The Tikokino and Olrig sheep dog trial clubs have come out of recess and amalgamated - and to celebrate they are hosting the first dog trial "in years" for both clubs on February 3 and 4.
President of the newly-created Tikokino-Olrig Sheep Dog Trial Club, Jerry Jeromson, said the two-day NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association-affiliated event would feature the four traditional events - a long head, short head, zig-zag hunt and straight hunt - with prize money on offer in maiden, intermediate and open classes.
"We would probably expect somewhere in the region of 120-plus huntaways and probably 100 heading dogs to compete, with the huntaway events to be run on the same course," Jeromson said.
Businesses had been generous with their sponsorship which had allowed the club to "put up some good prize money", he said.
"And being an NZSDTA-affiliated trial, you can earn qualifying points to enter the NZ Championships or the North Island championships," said Jeromson, adding that a win in one of the open class events would earn handlers five points, just one point shy of the six points they needed to qualify for the national champs.
Along with the sponsors on board, Jeromson said the Hawke's Bay Centre of the NZSTDA had been keen to support the dog trial, which will be held on the Tikokino club's new grounds at Smedley Station.
"There's been a huge amount of support from the Hawke's Bay Centre and their committee to get this [dog trial] going, because it's fairly unusual for clubs to come out of recess once they've gone into it. It doesn't happen very often."
Due to dwindling memberships, Jeromson's own club had been in recess for two years while the Olrig club had been dormant "even longer", he said.
The two clubs have had a long association. Jeromson said in the past, Tikokino would hold open class dog trials while Olrig would host the maiden events.
Before it went into recess, the Tiko club hosted its NZSDTA-affiliated trial next to State Highway 2 on the northern side of Waipawa every summer, but the dry conditions would often create problems for the event.
After the amalgamation, Jeromson said one of his first decisions had been to bring the club back to Tikokino, with the dog trial to be held on the club's new grounds on the Baker's Block side of Smedley Station, which he was the manager of for 11 years.
"We've got some reasonable-looking grounds there and Smedley Station is happy for us to use that property and of course I've got lots of sheep that are able to be used.
"I've got some enthusiasm going and there is a lot of support from very experienced dog realists to come down and set the place up and get the trial running this year. So it should go off fairly well, I would say."
- Entries will be accepted each morning of the competition on February 3 and 4 until 10am. The trial is at 1704 Makarora Rd, Onga Onga.