Semi-retired farmer Barry Hobbs has been back in North Otago for about four years, and could not be happier.
Mr Hobbs, who grew up in Oamaru, farms an 11ha property at Herbert, some of it leased out.
He has about 100 ewes, 175 lambs and seven cattle, a far cry from the 20,000 stock units he managed at Thornicroft Station, a 2832ha property near Lake Mahinerangi, before he decided to relocate to Herbert.
However, he has still managed to keep himself busy.
On Sunday, he gave a sheep dog trial display at Totara Estate's Victorian Farm Comes Alive Day, with hundreds of keen observers watching.
The former jockey, who left Oamaru for the deep South at the age of 18, has competed in several South Island and New Zealand sheep dog trial events, a pastime he has been involved with since the age of 23.
Forty-seven years later, he still gets a kick out of it.
"I love it, I really love the competitive part of it. I've been involved in 23 New Zealand and 15 South Island run-offs, and several dog shows.''
He also gives sheep dog trial demonstrations at A&P shows, and also another unique demonstration where one of his dogs herds ducks into a pen, a show which is incredibly popular with adults and children alike.
Mr Hobbs loved to have a bit of banter with the public who watched his demonstrations and said some of the more common questions asked were about the training of his dogs, Don, Guv, Jane, Ben and Steel, how he managed them and what the tricks of the trade were.
Totara Estate property manager Ann Sutherland said numbers at this year's event, which featured activities, farm machinery, work demonstrations and a swaggers race, were on par with previous years.
"We're very pleased. We've had a great crowd and a lot of families, which is what we wanted.''
- Daniel Birchfield
