sheepdog Championships that autumn, with Derek as the English Captain for a second time.

The follow-up to Moss’ National win was a television appearance on ‘One Man and His Dog’ where Derek captained the English team against the other Home Nations. And Derek was still competing in sheepdog trials in the 2016 season with Jill, the last of his L’minster breeding line.