Great skills on display for show dog trials
Wellington Anniversary weekend was a busy one for the dog trialists who follow the show ring trials, with the Levin show on Saturday and Ohingaiti ¯ sports on Monday.
That’s not to mention the annual fundraiser working dog sale that the Parapara- Ma¯kirikiri Sheep Dog Trail Club puts on annually jammed in between the two shows on Sunday.
The Levin show was a royal show this year and the sheep dog trial section is now in the hands of farm manager Jason Barber and his shepherd Tom Whiteman who both work at Lakeview Farms, where the male lambs for the event came from.
Barber and Whiteman did a great job working the well-grown store cryptorchid lambs for the trial.
Lakeview supplied the sheep for many years during the time Lindsay and Wendy Schmidt were managing that property so it was good to see them back again.
Major¯ sponsors were Hunting & Fishing Otaki. The Whiteman family donated $500 worth of spot prizes.
A total of 68 dogs competed at the trial, many travelling down from the Whanganui centre Hawke’s Bay, and the Wairarapa, and some trialists coming back from competing down south at the New Zealand Tux finals also caught the event .
Vaughan Marfell from the Wairarapa judged the event.
Ohingaiti Sports attracted about 48 dogs and was a very pleasant day out for many.
Rangit¯ıkei Mix (Debbie Clare) were the major sponsor and Jimmy Agate judged the trial.The lambs supplied by Henderson farms were quite lively and freshly shorn, young Ruby Bailey from Turakina first time running a dog put up a great display getting to the pen and won the maiden man/ maiden dog.
Ian Burling and Blue after placing at Levin stepped up and won Ohingaiti Sports Trial, back-to-back wins for Burling who took out the event last year with Jay. Wayne Falkner, Josh Brennan and Wade Clare kept things ticking over in the liberating pens, secretary Di Birch proved a good replacement for longtime retired secretary Elaine Bismark. ■ Results from Levin
Open: 1st Jim Wilson, Wally, 97.5; 2nd Peter Williams, Guide, 96.5; 3rd Guy Peacock, Chief, 95.5; 4th A Clements, Fern, 93.75; 5th Peter Williams, Neve,
93.5; 6th Ian Burling, Blue, 93. Open/maiden: A Clements, Fern, 93.75; 2nd Ian Burling, Blue, 93; 3rd Don White, Nap, 90.
Local maiden: R McCormack, Jess. Results from Ohingaiti Sports Day Open: 1st Ian Burling, Blue, 93; 2nd Dave Schofield, Haig, 93; 3rd Josh Brennan, Tadpole, 89. Intermediate: 1st Dave Schofield, Haig, 93; 2nd J Brennan, Tadpole, 92; 3rd J Brennan, Thorn, 89. Open/maiden: Josh Brennan, Tadpole, 92.
Maiden man/maiden dog: Ruby Bailey, Sass, 69