Close contest at trials
Conditions were perfect for sheep dog trials at Waverley on Friday and Saturday.
The competition drew strong entries, especially on the first day, and sheep worked well, allowing competitors to make the most of their run to impress the judges.
Points were very close in the straight hunt, making the top five a close call for judge Mike Hodgins from the Wairarapa.
Taranaki’s Brad Bielski, from the Eltham-Takau club, performed well to win the longhead with his dog, Oscar, with 97.5.
The pair also finished fourth in the shorthead and Bielski was fifth in the straight hunt with Maximus.
The next Taranaki trials are to be held by the Egmont Club on March 8-9. Spectators are welcome. Waverley Open Results:
Event 1 (Longhead)
1st B. Bielski, Oscar, 97.5, 2nd G. Northcott, Hope, 96.75, 3rd S. Whiteman, Reign, 96.5, 4th D. Murphy, Flight, 96.25, 5th A. Gaulding, Dart, 96.
Event 2 (Shorthead and Yard)
1st L. Patterson, Vice, 93.5, 2nd S. Murphy, Sharp, 92, 3rd G. Northcott, Julz, 90.5, 4th B. Bielski, Oscar, 90, 5th G. Wellington, Rachel, 89.5.
Event 3 (Zig Zag Hunt)
1st K. Fox, Milo, 96.5, 2nd L. Duffy, Lord, 96, 3rd D. Stuart, Turk, 95.5, 4th S. Henson, Prue, 95,
5th C. Journeaux, Gus, 94.5.
Event 4 (Straight Hunt)
1st L. Macefield, Monkey, 98,
2nd J. Brennan, Hung, 97.9, 3rd G. Evans, Cob, 97.8, 4th M. Lourie, Bella, 97.7, 5th B. Bielski, Maximus, 97.6.