Ross-on-Wye has been short-listed to stage the prestigious World Sheep Dog Championships in 2008.
The next tournament will be held in England and key decision-makers responsible for selecting the venue will be in Ross this month for the International Sheep Dog Trials when it is hoped the town can win them over.
The world championships, held every four years, attracts tens of thousands of visitors from all over the globe and is worth millions of pounds to the tourist industry.
About 15,000 people are expected to flock to Ross for the three-day International Sheep Dog Trials alone. That figure could double if the weather is good.
The event, at Great Howle Farm, Howle Hill, from September 15 – 17, will see the UK’s top sheep dog handlers battle it out.
Paul Evans, 40, of Howle Hill, Ross-on-Wye, is a local farmer and Chairman of the International Sheep Dog Society Committee.
He said: “Staging the International championships at Howle Hill is big but hosting the world event would be massive.
“Clearly Ross is on show and this is a golden opportunity to win over the presidents and members of the International Sheep Dog Society who will be in the town throughout the show.
“They will decide where the world championships are staged. We are up against some tough competition with Yorkshire, Lancashire and Northumberland all candidate locations.
“But I believe Ross has all the right facilities and I would urge everyone to come along for the three-day sheep dog trials and witness what is a super spectacle.”
The Ross Area Partnership, which is managing the Market Town Initiative on behalf of Advantage West Midlands, has agreed a £22,000 grant to help stage the International Sheep Dog Trials.
“This means a lot to the area and the committee is ecstatic that Ross has got involved,” added Mr Evans.
“This proves that Ross and the local area can work together and that Ross can hold an international event like this.
“This is great for tourism and I am sure people who have attended will come back. Everyone I talk to is very excited.”
Robin Symonds who chairs the Ross Area Partnership said: “I am really pleased. This is a project firmly based in agriculture, the area's traditional economic foundation.
“The sheep dog trials will put us on show to a largely new audience drawn from the whole of the UK who will relate to the rural context within which we live and work.
“We can be proud of what we have to offer. In terms of visitor numbers, the potential economic benefit to Ross and its surrounding area is substantial.”