Dog trialists mourn loss of champion
He was a man of few words but he would say a lot in those few words. Friend Loyd Bishop
New Zealand’s sheep dog trials community has lost ‘‘a bloody good bloke’’ with the sudden death of Graeme Dickson.
The Taranaki farmer and fourtime national dog trials title winner died while at work on January 25. He was 57.
Taranaki Sheep Dog Trials Association president Loyd Bishop said his friend of more than 30 years would be greatly missed by all who knew him.
‘‘He took an interest in everyone and everyone looked up to him,’’ Bishop said.
‘‘He was a man of few words but he would say a lot in those few words.’’
Raised on a sheep and beef farm at Ararata, near Hawera, Dickson took up dog trials in 1990.
While working as a shearer around South Taranaki, he picked up skills and knowledge by watching other people work their dogs and went on to become a successful competitor, judge and administrator of the sport.
As well as his four national titles, Dickson had three [North and South] island titles to his name and had competed in almost every Taranaki centre event in recent years.
‘‘It will be a very tough season without him this year,’’ Bishop said.
Tributes had come from dog trialists around the country, with one describing him as ‘‘a machine with a dog and a bloody good bloke’’.
‘‘That really sums Graeme up,’’ Bishop said.
Delivering Dickson’s eulogy last week, Egmont Sheep Dog Trials Club stalwart Don Newland said he was a keen and avid breeder of dogs and his knack for reading a dog’s ability was evident in dogs he bred from.
‘‘He always said ‘Breed power to power’,’’ Newland said.
Among the most notable of his dogs was Prince, who helped Dickson to a rare national huntaway double title at Rotorua in 1997.
For the past 33 years, Dickson was a member of the Egmont Sheep Dog Trials Club and was president at the time of his death.
His passion for the sport was evident in the number of other roles he had held, Newland said.
Those included vice-president of the Taranaki centre, a member of the Taranaki judges selection panel, president of the showring event at the Hawera A&P show and Taranaki councillor to the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trials Association.
Newland said Dickson was a major contributor to the Taranaki centre judges and dog training days and was always willing to share his knowledge with anyone keen on the sport.
‘‘He was always sociable and great company at club trials and trips away, and he’ll never be forgotten.’’
Dickson is survived by his partner Debbie, sons Ryan and Evan, and three grandchildren.