What Dogs And Men Are Doing

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31082, 10 June 1966, Page 14

What Dogs And Men Are Doing

'THE following are brief x descriptions of the four events which will be held during the national and South Island championship sheep dog trials at Tai Tapu next week:

Long Head: The competitor and dog stand in a marked ring. Three sheep are released about 800 yards up the hill. On a signal from the judge the competitor casts his dog out to head the sheep and to pull them back to himself in as straight a line as possible and then holds them standing steady in the ring to the judge’s satisfaction. There is a time limit to do this. Short Head and Yard: The competitor, who stands in a marked area called the oblong, casts his dog up the hill about 400 yards to where

three sheep have been placed for him. The sheep are headed and brought back to where he is standing. The competitor is then required to drive them a set distance and through a set of hurdles And then another specified distance to where he is required to yard them in a pen. During the driving the competitor may assist as much as possible from behind but he may not get in front of his sheep. If the sheep break back he must stand still.

Straight Huntaway: Two poles are placed 600 yards up the hill. The competitor again stands in a specified area and is given three sheep at the foot of the hill. He is required to hunt these sheep up through the poles at the

top of the hill keeping them in as straight a line as possible as he does this. Zig Zag Huntaway: In this case the competitor is required to hunt his sheep up through three sets of poles over a distance of about 700 yards. He hunts them straight up through the first set and then across and up through the second set and then straight up again through the third set. One of the major tests in this event is the dog’s and competitor’s ability to hunt across and up the hill at the same time between the first and second sets of poles. Again it is desirable for the dog and competitor to keep the sheep in as straight a line as possible between the sets of poles.