WAITAKI SHEEP DOG TRIAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1077, 2 October 1879, Page 2

WAITAKI SHEEP DOG TRIAL.

(FROM OUR SPECIAL OOEKESPONDENT.) Duntroon, October 1. This event, a report of the greater portion of which appeared in our last issue, passed oft' with even a greater amount of success than attended its predecessor. There was a lar»e crowd of spectators, and everyone; manifested a large amount of interest in the performances of the dogs. Of the twenty-live entered for the Aged Dogs' Stakes, nineteen competed, and, with only two or three exceptions, they all worked remarkably well. This wa,s the more noticeable as, tlie strong wind blowing from the direction 411 which the dogs were sent, it was diffroult for them to hear the voices or their owners, and they had consequently little more to assist them than natural instinct, at any rate during a greater portion of their work. In the "¥oung Dogs' Stakes, four out o| the five entered competed, but two only of them could be induced to. give exhibitions of the training they had received. These two worked really well, and gave evidence of careful training, and fully established their claims to be considered first-class sheep dogs. The following is the conclusion of our report of the trials, whi&h were not finished until after five o'clock. Tho Otekaike dog Star, belonging to Mr. Connor, was next tried, and did some excellent work, but failed to get the sheep into the yard. Rover, a dog belonging to Mr. Middleton of Benmore, was some time in getting a sight of his sheep, but when lie did head then; he. did some good work and brought his sheep down, but his time was up, and he had not an opportunity of trying to yard them. The judges decided that he was entitled to 14 points. Mr. Hall's Cox headed his sheep and brought them down in a shorter time than

any other dog in the stakes, but though he tried hard for some time to get them into the yard he failed to do so, the sheep breaking away. His working was very good, though rather too fast. The judges gave him lo points. The last dog in the Old Dog Stakes was Mr. Heid's Chance, who shaped very indifferently, not scoring a single point. Mr. Mathieson's Lassie and Mr. M'Millan's Laddie having each scored the same number of points, viz., 24, the highest number allowed by the rules, divided the first and second prizes of Ll2 and L 7. Mr. M'Leay's Rock, who obtained 23 points, took the third prize of L 3. The Young Dogs' Stakes were; the?, run oft'. The first to compete was a fine little slut owned by Mr. M'Lennan. She headed and worked lier sheep exceedingly well, and was well under command, but she failed to yard them, and was awarded 15 points. Neither Mr. M'Kcnzie's Spring nm- Mr. Hall's Roy could be induced to do anything, and displayed a want of further training. Mr. T. M'Auly's Toss showed to much better advantr.gs than he did in the old dog atakes, and did his work veiy nicely indeed. The shorter distance that lie had to go for the sheep enabled his owner to keep him under greater command, and Foss showed that he had also been well trained. He scored 1G poinls, and was awarded the first prize of LG. Maid taking the second (L 4). No third was given, We cannot conclude without bestowing a word or two of praise upon the Judges, Committee, and the indefatigible Secretary (Mr. B. C. Smith), for the very excellent manner in which they performed their duties, and carried through the trial. The residents of Duntroon and Upper Waitaki districts have shown that sheep dog trials are riot only useful, as tending to induce shepherds to bestow greater attention upon their canine helpers, but that these annual meetings can be made interesting to a large section of the general public. They have set an example to other districts which we have every reason tp believe will ere long be followed.