WAREPA COLLIE CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21359, 12 June 1931, Page 10

WAREPA COLLIE CLUB

——■ — ■» —• — X i ANNUAL TRIALS SOUTHERN CHAM*' V PIONSHIPS. . Under fine weather conditions, though with a cold south-west wind blowing, the annual trials of the Warepa Collie Dog Club were opened on the property of the president of the club (Mr W. S. Thomson) at Warepa on Wednesday. Included on the club’s programme this year are the, Championship Head and the Championship Huntawjy which are conducted annually under the auspices of the Southern Association, being allotted-in rotation to the trials of the various clubs affiliated to the association. In the circumstances, therefore, more than ordinary interest attaches to the meeting, and the championship events have drawn competitors from all parts of Otago and Southland, practically all the leading breeders and sheep dog men of the two provinces being present. Owing to the fact that trials were also being held at Ngapara on Wednesday, at which a number of leading dog owners were competing, it .was decided ndl to hold the two big events until yesterday in order to give these men an opportunity of entering their dogs for the championships. The trials on Wednesday were confined to the Maiden Head and the Maiden Huntaway. Tb> first was completed by the afternoon, and the last dog in the Huntaway finished the course shortly after 10 a.m. yesterday, when the Championship Head was started. The entries in the club events constitute a record, 30 dogs being entered for the Maiden Head and 22 for the Maiden Huntaway. Despite this, however, the runs have been put, through in good time, the arrangements, under the supervision of a capable band of officials, being carried out without a hitch..

The Warepa course is generally admitted to be one of the finest in Otago. It consists of a broad, fairly steep tussock face, rising from a rolling paddock, from which the huntaway events are started, and upon which in the heaSing the doge are required to hold their sheep and yard. The sheep this year, which have been supplied for the trials by Mr W. S. Thomson, are Cor ried ale-cross wethers, and, being free-running and inclined to be touchy in handling, they provide a good test of a dog’s ability to maintain control under all conditions. The wind on Wednesday and yesterday also made the task of the doge more difficult, the sheep being harder to keep ton a good line. Despite this, the work in the two ripening events was of a really high-cla'ss for maiden dogs, and in the huntaway in particular the opinion was expressed that a better standard had never been set in this class on the club’s course. Some well-known dogs were entered in the championship head, in which the work was well up to what might be expected in such an event. Some splendid runouts were made, but in a number of cases the wind made the sheep very intractable; and it was practically impossible either to hold them in the ring or to yard.- For this 32 dogs were entered, making it impossible to give all a run last night, and the event will be continued this morning,

after which the championship huntaway will be held.

The judging is being carried out by Mr M. Fahey, ot Evan’s Flat, who. has the assistance of Mr G. Maze, of Kakapuaka. The-following are the results to date: — MAIDEN HEAD. —About 400 yards. Points: Heading 8, pulling 8, com- , mand 8, style at yards 4, yarding 4 total, 32. Prize: First £3, second £1 10s, third 15s. Time, lOmin. J. L. Christie and Sons’ Dark, 7,6, 6, 2 4—25 „. # . 1 W. R. Downie’s jed, 7,6, "s'j, lij 4 —24 2 I. Watt’s Meg, 6. 5,6 J, 2,4—23 J .... 3

Also ran: C. Kerr’s Flash 23, W. J. Kennedy’s Spider 23, A. D. M’Kenzie’s Fleet 22J, W. S. Thomson’s Gyp 22, A. G. Perkins’s Roy '22, W. H. Monk’s -Rough 21 J, J. Kellahan’s Waddell 21, L, H. Tilson’s Nightmarch 20V, G. Maze’s Kyp 20|, J. Waddell’s Wylie 20, H. Dagg’s Beat 20, G. W. Johnstone’s Scott 10, J. Dungey’s Sharp 19, W. Ridley’s Fern 17, W. J. Kennedy’s Mac 17, W. H. Monk’s Speed 17, J. R. Anderson’s Glen 16 V, W, S. Thomson’s Pat 10, F. Golightly’s Tweed 13, W. H. Doraut’s Bruce 7, W. Shoulders s Bluey 7, W. R. Downie’s Jed Morgan’s Kemp 5, H. MTntyre’s Ben a), E. Cut.tance’s Sweep 0, E. Cuttance s Flirt 0, A. G. Ross’s Tyne 0. Dark made a good run out, and headed his sheep in good style in Imin 6sec. He made a steady pull in a good line, but split his, sheep coming off the, hill. His work at the yards was good, as was his command, and he succeeded in yarding his sheep in 4min 55tec. Jed ran out well on a good cast, and made a good head, but failed to stop. He split his sheep coming off the hill, but recovered and pulled in a fair lino under good command. His work at tire yards was slack, but he backed and yarded his sheep in 9min 45see. - 'Mdg ran out on a fair line, but stopped several times, losing time on the run out. However, she recovered and made a good head in Imin 56sec and stopped. She split her sheep in pulling, and allowed them to go off the line. Her work at the yards was' fair and her command good.' She yarded in SJmin.

MAIDEN HUNTAWAY.—Points: Huntaway 8, noise 8, command' 8, slew 6, Style 6—total 36. Prizes: First £3, second £1 10s, tihrd, 15s. Time, Iffmin. J. Kellahan’s Help, 7, 6£, 6J, 4, 5 —29 I W. J. Kennedy’s Spider, 5,6, 6J, 4) 4—25£ .. .... 2 J, Dungey’s Moss, 5,6, 4J, 5, 25 .. 3 Also ran: J. Cuttance’s Fan 24J, R. Anderson’s Glen 22, J. A. Nelson’s Roy 21, A. D. M'Kenzie’s . Don 20, F. Golightly’s Help 18, A. D, M'Kenzie’s Coy 18, W. Rooney’s Jap 17, G. Ross’s Baldy 16, C. Kerr’s Glen 14, A. J. Crawford’s Clyde 13, A. Dagg’s Beat 13, R. Downie’s Mag 13, I. Watt’s Nell 12, J. Waddell’s Rock 10, J. Stenning’s Black 10, W. Rooney’s Ned 8, 'W. S. Thomson’s Roy 0, D. Morgan’s Bill and R; J. Hodge’s Fred did not run. « , Help hunted his.sheep through the first set of poles on a good line, although he was rather slack. He drove ’ his sheep through the second poles, but his line was now not so good. Approaching the third set,, of poles, ■ Hfelp was driving in good style, but was keeping rather far off his sheep, -He completed the course in 6min 15sec.

Spider hunted on a good line to .the second pair of poles, where he made the wrong slew. He failed twice to push his sheep through, but on the third occasion he succeeded. From then on he drove on a good line, but, like the first placed dog, he kept too far from his sheep when going through the last poles. He completed the course ■in smin 45sec.- , Mots missed the first set of, poles at his first attempt, but went through on his second trial. He made a good line to the second poles, hunting wide, but split his sheep going through the last pair, and finished the course in 7mm 45sgc. v '-The sheep-guessing competition on Wednesday, which drew 19 entries, was won by Messrs J. Dungey, W. Ridley, and W. J- Kennedy, who divided the prizemoney, being nearest with guesses of 1111 b each. correct weight was 1191 b.