Cameron claims Field Days trifecta
Veteran campaigner Merv Cameron has achieved a rare feat by completing a hat-trick of titles with three different dogs at the Dargaville Field Days sheep dog trial last weekend.
Having won the event with Grace in 2017 and Roy last year, Cameron took out this year’s trials with Clyde, holding off Shaun Haynes and Sue, a combination he had earlier tipped were destined for great things in the not too distant future, and leaving Kevin Easterbrook and Meg to settle for third spot.
Cameron went on to note the sheep used in most cases proved a bit too smart for the first two days of the field days and fully tested both the stockmanship of the triallists and the ability of the dogs to control them.
“The sheep had obviously slept well at the grounds on Friday night as they were in most cases more co-operative on Saturday and so made judge Pete Campbell’s job easier,” he said.
Thursday and Friday were set aside for the qualifying rounds, followed by the finals on Saturday which also featured a human trial where the Farmlands team were convincing winners, making it look easy to steer three sheep around the selected obstacles.
“It was great to see many of the grassroots competitors having a go, in particular Ed Long, Dan and Bill McCready, and Mike Read, who all have dogs of great ability and should go to more trials where more experience will improve them.”
Placings were, open: Merv Cameron with Clyde 92 points, 1, Shaun Haynes with Sue 91, 2, Kevin Easterbrook with Meg 89, 3, Mike Read with Midge 89.75, 4, Les Child with Ned 87, 5; Maiden/ Intermediate: Ed Long with Tess 1.
Organisers thanked Steven and Delwyn Osborne for the use of their sheep.
The Northland SDT circuit resumes at Rodney tomorrow and Saturday (event 5/12).