Farmer rounds up win at Mull
A SKIPNESS border collie penned its first open win at the Mull annual open sheepdog trial.
A SKIPNESS collie and farmer pairing stormed the field on Mull to take the dog’s maiden title by a clear 10 points.
The Mull and Morvern Sheepdog Society annual open trial was recently held at Knock Farm, Gruline.
On a clear sunny day, a large crowd of spectators enjoyed the spectacle of some of Scotland’s foremost handlers competing on skittish blackface hoggs. The outrun was over a gently rising 300 yards.
While the sheep were generally good to handle over the expansive course, they were particularly difficult to pen and only four handlers managed to complete the course. Alec McCuish from Skipness, running fouryear-old Tweed midway through the day, showed that the course could be negotiated successfully and won the trial by an impressive margin of 10 points with a score of 86 from 100 points available.
Alec said: ‘Tweed does most of the circuit with me and has had lots of thirds but I’m really glad he’s got his first open win.’
Tweed will take over from Moss, his grandfather, when he retires. Moss also won the Mull open trial.
Alec, who won the Kintyre Nursery Sheepdog Winter series earlier this year, added: ‘I got second place at Mull about 20 times, and now I have won twice in three years.
‘Tweed’s a very good worker, he does all my hill work, and has got another five years competing in him yet.’
The judge on the day was Roddie MacDiarmid from Cairndow. The committee would like to thank Donald and Jamie MacLean, Knock Farm, for providing the stunning location and the fit and feisty sheep.
The Mull trial is one of the oldest on the West Coast. The first date on the Miss Lithgow of Glengorm Trophy for the best working collie is 1928, when it was won by Kenneth Macaskill of Lettermore.
At that time, prior to modern ferry transport, it was a shepherds’ meet, when hundreds of working shepherds would be employed on the estates and farms of Mull and Morvern.
Full results: 1. Alec McCuish, Skipness, Tweed 86 points. 2. Craig Davidson, Sandbank, Cap1, 76. 3. Stuart Davidson, Sandbank, Queen, 75. 4. Brian Strachen, Roy Bridge, Sam, 72. 5. Michael MacNally, Invergarry, Caul, 71. 6. Kevin Strachen, Sam. 61. 1. Local, Jeff Moore, Gruline.