Courses to let dogs have their day

Hundreds of dog triallists will descend on a remote club in Western Southland next month.

Mararoa Sheep Dog Trial Club will host the South Island Sheep Dog Trial Championships for five days from Monday May 4.

President Andy Dennis, of Manapouri, said preparations included new judges boxes and liberation yard improvements.

So far, about 180 dogs had been entered to compete at each of the four courses, he said.

The number of entries might rise as more dogs qualify at the final few events of the season.

A few club members had already qualified dogs to run at the championships.

Triallists were travelling from throughout New Zealand to compete, including Ōtorohanga in Waikato, he said.

Competitors were willing to travel after hearing how good the course and sheep were when the club hosted a South Island championship in 1995.

An aim of the club was to deliver a similar experience to those championships, he said.

The club’s more than 30 members were "real happy" with how their 85th annual two-day trial went earlier this month.

"The courses are really good. The sheep were exceptional."

The four courses were "tricky enough to provide a challenge but honest enough for good dogs to show through".

A marquee would be pitched in front of the cook shop, where the community would serve meals and the local Rotary Club would run the bar.

Silver Fern Farms was providing meat to the club for free and proving two people to cook it for the duration of the event.

"That’s pretty amazing."

The long head course was on Davaar Station and the other three courses were on Burwood Station, both about 25 minute drive from Te Anau, towards Mossburn.

The championships was a chance for local sports clubs to fundraise to help pay for rising fuel costs to get their members to compete at events.

"Te Anau’s a long way from anywhere."

About 50 sponsors were supporting the event including Ewan Allan Honda, which was providing motorbikes to use if wet weather hits and Isuzu, which was providing utes for judges to travel from the North Island.

The judges are Jeremy Berry, of Hawke’s Bay for the long head, Boyd Devereux, of Otago for the short head and yard, Bill Lott, of Canterbury for the zig zag hunt and Craig Johns, of Whanganui for the straight hunt.

Everyone was welcome to attend the championships to watch the action.

Results 

Long head: Brian Dickison (Joey) 94.5 1, Allan Stewart (Happy) 94 2, Andy McNab (Floss) 93.5 3, Ben MacDonald (Steel) 92.5 4, Mark Copland (Don) 92 5. Intermediate and maiden: Allan Stewart (Happy).

Short head and yard: Andy McNab (Floss) 94 1, Brian Dickison (Reggie) 93 2, Allan Stewart (Ice) 92 3, Amy Robertson (Dot) 91 4, Mark Copland (Guy) 90.5 5. Intermediate: Amy Robertson (Dot). Maiden: Tom Rutherford (Hope) 86.

Zig zag hunt: Jack Ellingham (Mana) 96.5 1, Paul Collins (George) 95.5 2, Jack Ellingham (Rome) 94 3, Sam Wright (Rambo) 93.5 4, Andy McNab (Kahn) 93 5. Intermediate and maiden: Jack Ellingham (Mana).

Straight hunt: Troy Steer (Rooke) 97 1, Andy McNab (Kahn) 95 2, John MacDonald (Buddy) 94.75 3, Todd Rowland (Hank) 94.5 4, Jack Ellingham (Mana) 94 5. Intermediate: Troy Steer (Brooke). Maiden: Jack Ellingham (Mana) 94.