Tough day for Utting at the Tux North Island champs

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Waimata dog triallist Merv Utting had a disappointing end to the Tux North Island championships in Taupō yesterday with fourth and fifth placings in the long and short head events.

Utting and his dog Bob went into the final runoff in Event 1 — the long head — as top qualifiers after a brilliant qualifying round where they scored 99 points out of a possible 100. Things did not go the same way for them in the final, and they scored 92 for a final score of 191 and fourth place.

They were just one point off second place and 3.5 points behind the winning combination.

In event 2, the short head and yard, Utting and Guy scored 94 in qualifying and 71 in the final to finish fifth.