Tolaga Bay triallist Edginton to captain NZ in transtasman test series

Wairoa Collie Club member Ned George winning the New Zealand straight hunt title with Bounce last week at Mangamingi, near Stratford in Taranaki.

Tolaga Bay dog triallist Leo Edginton has joined an elite group of Poverty Bay centre triallists to have been named captain of the New Zealand team.

The Mangaheia Station manager joins the likes of Rod Mead and Bob Byson, who have previously captained the national team.

The Gisborne Herald understands Merv Utting is the only other local triallist to have been a member of the national team in the past.

Edginton was named captain of the four-man-and-dog team after the North Island and New Zealand championships in Taranaki last week.

“This is great news for our dog trial centre,” Mead said. “Leo’s a top competitor, both in the heads and the hunts.”

Edginton and his dog Roxy will lead the national team against Australia in two tests in Geelong, Victoria, in September.

“It’s my first time as captain after being in the team twice before as a member,” he said.

“It’s a great feeling, a huge honour to be named as caption. I feel really privileged.

“It’s probably the youngest team ever to go into a test series against the Aussies. I think we will go there confident to win. We’ll certainly be trying our hardest.”

Mangaheia Station manager Leo Edginton, from Tolaga Bay, has been named as New Zealand team captain to face Australia in a test series in September. He is pictured with his dog Kim at the Spring Show in 2022. Photo / Paul Rickard

The other team members are Scott Hunter from Omarama in the Mackenzie Country, Stuart Child from Piopio in the King Country, and Ben Miller from Hawke’s Bay.

Long-time trials commentator Ross Buscke said Edginton’s captaincy was well deserved.

“He’s a very confident competitor, very consistent and dedicated to dog trialling. Full marks to him.

“The control Leo has over his dogs is unreal. He’s a dog man and a terrific dog triallist.”

Edginton and Roxy finished runners-up in event 2, the short head and yard, in Taranaki after they won the North Island title with a score of 99 points out of 100.

They scored 93 in the national final run-off.

Their success followed top results for two of the region’s other triallists in events 3 and 4.

Waingake’s Brad McHardy and Trix finished runners-up in the North Island championships with a score of 96.75. With his other dog, May, McHardy was fifth with a 96-point run.

In the New Zealand final, McHardy and May got were runners-up with an aggregate score of 191.50 while McHardy and Trix was fifth with 186.75.

In event 4, the straight hunt, Wairoa’s Ned George and Bounce won the North Island title with 98.5, and George and Fred were seventh with 96.25.

In the New Zealand final run-off, Ned and Bounce won the title with 98 points, and a combined score of 196.5. Ned and Fred were third on 191.25.

It was described as an outstanding overall result for dog trialling in the region.