MASTERTON COLLIE CLUB.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9103, 1 June 1908, Page 5

MASTERTON COLLIE CLUB.

ANNUAL TRIALS. Fairly good weather prevailed for the concluding day of the annual trials of the Masterton Collie Club on Saturday. Despite the many counter attractions there was, as on the preceding two days, a good attendance, and keen interest was evinced in the remaining events on the programme. The work of the 47 dogs contesting the heading, yarding and driving event was closely watched by the spectators, and any meritorious work was loudly applauded. Moss of Ancrum, the New South Wales dog, was the chief centre of attraction, and justified the great interest manifested in him by placing a record to his credit in winning the third class, with a total of 40 points, the highest number possible for that event. His performance was of exceptional merit, and one that has been equalled on but few occasions, and cannot be beaten. It was truly a splendid achievement to head and bring hack three sheep a distance of 200 yards, drive them through a ring; then 75 yards through a set of hurdles eight feet apart, and drive the sheen another 75 yards and yard them in a pen of four hurdles, in the smart time of 10 mi'iutes, without making a single mistake. The judge remarked that he had but on one or two previous occasions been able to award the highest number of points to a dog in a similar diss. The run-ner-up ti Moss of Ancrum in that class was Mr J. McDonald's Mac, and although he headed his sheep and yarded them in the time of 7 minutes 25 seconds, ht lost a number of points through allowing his sheep to get round the ring, in place of putting them through it. He, however, made a brilliant recovery, and brought the sheep back and put them through the ring, and yarded them on his first attempt. A mistake most of the dogs in this class made was that they missed the ring and had to bring their sheep back. The other placed dogs worked well, but their exhibitions were not to be compared witj that of the winner. In the last event in the programme the Teams Match, Mr C. Hay' 3 team Mac, Dick, and Slate, were victorious, and did s>me very crecitable work. The tjam thai secured second honouis was owned by Mr J. Pateraon, of Masterton. The sheep used for the occasion were lent by Messrs J. and H. Holmes, of Matahiwi, and were a good, strong lot; the competitors were unanimously of the opinion that they-were the best that have been seen at trials for some time, being in a condition to stand a hard trial. The dogs owned by Messrs R. G. Mcßae and J. Jones were disqualified in class three for barking at their sheep while working. The judge, Mr W. O. Rutherford, considered they were entered in the wrong '•lass and that in all probability had they been entered in the hunt-away class they would have scored well. The following are the remaining results of the trials, and the judges' comments: — HEADING, DRIVING AND YARDING. (Points for heading, bringirg back, driving, yarding and command). Mr A. E. McLeod's b and w d , Moss of Ancrum, 7—7—B—B —10: total points, 40 1 Mr J. McDonald's b and w d Mac, 76 —78 —9; total points, 37 2 Mr J. McDonald's b and w d Don, 7—6—B—6—9; total points, 36 3 Mr W. Pringle's b and w d Fife, 7_7_s—B—B; total points, 35 4 Mr R. Grant's b, t end w d, Tip, 7—fi—s—B—B; total points, 33 5 Forty-seven dogs competed. JUDGE'S COMMENTS. Moss of Ancrum worked brilliantly throughout, and was the only dog to take his sheep right through the ring without them going round it. His points were well merited. Time, 10 minutes. Mac cast to the right, and then to the left quietly in 30 seconds; brought the sheep back in good line, but was rash; he missed the ring and had to pull the sheep back into it; got them through the hurdles and yarded on first attempt. Time, 7 minutes 25 seconds. Don cast to right, and headed quietly in. 42 seconds; he brought the sheep back in fair line, but missed the ring; put through ring and hurdles, but lost points at the yard through sheep ringing it. Fife cast to the right, and brought back in good line quietly; through ring and missed huroles three times; yarded in good style. Tip cast to right, and headed quietly in 41 seconds; brought back in fair line, but was rather rash. Missed the ring but pulled them back through hurdles and got off the course, the line not being straight. He got the sheep on to the course, and yarded at first attempt. TEAMS MATCH (Three Dogs). —Open only to competitors residing within the boundaries of the Wairarapa and Masterton Electoral Districts. Mr C. Hay's b and w d Mac, b and t and wd Dick and Slate; hunt-away, 4; noise, 4; command, 10; heading, 4; bringing back, 3; command, 9; driving, 4; yarding, 0; command, 9'; total points, 47 1 Mr J. Paterson's b and t d Tyne, b and w d Yarra, b and w Bruce; huntaway, 4; noise, 4; command, 10: heading, 4; bringing back, 2; command, 8; driving, 2; yarding, 5; command, 8; total points, 47 2 Mr Hay's team hunted away in good style: plenty of noise; headed quietly. In bringing the sheep back they got below the ring; brought them back and put them in the ring in good time. Mr Paterson's team hunted away with little noise, got sheep out in very fair style; yarded well, but were rather rash and wild when getting them down past the ring; very noisy near ring. Let sheep get away too far to the right when driving; good noise when driving them to the pen.