Robinson nails rare, near-perfect run

Paul Robinson and Libby scored a rare 99pt run in winning this season's opening long head event last weekend at Waikoau.

Kahuranaki Station manager Paul Robinson got the 2015 Hawke's Bay sheep dog trialling season off to a cracking start when he won the Waikoau club's long head with a rare 99pt run.

The trials opened the Bay season last Friday and Saturday.

While it was four years since Robinson had last hit such near-perfect heights on the scoreboard - with Loyal in the opening trial of 2011 at Kahuranaki - it did, however, come as part of a class act, with fourth-season open triallist Libby.

They were the champion heading dog pairing for the season in 2013 and won the South Island long head title and took third placing in the national run-off in a successful venture south to Waihi Station, Geraldine, last May.

A short while earlier, the pair had won the long head at the last Hawke's Bay trial of last season, at Taradale.

With such commanding form - effectively back-to-back club trial wins sandwiching an Island title - they will be a tough combination to beat at the Hawke's Bay Sheep Dog Trial Centre championships.

The championships are being held in conjunction with the Okawa club trials, starting tomorrow and ending with the championships run-offs on Sunday.

Jeremy Berry's Moon scored a long-overdue first open win in the short head class, in a fifth season of trying. But it was also with a certain amount of class, as would be needed to beat the likes of Kevin O'Connor's Deal, the runner-up, and 2014 New Zealand team member Bob Bruce, who took third with Cheat.

It was an important win for Berry, who was runner-up with Duzar in last year's short head and yard centre championship at Omakere.

Waikoau and centre chairman Clark Chrystal won the straight hunt with Trix, pipping Raetihi visitor Alex Matthews with intermediate bitch Racheal.

Matthews had a successful trip with three dogs, including Kate, with which he won the zig zag hunt.

Cole Moore, from the Gisborne area, and Tim Herlihy, from Whangamomona in Taranaki, also featured in top-five placings after about 80 runs on each of the four courses.

Chrystal said all courses worked well last weekend, but much seemed to relate to the workman relationships with the flock.

It went well with the sheep "playing ball if you looked after them", he reckoned. "But if you put a foot wrong - look out."

In recent years, there has been about one 99pt run a year in Bay club trials, the only better card in those seasons, according to Hawke's Bay Today files, being 99.25pts as Selwyn Dorward completed a short head and yard run at Patoka in 2011.

About 240 dogs are expected for the trials starting at Okawa tomorrow, with about 120 runs on each course. They will be held at a property off Matapiro Rd, signposted and just west of the intersection with Crownthorpe Rd.

RESULTS of the Waikoau sheep-dog trial last Friday and Saturday:

Long head: Paul Robinson, Libby, 99pts, 1; Bruce D'Ath, Pip, 98.5pts, 2; Clark Chrystal, Rick, 98pts, 3; Dave Wallace, Toi, 97.75pts, 4; Peter Williams, Val, 97.5pts, 5. Intermediate: Peter Williams, Val. Maiden: Michael McMillan, Bonnie, 92.5pts.

Short head and yard: Jeremy Berry, Moon, 96pts, 1; Kevin O'Connor, Deal, 95pts, 2; Bob Bruce, Cheat, 94.5pts, 3; Kevin O'Connor, Jo, 93.75pts, 4; Cole Moore, Ben, 93.5pts, 5. Intermediate: Jeremy Berry, Moon. Maiden: Tim Herlihy, Turbo.

Zig zag hunt: Alex Matthews, Kate, 98.5pts, 1; Tom Manson, Hank, 98pts, 2; Clark Chrystal, Trix, 97pts, 3; Tom Manson, Rob, 96pts, 4; Stu McNeill, Ranger, 95pts, 5. Intermediate and Maiden: Tom Manson, Rob.

Straight hunt: Clark Chrystal, Trix, 97.5pts, 1; Alex Matthews, Racheal, 97pts, 2; Aaron Ryan, Buddy, 96.75pts, 3; Andrew Savage, Coast, 96.5pts, 4; Quinton Hunter, Storm, 96pts, 5. Intermediate: Alex Matthews, Rachael. Maiden: Andrew Savage, Coast.