Upset of the underdogs
Colin Jay with Tracey pulled off a major upset at the Otamatea Sheep Dog Trial last weekend, delivering the winning performance with the very first run in the long head on Sunday morning — with a ripper of a score at 98.5 points — to head off Neville Child and Harry, the current national champions, by half a point.
The result caused local commentator Merv Cameron to ponder, “Maybe the lambs were still asleep?”
He went on to congratulate the promising combination of Francis Jochems and Mate for finishing third in the long head, their first placing in a long time. Elsewhere, the short head and yard was taken out by Duncan Gilligan with the 11-year-old, oneeyed Tim putting in “another big effort”; while Scott McRae and Toby pulled off a “rare feat” in winning the zig zag hunt for the fourth consecutive year, with Child and dog Simon emerging convincing winners in the straight hunt.
“With over 120 dogs competing the Otamatea club must have been very happy with the outcome. The lambs overall were quite workable but still a challenge.”
Results from Otamatea SDT on March 30 and 31 were as follows.
Long head (judge S Osborne, 76 runs): C Jay and Tracey 98.5 points, 1, N Child and Harry 98.0, 2, F Jochems and Mate 97.75, 3, M Child and Dice 97.50, 4, P Campbell and Cash 97, 5; intermediate: C Jay and Tracey 98.5, maiden: R Hastie and Matilda 83.5. Short head and yard: (C Jay, 81): D Gilligan and Tim 97.5, M Child Dice 97, M Child and Nell 96, G Robertson and King 95.5, N Child and Rod 95.25; intermediate: M Child and Nell 96, maiden: S McRae and George 91. Zig zag hunt (G West, 36): S McRae and Toby 97.5, M Yearbury and Crude 94.5, R Thompson and Doug 94, M Child and Ralf 92.5, M Moody and Penny 92; intermediate: R Thompson and Doug 94, maiden: R Thompson and Doug 94.
Straight hunt (G West, 36): N Child and Simon 98.5, M Moody and Penny 96, M Yearbury and Harry 95, S McRae and Toby 94.5, A Beckett and Cleo 93.5; intermediate: M Moody and Penny 96; maiden: B Wilson and Nell 88.
■ The triallists now head to the ever popular Broadwood (leg 9/12 on the provincial series) tomorrow and Saturday, Cameron noted.
“This is a must-attend if the public want to see the sport at grassroots level and there is great viewing along Waiotehue Rd.”