The veteran dog triallist, who has captained New Zealand five of the nine times he has represented the team, has been named to lead the side again for the annual grudge match from the end of October to November 1.
Mr Copland and heading dog Guy will be joined by fellow Cantabrian Ben Millar and King, Waikato’s Leo Jecentho and Jake and North Otago’s Lloyd Smith and Code.
Southlander Brian Dickison and Dan are the travelling reserves.
The Wayleggo Cup has been to-ing and fro-ing between the countries in the past few years, Australia winning last year.
The Ashburton Showgrounds are a winning venue for New Zealand after they convincingly beat the visitors in 2023 when the late Neil Evans led the side.
New Zealand triallists will have him in the back of their minds as well as Mr Smith whose wife Linda died earlier this year, when they step on to the course.
Mr Copland said the team had a good blend of youthful enthusiasm and real experience.
He said a lot was at stake.
"That goes without saying that we will be trying to beat the Aussies. We are down parked in our part of the world and we are like-minded people, but like other sports we don’t hold back, do we?"
He said the team members possessed top dogs, Mr Jecentho’s Jake achieving the uncommon feat of being in all four run-offs this year.
Mr Smith had faced a tough year and it showed his character that he had so much strength within to perform well in competitions.
"We will have Neil in mind and no doubt Lloyd’s wife, Linda, of recent times so it’s not been easy for people. You try and beat everyone else in normal times, but you also have a quiet thought for them too."
Mr Copland said his own black and white heading dog Guy had just turned 5 and was a "hard case" after going though a tough run of problems thrown at him.
"He’s had a lot of adversity and has had a foot problem with his toenails, a broken tail and only two months ago he had a cut above his pupil in his eyeball. Christchurch vet Kirsten Wylie basically saved it by stitching the eye and grafting something over it to enhance the blood flow and then stitched the eyebrows together. I went back a week later she undid the stitching and said this looks promising and the eye looks very much normal."
Mr Copland had a five-year stint from the mid-2000s as captain with a dog called Mary.
He said the Australians liked competing in Ashburton because it was near Christchurch airport and they could be shown good dog country in the Rakaia Gorge area.
They would also be able to "sink their teeth" if they wanted to enter a Tux yard dog competition also being held at the showgrounds.
"We used to go there years ago when the manager was Tony Sheild, from Marlborough. Ironically, our team will be managed by one of his sons, David, who is now the new president of the NZ dog trial association. The acorn hasn’t fallen far from the tree because he definitely looks very similar."
He and wife Robyn have just moved off the family’s Westmere farm in Dromore between Rakaia and Ashburton to make a new home on a 20ha block at upper Winchmore where, as well as running a few sheep and finishing cattle, he has bought a few stags and got his velveting licence.
Their son, Hugh, and his wife, Kylie, have taken over the farm and the plan is to spend more time on dog trialling.
Mr Copland was runner-up to winner Lindsay Wink from Weber in the national long head competition and also finished runner-up to Mr Jecentho in the South Island long head, at Lochiel Station.
He was just outside of the main placegetters with fourth in the national short head and yard won by Mr Jecentho and was seventh overall in the South Island long short.
Results
NZ sheep dog trial championship results at Lochiel Station near Hanmer Springs:
Long head: Lindsay Wink (Weber) Ghost, first round, 93.25 points, second round, 93.50pts, total 186.75pts, 1; Mark Copland (Methven) Don, 92.50pts, 94pts, 186.50pts, 2; Stuart Child (Te Anga) Carl 97.50pts, 88pts, 185.50pts, 3.
Short head and yard: Leo Jecentho (Karioi) Jake 97.50pts, 98pts, 195.50pts, 1; Ben Millar (Glenroy) King 94.25pts, 93pts, 187.25pts, 2; Stuart Millar (Glenroy) Laddie 95.75pts, 87pts, 182.75pts, 3; Mark Copland (Methven) Guy 96pts, 84pts, 180pts, 4.
Zig zag hunt: Samantha Shaw (Matawai) Rogue 96.75pts, 96pts, 192.75pts, 1; Andy McNab (Mt Nessing) Kahn 97.80pts, 91pts, 188.80pts, 2; Sam Jamieson (Mackenzie) Gary 95.75pts, 82pts, 177.75pts, 3.
Straight hunt: Steve Murphy (Whangamomona) Bridge 98pts, 97pts, 19pts, 1 ; Grant Plaisted (Waikari) Coke 97.50pts, 96.50pts, 194pts, 2; Dan Jury (Petane) Ice 97.25pts, 95pts, 192.25pts, 3.
