New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Championships final results

Eion Herbert, a Tapawera club member from Wakefield, south of Nelson, claimed his double in the short head and yard with 2014 national long head champion dog Storm. Photo/Gisborne Herald

South Island savior Eion Herbert and Wairarapa farmer Vaughan Marfell and their dogs were the stars of the 2017 North Island and New Zealand sheep dog trial championships which ended today at the Whangara club's Pouawa course north of Gisborne.

Each completed a double, adding a New Zealand title each today to the North Island championships they had won the previous day.

The national titles were decided on points for the top seven in each class in the North Island Championships combined with their points in today's the New Zealand title runoffs.

Herbert, a Tapawera club member from Wakefield, south of Nelson, and the only South Island to claim any of the titles in the annual round of North and South islands and national championships, claimed his double in the short head and yard with 2014 national long head champion dog Storm.

As well as claiming the North Island title they claimed the top points in the runoff and finished almost 5pts clear of runner-up and veteran host Poverty Bay centre hope Merv Utting.

It was a much longer spell between drinks for Marfell who won the straight hunt double with Torque, 21 years after Marfell's only previous New Zealand championships title, with Steel at Omarama in 1996. Producing another sound final run, Marfell staved off the twin-headed challenge of Taranaki trialist Graeme Dickson, who was second with Maude and third with Bell.

Hawke's Bay Bob Bruce and Cheat claimed the first title decided on the last of the six days of trials, which involved over 280 competitors and about 500 dogs, when he and Cheat leapfrogged the long head field from sixth in the North Island championships to win Bruce a coveted championships-winning green tie for the first time. North Island winner Paul Evans, of Ohingaiti, with Bryte, had to settle for 4th in his search for the ultinate triumph.

Rangiwahia trialist Dave Stuart and Gus completed a double of New Zealand Championship zig zag hunt titles in the North Island by repeating a triumph they had at Moawhango, near Taihape, two years ago. North Island title winner Simon Prouting, of Weber, with his dog Vince, finished fifth after the national title runoff.

Northland trialist Murray Child's and Dice were the only 2016 New Zealand title winners to reach today's runoffs, finishing third to Bruce in defence of the long head title they won at Omarama 12 months ago.

The wins by Bruce and Herbert were a boost ahead of next year's championships, with Bruce's Hawke's Bay centre hosting the North Island championhips and Herbert's Marlborough Nelson centre hosting the South Island and New Zealand championships.

Results from the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Championships runoffs at Pouawa, Whangara, on Saturday, June 2, 2017:

Long head: Bob Bruce, Cheat, Te Aute, (96, 98) 194pts, 1; Graeme Wellington, Murphy, Parapara-Makirkiri, (96.5, 96pts) 192.5pts, 2; Murray Child, Dice, Maungakaramea (97.5, 94) 191.5pts, 3; Paul Evans, Bryte, Ohingaiti, (98, 92) 190pts, 4; Roger Tweed, Price, Waitahuna, (96.25, 91.25) 187.5pts, 5; Neville Child, Rod, Maungakaramea, (95,75, 91.5) 187.25pts, 6; Dave Stuart, Gyp, Rangiwahia, (97, 88) 185pts, 7.

Short head and yard: Eion Herbert, Tapawera, Storm, (98, 96.25) 194.25pts, 1; Merv Utting, Prince, Poverty Bay, (96, 93.5) 189.5pts, 2; Paul Collins, Tilly, Waimate, (97, 92.25) 189.25pts, 3; Stuart Millar, Tess, Glenroy, (95.75, 92.75) 188.5pts, 4; Brent Mathews, Reef, Makotuku, (95, 93.25) 188.25pts, 5; Leo Edginton, Skip, Tolaga Bay, (95.25, 90.75) 186pts, 6; Rick Aubrey, Toby, Omarama, (95.5, 19.5) 115pts, 7.

Zig zag hunt: Dave Stuart, Gus, Rangiwahia, (97.75,97.5) 195.25pts, 1; Trevor Rumbal, Thug, Taumarunui, (97.25, 96.5) 193.75pts, 2; Gerard Brown, Tempo, Dannevirke, (97.5, 95.75) 193.25pts, 3; Chris Baker, Storm, Piopio, (97, 96) 193pts, 4; Simon Prouting, Vince, Weber, (98, 94) 192pts, 5; Leo Edginton, Gavin, Tolaga Bay, (96.75, 93.5) 190.25pts, 6; Troy MacDonald, Jude, Putaruru, (96.5, 90.5) 187pts, 7.

Straight hunt: Vaughan Marfell, Torque, Masterton, (97,97) 194pts, 1; Graeme Dickson, Maude, Egmont, (94.5, 97.5) 192pts, 2; Graeme Dickson, Bell, Egmont, (95, 94.5) 189.5pts, 3; Brad Bielski, Maximus, Eltham-Tukau, (95.25, 90.5), 185.75pts, 4; Brian Sparrow,Bones, Greenvale, (93.5, 90), 183.5pts, 5; Colin Bayliss, Gus, Ngatapa, (95.5, 86), 181.5pts, 6; Murray Child, Frank, Maungakaramea, (96.5, 83) 179.5pts, 7