Ricky Hutchinson

Bio

Ricky Hutchinson from Lancashire-U.K is a winner of multiple Brace National Trials, International Supreme Champion and England team rep. The top trainer, who started trialling at age 14, grew up with family connections within the trialling world, with a great-uncle winning the international in 1972.

Ricky and his wife Meg are both highly respected within the industry and farm alongside his family in the parish of Littledale, Lancashire. They run 500 Swaledale sheep and 40 suckler cows on approximately 142 hectares (350 acres), with their two boys Arthur and Daniel.

Around 20 dogs can be found on the farm at any one time, from litters of puppies to fully-trained farm dogs.

Their training facilities are open to the public where clients can learn to herd and practice on different sheep breeds with a wide range of pastures and flock size.

Their breeding line of collies have origins to England, Scotland and Wales and are all of working stock. Colors are mostly black & white with occasional silver-grey coats. They also have tricolors and have produced many combinations from those lines.

Ricky also uses his dogs daily in a working situation as a contractor to gather sheep off mountains for farmers throughout the U.K.

Besides trialling, Ricky has become well known for training sheepdogs, with clients from all over the world seeking his services On average, Ricky goes on 10 foreign trips each year.

Following Covid and the advancement in technology, virtual sheepdog training lessons have become popular. Handlers send Ricky videos to critique and learn from.

The best advice Ricky can give someone is, “Make sure you are able to stop your dog, be balanced in your approach, praising the dog when he/she has done well and correcting any mistakes fairly”.