Festival a right shemozzle
There really was a shemozzle as hundreds of shepherds raced to find their dogs at the 20th Hunterville Huntaway Festival.
There were black and tan, black and white and beardie huntaways, and some marked with paint so shepherds could find them more easily.
But it was still chaos as they raced to locate their working farm dog from the pack of about 120 dogs all tied up before the race.
It was the Shepherds’ Shemozzle in the small town in Rangitı¯kei and the big race of the day was the highlight, as hundreds watched on.
The contestants raced with their dogs to the top of a steep hill, then came down to eat and drink ghastly things, and go through an obstacle course.
They had to eat barley, drink a mixture of orange juice and ginger beer, carry bull’s testicles in their mouths, go through a spray dip, drag their dog in a wool pack, go over a rope swing, and carry their dog in a wheelbarrow to the finish line.
It was uncomfortable for some human competitors, but their dogs carried on, not perplexed at all.
The winner by more than a minute was Angus McKelvie, with his dog Red.
He joked that when the Labour Government took the reins, he considered shooting the dog because of her name.
But she came through.
He said he was naturally fit, Red was fit and he said he was competitive.
His father, National MP for Rangitı¯kei Ian McKelvie, said his son practised, and ran for half an hour each day in preparation for the big race.
First woman home was Charlotte Georges from Whanganui.
‘‘I like racing, so it suited me. My dog Mog, who is 3 years old, was great too.’’
The fine day brought hundreds to the streets of the small town.
It was a hot, clear day with grey clouds forming about 3pm and big raindrops fell only after the last event.
About 200 children ran in the children’s shemozzle, which was taken out by Harvey Meyer.
The teens’ shemozzle was another great race, with 200 competitors running. The teens completed the same course, but without a dog at their side.
Flynn Kowalewski won and Wanganui Collegiate won the interschool challenge.