Location Of The Trials

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

Location Of The Trials

VEXT week’s national 1 sheep dog trials will be held on two properties between Tai Tapu and Motukarara on Highway 75, the main road to Akaroa from Christchurch.

The main trial grounds are in one valley on Mr D. P. Graham’s Ahuriri property. Here the short head and yard will be held on tiie north side of the valley and the straight huntaway followed by the zig zag huntaway on the east side. This will be the third occasion that the New Zealand trials have been held on Ahuriri. Earlier they were held there in 1939 and 1950 and the South Island championships were also held there in 1945 and 1953. Ahuriri originally formed part of the Port Cooper Hills leased by the Maoris to J. D. Greenwood, of Purau, under an agreement of 1846. Less than a year later it was transferred to W. B. Rhodes and after the Rhodes brothers dissolved partnership in 1875 it came into the hands of R. J. P. Fleming of Pigeon Bay. It was sold about 1877 to R. M. Morten who transferred it to his son Richard in 1904. In 1940 it was purchased by the Graham family and with small additions it now comprises nearly 4000 acres rariging from the Halswell river to the Summit road, and ranging in altitude from about sea level to about 2000 ft. It is now farmed by Mr D. P. Graham. Ahuriri carries about 4500 sheep and there are now about 400 cattle outside and 300 inside in one of the country’s most modern feeding sheds which is being used in conjunction with two 450 tons English airtight silos to store “haylage”

and one 150 tons silo for grain. The whole process is thoroughly automated. About 300 acres of crop are grown each year on Ahuriri. This includes wheat, barley, peas and ryegrass seed.

The long head course is in the next valley and is mainly on the property of Miss A. Welsh. The large number of entries for the trials have made it necessary to have three separate courses.

Miss Welsh has a property

of about 240 acres which she farms with the help of a good neighbour and friend. It carries about 550 sheep and about 20 run cows and about 70 acres are in crop—barley and small seeds. The property has been in the hands of the Welsh family for about 75 years.

The courses were set by the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association during an inspection made while the Tai Tapu Collie Dog Club was holding its trials in April.