The Tullamore Sheep Dog Trials are on again and in exciting news for organisers, enthusiasts and supporters, this year it's running over four days.

Now in its 12th year, there are 122 dogs entered into this year's competition which kicks-off today at lunchtime and will continue through until Sunday.

Entrants are up by 30 compared to last year's trial, which ran across just two and a half days.

The trials are held in conjunction with the Tullamore Show by a hard-working Tullamore PA & H Association and takes place a week before the show.

While there have been bigger trials in Tullamore in the past, either way steward and the man behind bringing sheep dog trials back to the little town in the corner of the Parkes Shire, Paul Schiller is thrilled to see the numbers up and the positive support behind the event.

He's even more excited to see it held over four days and that they will have 39 workers to help out.

The draw for the trial was put together on Sunday.

"Each dog has 15 minutes, with 122 dogs it takes a fair while to get through them, that's why we need four days," Paul said.

"We've always done it over four days in the past so it's good to see the numbers come back.

"We also have three workers coming from Victoria to help.

"Last year we had workers from Tasmania and Queensland, and the year before we had some from Western Australia.

"They all come with their dogs to the trial."

Because Tullamore PA & H don't have their own dog arena at the Tullamore Showground, volunteers construct their own which can take up to a week to prepare.

"The Tullamore Show committee are terrific," Paul added.

This year they're introducing a new novelty event, a State of Origin style competition, which will see two dogs from NSW and two from another state where their top scores will be combined and whoever has the highest score wins.

With Victoria the only state representing this year, they'll compete in the State of Origin.

This event has been added to the schedule which also includes the usual sections Encourage, Novice, Improver (once an entrant wins in the Novice they move into this category) and the main competition, the Open section.

Paul had been trialling working dogs for more than 40 years, beginning with his own dogs at first, then helping to train farmers' dogs on neighbouring properties around him.

"I had 28 dogs at one stage," he said.

"I love working dogs. I done a lot of droving before I started with working dogs."

When he moved from Quandialla to near Fifield 28 years ago, he helped to establish a sheep dog trial in Trundle that used to attract 160 dogs.

At almost 88 he sits back and takes-in the action a bit more these days.

But he's still very passionate about sheepdog trialling and, though not as mobile as he used to be, he still likes to help out where he's needed.

"I did announcing for about eight years, and I may be back behind the mic this year," he laughed.

"I can't get away from it."

Paul said the hardest part of trials are finding sheep to work.

"We usually start early, at 8am and the sheep have to be brought in first, then taken away at the end," Paul said.

"Then another, different lot are brought in the next day, and that goes on for four days.

"It's a fair bit on the committee... The show committee put a lot of work into it.

"It's held a week before the Tullamore Show so they're busy anyway.

"And Tullamore isn't very big, there's only like 300 people in the town."

Head over to the Tullamore Showground and watch some of the best working dogs in action as they move their sheep around the course. There’s also a canteen available.