Organisers of the iconic Sheep Dog Trials have been blown away by the bounce back in numbers after the pandemic.

The group’s president Pat Coogan said the event is the jewel in the crown for farmers.

“The buzz is just fantastic, people really look forward to this event because you have people from the far north down to Gore and everywhere in between coming along,”

“It’s marvellous to be back, we've been struggling to see each other over the last few years,” he said

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The event had over 12,000 entrees and over 500 of the best sheepdog breeds, including heading and huntaway dogs.

Vice-president Kerry Pauling said he had brought up a strong southern team.

“We had a couple of inter-island ferries come across full of dogs, Utes and things, we come up here on mass to have a crack at the title, it’s what we work towards throughout the year.”

To qualify for nationals’ dogs must win their regional competitions, making the event high calibre.

Competitor Tom Manson said having a loyal dog is crucial.

“A dog that’s looking at the sheep, a dog that’ll work for you, a real mate, has to be a mate, it’s a bond between the man and a dog, if you have that you’re pretty well-off,” he said.

Straight hound judge Tony Fairweather said it’s not just the dog that’s key to winning.

“You need a good strong loud whistle, some need to carry for miles,”

“Sheep don’t always read the script, it’s one of those sports you can go from a cock rooster to a feather duster pretty quickly, “he said.

The judges pick four of the top performing dogs to compete in Australia in October.