One man and his champion dogs!

The Bingley man reached the pinnacle after 40 years' training sheep dogs when border collie Bob triumphed in the International Sheepdog Society's Supreme Dog Trials.

The five-year-old dog came to Ronnie when just three months old to receive the initial training which would set it on the path to success, something he has done repeatedly throughout his career.

The 79-year-old trainer has been coaching for about 40 years, winning countless Yorkshire Sheepdog Society titles, but he said nothing compared to seeing one of his dogs win at the international competition in Cumbria.

"It's not a job, it's something I love doing and I'll keep on doing it for as long as I can," said Ronnie.

"Bob was bought by David Patrick, a friend from East Morton, when he was a pup with the aim of making him a champion.

"I got him when he was three months old and trained him for the next five months. I taught him the basics and even then you could see he was going to be a top sheepdog.

"Then a farmer from north Wales called Aled Owen came up to see Bob and bought him straight away, taking him to the finals at the weekend."

Ronnie trains the dogs at a smallholding in Eldwick, mainly taking in animals from around the district.

He said the key to training them was patience, slowly developing the dog's skills and knowing how far to take them each day.

He said: "The finals had dogs from all over the United Kingdom, around 15 entries from each country, but visitors from all over Europe and the USA.

"The standard over here is still, I think, the best in the world and that's why people from around the world come over to see how we operate."Ronnie is one of the most successful and respected trainers in West Yorkshire, but even he is finding it harder to stay at the top.

"The standard is getting better all the time. But I turn 80 soon and I'll keep on training as long as I can, I absolutely love it."