The Wairoa sheep dog trials bounced back dramatically from three years of cancellations by staging a successful Hawke’s Bay Centre Championships last week.
As if paying homage to the work put into staging the trials again, in country significantly hit by weather-event devastation, three of the four titles were won by Wairoa trialists on the courses at Kauhouroa Station, off Tiniroto Rd near Marumaru, last Friday-Sunday.
The victories went to Sheena Martin with Sav in the short head and yard, Tom Manson and Buck in the zig zag hunt, and Ned George and Krunch in the straight hunt.
The only winner not from the Wairoa area was Ben Millar, with King, in the long head. He works for fellow trialist Rob Gallien at Mangatapiri, west of Napier.
Millar had top-qualified for the long-head run-off by winning the Wairoa club trial on the first two days, Martin had come from fifth place to overtake club trial winner Scott Wedd and Steel in the short head and yard, and George had won the club zig title with Sprocket before being overtaken by Manson in the runoff, but held on in the straight hunt to claim both the club and centre titles.
It was a particularly busy time for George, who won a national title with Sprocket in 2022, and last weekend had four dogs in the centre runoffs. He also ran Rain for fourth in the straight hunt, and Muzz for third in the short head and yard.
Martin, a stalwart of trialing in Northern Hawke’s Bay and a past champion, said it was great just to have the trials, after missing three years because of the Covid-19 crisis and Cyclone Gabrielle and other weather events.
She said the club put in a lot of work, with special efforts from local agricultural contractor James Jarden, who put in “hours and hours” of work with his digger to fix slips on the hunt courses, and put in a large culvert to enable a new short head course to be set up.
“The grounds looked great, and it was fantastic to see the numbers of young folks at the working bees, helping at the trial, and running dogs,” she said.
Remaining trials in the Hawke’s Bay centre this season are: at Tikokino on Friday-Saturday this week; April 5-6 at Okawa; Taradale on April 12-13; and Mohaka on April 19-20.
The South Island championships are at Meadowbank, Marlborough, starting on May 6, and the North Island New Zealand championships start at Mangamingi, Taranaki, on May 27.
Long head: Ben Millar, King (96, 93.5), 189.5pts, 1; Laurie Horsfall, Thor (91, 93.5), 184.5pts, 2; Dave Scragg, Vic (93.5, 83.5), 177pts, 3; Grant Magee, Prince (90.25, 86), 176.25pts, 4; Scott Wedd, Steel (92.5, 82,5), 175pts, 5.
Short head and yard: Sheena Martin, Sav (88.5, 85), 173.5pts, 1; Scott Wedd, Steel (92.5, 75), 168pts, 2; Ned George, Muzz (85.25, 67.5), 152.75pts, 3; Sheena Martin, Twink (85, 53.5), 138.5pts, 4; Bob Bertram, (86.5, 0), 86.5pts, 5.
Zig zag hunt: Tom Manson, Buck (96, 98), 194pts, 1; Bex Scragg, Scooby (93.75, 96.5), 190.25pts, 2; Angus Twigley, Grouse (94, 89), 183pts, 3; Ned George, Sprocket (97.5, 78.5), 176pts, 4; Jamie Arnold, Grace (94.25, 35), 129.25pts, 5.
Straight hunt: Ned George, Krunch (98.5, 96), 194.5pts, 1; Dave Scragg, Jake (97.5, 93), 190.25pts, 2; Ben Millar, Gus (98, 89), 187pts, 3; Ned George, Rain (97.2, 88) 185.2pts, 4; Jonty Parrot, Fergus (97, 87), 184pts, 5.