Taranaki Grandmother Competes In Dog Trials

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27368, 5 June 1954, Page 2

Taranaki Grandmother Competes In Dog Trials

The only woman competitor to take part in the recent North Island sheepdog trials at Tututawa was Mrs W. Bishop, of Douglas. Taranaki. She has seven grandchildren.

The Tututawa course was not easy going, but Mrs Bishop moved about the country as freely as her dog Gay, which did well in the championship runs.

Mrs Bishop began competing in dog trials only three years ago and in that time has become well known among ether entrants for her ability in handling dogs. Her husband, a sharemilker on a Douglas farm, competes against her in many of the trials. During her first two years of competing, Mrs Bishop had a dog named Ben, which was well known for his cleverness, and was in great demand

for breeding purposes. He earned for his mistress at least £5O in contests. Mrs Bishop was offered £lOO for Ben on three occasions, but would not part with him. This dog was lost last August, and Mrs Bishop believes he was killed. Her next dog, Gay, now only two-and-a-half years old, did remarkably well in gaining second place in the open trial at Tututawa earlier this year, when she gained 98 points in the long head and finished behind the New Zealand champion, then Mr G. Brennan’s Bruce.

Gay won the Waverley open trial this year and qualified for the North Island championships at Tututawa, in which Mr Bishop also entered a dog. Mrs Bishop and Gay won 91 £ points. Mr Bishop and his dog gained one point more.