Contented sheep and weather for trials
A great spell of autumn conditions helped make the Broadwood Sheep Dog Trials at Waiotehue Valley on Friday and Saturday enjoyable for all involved.
In his report from the event, local triallist Merv Cameron said the sheep from Conrad Walters were relatively contented and gave a fairly stern test to the dogs.
“The quality of runs was perhaps a little disappointing with scores in the low90s, perhaps reflecting that these hill trials, with the very undulating and broken ground, are more difficult than predicted,” he said.
“However age and treachery will always override the young guns and here, 81-year-old Allen Nisbet and the 75-year-old writer who between them have been dog trialling for well over a century proved a point by taking out both heading events.”
Nisbet’s dog Pat continued his form in which he has consistently placed this year by scoring his first open class win, while Cameron’s Clyde, with the first run of the meeting on Friday morning, held on to take the yarding event.
“Except for a major penalty when the sheep bailed up in a very rough area of ground and a much-needed move on was given to the sheep, Clyde’s was a lovely effort,” Cameron said.
Elsewhere, Grant West’s Swagger came home with the highest pointed run overall on the zig zag hunt course.
“The huntaway hill courses would be as steep as any you will find and with all the rain this year another large slip had occurred but overall didn’t really affect things and it was great to watch a dog guiding three sheep up it.”
Cameronsaid while overall entries were down, the early-lifted hangi still tasted so sweet. ■ Broadwood was event 10 out of 12 on the Northland sheep dog trial circuit (full results forthcoming).
Event 11 will take be held at Molesworth this Friday and Saturday, followed by the Mangonui trial at Landcorp Rangiputa from April 27-28.