Sarah and Tony Fairweather of Dannevirke, at this week's North Island sheep dog trials at Te Aute. Photo / Warren Buckland
Sarah and Tony Fairweather of Dannevirke, at this week's North Island sheep dog trials at Te Aute. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay entries extended their dominance of the North Island Sheep Dog Championshps at Te Aute yesterday despite the strong representation from other parts of the country.
Of the 28 competitors across the leaderboards of the four classes at the 4pm call on Day 2, 15 werefrom the two centres, including two from the host club in Central Hawke's Bay, where there had been no delays after two days of fine and ideal weather.
Organisers say they are progressing well towards the target of having the first of the runoffs on tomorrow afternoon.
More than 450 of the runs had been completed by the end of the day, 135 of them on the zig zag hunt course judged by Southern Hawke's Bay farmer Tony Fairweather, who won the zig zag title near Masterton in 2011 and the South Island straight hunt title near Geraldine in 2014, both with Reign. Highlighting some of the teamwork at the big event, he had wife Sarah assisting as his timekeeper.
Former island and national title winners were prominent on the leaderboards, which list the top seven without the placings, and are updated at midday and 4pm each day.
Among them were four of last year's island championships winners, including Paul Evans and Bryte, of Wanganui centre club Ohingaiti, still in the running for a successful defence of the North Island long head title they won at Whangara, and Dannevirke's Simon Prouting, with Roe in the zig zag hunt, backing up the trialist's win with Vince 12 months ago.
Paul Evans with Bryte, pictured at last year's nationals. Photo / File
Also still in the running was Merv Utting, with Prince in the long head and who last year won the South Island title at Wairepa in Otago with Fern.
Going into this year's championships Utting has a record of six national titles and 11 at north or south island level dating back to his first, a New Zealand long head title, in 1980.
Fellow Poverty Bay trialist Allen Irwin, who last year went close to a South Island pair by winning a straight hunt title with Chase and being runner-up in the zig zag with Buster, late yesterday still had a North Island title hope with Dan in the straight hunt.
Among host Hawke's Bay centre hopes was Wairoa trialist Fraser Taylor with Waite, a pair which snatched four late wins in the club season to claim the bay's top huntaway title and which was last night in the seven leaders in the straight hunt.
The leaderboard at the 4pm call on Day 2 at the North Island Island Sheep Dog Championships being held at Te Aute in Central Hawke's Bay on May 7-11, 2018:
Long head (98 runs; judge, Ken Lobb, Taranaki): Bob Bryson (Ngatapa), Rex; Paul Evans (Ohingaiti), Bryte; Alistair Dickson (Cheviot), Jack; Mark Copland (Methven), Zoe; Gavin Drake (Omatane –Kauwhatau); Merv Utting (Poverty Bay), Prince; Jon MacPherson (Ruakituri), Scott.
Short head and yard (90 runs; judge, Chris Calder, Canterbury): Stuart Millar (Glenroy), Tess; Tim Hunter (Pahiatua-Makuri), Doll; Roger Tweed (Waitahuna), Price; Graham Duff (Te Aute), Jess; Peter Campbell (Bay of Islands), Cash; Neville Hore (Tokarahi), Spec; Laurie Horsfall (Te Aute), Raid.
Zig zag hunt (135 runs; judge, Tony Fairweather, Wairarapa SHB): Leo Edginton (Tolaga Bay), Gavin; Anthony Hughes (Whatatutu), Chop; Robert Gallien (Te Aute), Code; Jeremy Bright (Wairoa), Mate; Simon Prouting (Dannevirke), Roe; Mark Duffy (Egmont), Vella; Tim Lamont (Tolaga Bay), Jade.
Straight hunt (127 runs; judge, Andy McNab, Canterbury): Alex Mathews (Wanganui), Rex; Fraser Taylor (Wairoa), Waite; Bruce Parkinson (Raetihi), Grouse; Allen Irwin (Whatatutu), Dan; Gavin Guineven (Ruahine-Raniwahia), Dark; Tom Manson (Mohaka), Spud; Laurence Rau (Matawai), Charm.
