It was the last run that won the day for Hawke's Bay sheep dog trialist Bob Bruce as he won his first New Zealand championships green tie on the last day of the big event north of Gisborne today.
Bruce, whose previous best at the New Zealand or North andSouth islands levels had been two second placings at the New Zealand championships, on his home Te Aute course in 2009 and in Geraldine in 2014 South Island, and a North Island title at Ohaeawai in Northland three years ago, today claimed the national long head title with champion Hawke's Bay heading dog Cheat.
They'd gone in as underdogs in just sixth place of the top seven qualifying from the North Island championships during the week, but with 98pts had clearly the best run when it really mattered and leap-frogged the favourites to win by 1.5pts from runner-up Graeme Wellington and dog Murphy, of Whanganui club Parapara-Makirikiri.
Third was four-times New Zealand championships winner Murray Child and Dice, from Northland, while North Island title winner Paul Evans and Bryte, of Ohingaiti, had to settle for fourth in his bid to claim both titles.
Starting at 8am, the long head runoff was the first New Zealand title decider of the day, the three others to be decided by mid-afternoon..
