Winner Katy makes comeback

It was 1990 when she celebrated success in the BBC competition with her collie Trim and since then has been in constant demand.

Katy is not only a sheepdog trainer, but she runs pet obedience classes, paints animal portraits at her home near Wolverhampton and is a popular after-dinner speaker - as well as being a wife and mother.

But it's been around 14 years since she has competed in sheepdog trials - until now.

And, fittingly, Katy has trained a relative of Trim's as her sheepdog.

Trim's great-great-granddaughter Try has started trials with 45-year-old Katy, who lives with husband Michael and daughter Henrietta on the Patshull estate near Wolverhampton.

Katy said she loved being a shepherdess and was thrilled to be competing again in sheepdog trials.

"I've been training Try since she was a puppy and she is like Trim in a lot of ways. She's two years' old and has developed very well.

Next year will bring more trials for Katy and Try and she admits she would love to appear on One Man And His Dog again.

"It's a long time since I won the show but I would love to appear on it again - this time with Try.

"It's changed enormously of course but it would be great to return on it."

And it's now just the show which has changed over the years, says Katy, but also the world of sheepdog trials.

"When I won the show I was pretty much the only woman involved but now there are quite of few females getting involved and also a lot of younger people.

"It has always been a old-fashioned hobby so it's good that young people are taking it on," she said. And when she isn't taking Trim up north for the trials she is running pet dog obedience classes from basic puppy handling to problem dogs.

Her painting has also taken off as she captures the characters of pets such as cats and dogs into works of art. And she is also much in demand as an after-dinner speaker.

"Life couldn't be better at the moment. I'm back doing the hobby I love," she said.

By Women's Editor Maria Cusine