Viewers of Countryfile were moved to tears this weekend after hearing the story of Floss, a sheepdog who recovered from a serious illness to compete at the Supreme, the most prestigious event in the sheepdog trialling calendar.
During Sunday's (October 4) instalment of the BBC programme, Matt Baker and Emily McGowan travelled to the Cotswolds for the Supreme. The nation's finest dogs and handlers from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland gathered for the competition, which took place at Daylesford Farm.
Sixty competitors, one champion
Sixty competitors competed across two days of qualifying rounds, with only 15 progressing. On the final day, they faced the ultimate challenge - the Supreme. Following months of preparation and a year of demanding qualifying trials, just one would secure the Supreme Champion title.
Later in the programme, audiences were introduced to Floss, who was representing England. Emily revealed Floss's backstory: "This is Floss. She works 140 New Zealand Romneys with her handler, Harry Plant, and his partner Caleigh. After a trial in June last year, Floss suddenly became seriously ill," reports the Express.
A sudden illness and a long recovery
Caleigh revealed: "She actually had a seizure in the kitchen while she was standing up," to which Harry added: "I'd never seen that happen with any animal before. And to see it happen to Floss was just awful, [I] felt so helpless at the time."
The pair were soon warned to brace for the worst, as Floss showed no signs of improvement. "It was like one of the worst nights of my life, really. To pick her up, it was like she was just going to die in our arms in the back of the car," Harry shared.
Floss was transferred to intensive care at a specialist clinic, where veterinarians diagnosed her with immune mediated meningitis. The statistics "weren't good", yet the treatment gradually began to take effect, and Floss embarked on a lengthy recovery.
Harry reflected: "I'd so nearly lost her... Caleigh did a lot of work with her, physio and hydrotherapy." Caleigh added: "She couldn't walk in a straight line. She was still, like really wobbly. She'd lost [about six kilos]."
Return to competition and viewer reactions
Following a period of rest for the remainder of that season, Floss returned at the English Nationals this year. The duo finished seventh, securing their spot at the Internationals.
Fighting back tears, Harry said: "She's taken me to every level of trialling that I've ever dreamed of going to. So yeah, to be able to get to the Supreme would just be the ultimate."
It didn't take long for emotional viewers to share their reactions after hearing Floss's story. "Super Floss!! What a lovely story of her recovery and how her devoted owners nursed her through the illness to come back to compete so successfully! Good luck at the International trials Floss," one person wrote on Instagram.
Another commented: "Oh I'm in bits [crying emoji]. What an amazing dog, with an incredible bond with her owners," while a third remarked: "I'm not crying, you're crying."
A further viewer echoed these feelings, writing: "We love you Floss and love your story of strength, resilience and hope!" A fifth person added: "I'm so glad Floss was able to recover. What a beautiful story [tearful emoji]."
Harry and Floss endured a challenging qualifying round, missing all three gates and requiring multiple attempts to pen the sheep, all of which proved costly in terms of points. Despite their slim prospects of progressing to the Supreme, Harry and Caleigh remained immensely proud of their dog, given everything she had overcome throughout the previous year.
Countryfile is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
