SHEEP DOG TRIALS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3504, 5 June 1920, Page 6

SHEEP DOG TRIALS.

KORTH ISLAND CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING.

The championship meeting of the North Island Sheep Dog Trial Association commenced on Mr J. Newland’a farm at Bank -Heas Waver! cy, fin Tuesday morning. The championship meeting this year has been ? allotted to the Wav cr ley-W aitotara Sheep Dog Trial Club, and right well has it risen to the important occasion. The ground, which was selected by the representative of the Association, is. about seven miles from Wavcrley in an alpine valley. The country .presents a stiff test for the dogs, but a. stiffer test for the public who wish to witness the clever dogs at work. The rink is situated in a bend of the river about a mile from Mr Robertson’s homestead, and in order tp reach it one has to descend an almosjj:.-per-pendicular grassy face of 300 ft. N(ey,c.rless a large number of spectators, including several ladies, were present,

q v ' v * v ‘* i 7 and the trials commenced in perfect ■weather. The work of preparing for the meeting., necessitating as it f did the transportation of marquees and impedimenta down an almost inaccessible cliff, required herculean labours, and it speaks well for the enthusiasm of Jthe executive fo the Waverlex-Waito-tara,Sheep Dog T.rial Club tjiajt everything was in readiness when the, trials commenced. To show what, sort ox -work had to be accomplished it need

only be stated that one enthusiast slid 300 feet down a grasy face with, a large table on hia back. A great, of the success of the trials, was due 'to . , ..o , jrnAU. Mr Robertson, as in addition to work-^ ing like a trojan all day, he supglie^ ike sheep which were used’ 'at" the r H <■ jw trials. These were Romney-Linco^n. mountain sheep, which worked. tehy^ well, and gave the dogs a good rim A Competitors we,re present from/ air jtarts of the North Island, while ‘t'&'b*' redoubtable champions from the’Scmth Island, in the persons of Messrs 'lf. : end W, Gray (Christchurch) w'etW -Mfl M • c-w run mresent.

jjioocut. , THE LONG HEAD, "'f " The whole of Tuesday was dbVot-ed to judging in the championship 4 bead, bring and hold in ( 4irfg. The course was about 800 yards,’ and* J as already stated, provided a stiff test for the dogs engaged. The first ,p,fi,zp in this event is a championship silver cup, valued at £2O, presented by the Associated Auctioneers, and £5, apd also a sweepstake of 50 per cent, of the entry fees; second prize 25, cent, of entry fees; third prize, 12} per cent, of entry fees. Altogether 52 competitors had entered for this competition, and up to -closing time yesterday some 40 dogs bad made their runs. To show that all the cracks had gathered to the fray, it need only be mentioned that thin following well-known -competitors were engaged in this oviant: —T. E. Perry and C. S. Hay (Masterton), M. Scott, J. Clout, P. H. Tocker, H. W. Bremer, L. Lind, J. E. Corrigan, E. Bolfe, and A. Corrigan (Hawera), J. Hunter and E. Grant (Wanganui), A. Boole and H. Scott (Omoaua), B. J.' Johnson (Wave,rley), A. Eolfe (Te Wcra), H. Little (Woodgrove, Canterbury), A. F. McKenzie, J. Lang, J. Harvey (Dannevirke)i, J. Sutherland' 1 -fPorongahau), H. Poole and 'A. i’Edi Burnett (Pongaroa), Colin Thdmr (Weber), H. Y. Mclntyre (Akitio), F. King (Feilding), S. Yoyco (Te Kuiti), C. Williams and A. Goldfinch (Ohura), !L. Lopdell, A. Bellamy, and H. Nichols (Petane,) E. Johnson (Kiore), S. Voyee (Te Kuiti), W. Gray (Christchurch), E. Leahy (Waitotara), and I). Eiggcr (Wimarama). Mr McGlashau, the judge, remarked that on the whole the work of the Jogs had been above the average. The course, he stated, provided a stiff test, but the majority of the dogs had come through the ordeal with credit. It ■was noticeable that the sheep were more restless as the afternoon wore on, an<j some of the dogs had their chances spoilt through the sheep breaking back to the yards.

SMOKE CONCERT. There was :1 cl'ow<3e<l attemlanee at the smoke concert in eomxeetion with I:lle't.z'ials, which was held in the Waverley Town Hall on 'l‘ues(lay night. Mr G. MeGregol', the president of the. Waverley-Waitotma ‘Sheep Dog Trial Club, presi:’led, and delivered ‘an interesting a(.l(ll'€SS, in which he gave much holfxful advice on the management of sheep «log _‘nial.< in general. A brief ’m‘.‘sf list. imexwpm-se(l with musical i’tem:<. \v:l’.~' .<n'(3lnitted as fol~ lows:-—"“ .-Xl‘xn_\f and ’Xa\'y_."’ - proposed by My Miclclleton, and x'espem'led to by Mr T. W. Lonsrlale; “The Visitors,” proposed by Mr James Walker, and responded to by Hr Bremer; “The Competitors,” -pgoposed by Mr A. Howie. and rc-sponrlod to by Mr. J. R. COl-rigan. «

CHAMPIONSHIP LONG HEAD . VVON BY CANTERBURY _ COMPETITOR. e The... North Island: chémpionsliip aneefiing was continued at Mr. J. New,:,hnfl’s farm at Bank Head, Waverley,

un Wednesday morning, when judging in the Long Head was proceeded with. The weather was again Ifav'ourable, and the good form of the opening day was maintained throughout the competition. The event was won by that renowned competitor, H. Little, of Woodgrove, Canterbury, whose clever dog Jack added another to the long list of successes he has scored on the sheep dog trial fields of the Dominion. This is the third time that Jack has

wuii luc jtluciu, itiiu me muuisume silver cup donated by the Associated Auctioneers therefore becomes the absolute property of the Woodgrove competitor. That veteran competitor, J. R. Corrigan, ran the winner very close with Darkie, who was only It points behind. Darkie lost half, a point in pulling and a point in holding, but otherwise his points were identical with those scored by Jack, the winner.

G. Southerland (Porangahau) came third with Scalp, and E. Johnson (Kioro) fourth, with Hemp. All the placed dogs worked splendidly, as will be judged from the fact that the fifth dog was only four points behind the winner. A start was made on Wednesday with Class 2, Championship Short Head and Yarding, and fine work was done by the dogs in this competition also. The officials, from the president (Mr G. McGregor) down to the yardmen, again worked zealously, and had all the arrangements running very

smoothly. The following are the results of the Long Head, the' maximum points for which were —heading 18, pulling 16, holding 4, command 12; — H, Little’s (Canterbury) Jack, 16, 14, 3, 11; tofal 44 1 J. R. Corrigan’s (Hawera) Darkie, 16, 13-1, 2, 11—421 2 G. Sutherland’s (Porangahau) Scalp, 16, 13, 2, 11—42 3 E, Johnston’s (Kioto);, Hemp, 15, 13, 2. 11—41 4 W. Y, Mclntyre’s (Manganui, Dannevirke). 15, 13, 2, 101 —401 ..5 W. Gray’s (Canterbury) Boss Junior, 16, 14, 0, 10—40 6