Sheep Dod Trials

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31365, 10 May 1967, Page 30

Sheep Dod Trials

’ A LTHOUGH machines are able to do much to help the fanner these days the dog is still an indispensable tool of the New Zealand farmer, particularly the sheepfamers with their 60m sheep. It is appropriate, therefore, that a dog trial should be held in conjunction with this week’s 14th World Ploughing Contest and the New Zealand ploughing championships for the Atlantic Silver Plough. The trial is being held by the Tai Tapu Collie Club, who were hosts to last year's New Zealand Championship dog trials. Called the world ploughing match championship, it will be held on ground adjacent to the ploughing contest site which is farmed by a club member, Mr G. J. Barclay. The president of the club, Mr W. M. Tilson, said recently that schedules for the trial had been sent all over the country. The trial will comprise a single event which is a short head, drive and yard. The obstacles will comprise a set of hurdles, a bridge, a swing gate which has to be

opened and closed again, a set of hurdles and finally a pen where the sheep have to be yarded. The trial will begin tomorrow, and the top three dogs on each of the first two days will run off on the polo ground at the world match site each afternoon for a trophy valued at £5, which will be awarded on the aggregate of points for the two runs. On the final afternoon— Saturday—the top dogs on the basis of the first runs will compete on the polo ground in a grand final. The winning dog will win a cash prize and a trophy valued at £5O donated by Andrews and Beaven, Ltd. Of the entry fee of £2 for the trial half of this amount will be allocated to a sweepstake and the top six dogs will take varying proportions of this. The sheep for the trial will be provided by Mr Tilson and he said that these would be worked through the various obstacles, apart from yarding, prior to the trial to facilitate the movement of sheep in the trial.