Sheepdog Trials: Neville Child second in North Island Champs

Neville Child was in strong form at the North Island Sheepdog Championships in Te Aute. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR

Maungakaramea's Neville Child fell just short of the North Island Sheep Dog Championship title in an impressive display in Te Aute.

Child was bested by Mangaroa chicken farmer Laurie Horsfall after a tense five days of action.

It had been a long wait during the week with Horsfall holding on to his place on the leaderboard since Tuesday, to qualify in second place, and just holding out to beat Northland hope and best runoff performers Child and Rod.

It was a big day for Child, who having run late on Thursday afternoon had to wait until the top seven were named yesterday to find out whether he would be in the runoff, along with son Stuart Child and Mitch.

Rod was the last son of the late Deal, with which Child won his only national title at Omarama in 2006, Mitch was another offspring, and Deal also had a grandson in the runoff.

Like most of the others, Child is off to the national championships starting near Blenheim on May 28, celebrating 50 years of Tux sponsorship, possibly the longest-running sponsorship of any sports event in New Zealand.

But there's an extra need for Child, 67, whose one championship-winner's tie was stolen when someone smashed the window of the truck and took all his clothing outside a Hutt Valley motel en route to last year's South Island championships.

"You can't buy one, you can't just get one, it only comes with hard work and winning a national title," he said yesterday, wearing a borrowed tie.

There was a Hawke's Bay link to the short head and title won yesterday by 28-year-old Hamish Linton, who grew-up on Tautane Station in Central Hawke's Bay when his father was manager.

Now stock manager at Siberia Station, Hunterville, Linton and lone championships hope Kip, now eight years old and with him since he first competed five years ago, qualified in first place and had the best runoff to win by the wide margin of 5.5 points from South Island hope Mark Copland, of Methven, and his dog Zoe.

Taranaki farmer Mark Duffy won both Huntaway titles on Thursday.
- Hawke's Bay Today