Taranaki to host North Island and New Zealand sheep dog championships

Dan and Steve Murphy with their team of farm dogs, including Nippy and Edge. Photo / Charmaine Murphy

Hundreds of sheepdogs and their handlers will descend on Taranaki for a national event.

The Taranaki Sheep Dog Centre will host the North Island and New Zealand Sheep Dog Trail Championships from May 27 at Mangamingi.

Hundreds of dogs and their handlers across 128 sheepdog trial clubs will compete.

The event will have 1002 runs across four championship categories.

The top seven dogs in each North Island championship event will move on to contest the New Zealand championships, competing in the second run at the end of the week.

The championship courses, which suffered significant storm damage in December 2022, were rebuilt over the past year with funding from the Rural Support Trust.

Joe Smith ,13, and his dog Gem, alongside Gus Waite, 18, and dog Buzz, will compete in the North Island sheep dog championships. Photo / Caro Stokoe

The championship courses will be held on the Bielski and Menzie farms and require a combination of 4000 sheep for the competition. The sheep will be supplied from the Menzie, Bielski and Duffy farms.

Each event will have a different judge, with Scott Hunter from North Otago judging the long head category, Northland’s Mike Moody judging the short head and yards category, Rick Orr from Canterbury judging the zig-zag huntaway category and Hawke’s Bay’s Clark Chrystal judging the straight huntaway cateogry.

Of the hundreds of competitors, 20 of them are from Taranaki. There are 34 Taranaki dogs that have qualified for the championship. The Taranaki trialists include Joe Smith, 13, with his dog Gem, and Gus Waite, 18, with Buzz.

Brothers Dan and Steve Murphy from the Whangamomona Club were also selected. Current longest-serving dog trialist Bernie Gower and patron Lloyd Duffy will also compete.

Taranaki handlers and their dogs: Mark Duffy, Tomb; Phoebe Smailes, Buttercup; Jonathon Smailes, Havoc and Teito; Brad Bielski, Joop; Lloyd Bishop, Cobba, Ridge and Tia; Paul Martin, Clout and Tough; Tony Price, Awa; Aren Roche, Nelly, Doug and Elsa; Rachel Law, Boy, Miss and Shrimp; Ken Lobb, Lizzy and Pearl; James McFarlane, Pearl and Wock; Lloyd Duffy, Nev, Fly and Rogue; Tony Pilcher, Sika; Joe Smith, Gem; Gus Waite, Buzz; Bernie Gower, Phillip and Jack; Bryce Jensen, Cub; Dan Murphy, Nippy; Steve Murphy, Edge.