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SHEEP SPRING A SUPRISE - BUT IT'S REALLY DOWN TO MAN'S BEST FRIEND

The great round-up

Saturday March 22,2008

By Sue Blackhall

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ARE these sheep trying to pull the wool over our eyes?

As Britain shivers in the Easter chill, it’s difficult for most of us to believe that this really is the first weekend of spring.

Yet this flock – muffled up against the cold in their warm woolly coats – appeared determined to get their message across on a Devon hillside.

But it was really the work of man – and, more importantly, his best friend.

They say sheepdogs are trained to obey their master’s every word, so when farmer David Kennard decided that word would be “spring” his dogs did the rest.

They rounded up the 200-strong flock and, with the aid of a little carefully-spread animal feed, helped to create the picture that hopefully heralds the passing of winter. But then David’s border collies are used to performing for the cameras. They have starred in a series of films made by the farmer.

He originally started making videos 10 years ago to supplement earnings at his 400-acre farm near – appropriately – Woolacombe.

He then wrote a best-selling book, A Shepherd’s Watch, which led to a TV film following the progress of one particular collie, Mist, from puppy to full-grown sheepdog.

Other starring roles were taken by Mist’s mother Gail, grandparents Greg and Swift and fellow four-legged family members Ernie, Fern and Jake.

The film proved so successful that Mist’s adventures were turned into a Channel Five children’s TV series with the voices of Derek Jacobi, Brian Blessed and Sandra Dickinson.

“It all started when I noticed people leaning over the walls of my fields to watch my sheepdogs at work,” said David, 41.

“I realised my dogs were my greatest asset and that if One Man And His Dog was so popular, I ought to give it a go.”

David placed his first video on local farmers’ market stalls and it ended up selling 80,000 copies worldwide.

Now his TV show Mist: Sheepdog Tales is returning with a new series on Five next month, along with a newly released DVD of the same name.