A competitor in action this week at the North Island champs.
Nelson-Marlborough dog trialist and national representative Eion Herbert and his well-performed Storm have blocked a North Island cleansweep of island and national sheep dog titles this season by winning the North Island short head and yard title near Gisborne today.
North Island trialists and dogs had scooped all four titles at the South Island championships near Balclutha last month, and won the three other titles decided this week at Pouawa, Whangara, as the championships decided the top seven in each of the four classes for the New Zealand championships runoffs tomorrow.
Storm has been one of the form dogs in New Zealand in recent seasons, helping Herbert to a national long head title in 2014, in a island and nationals career that dates back more than 30 years, and yesterday formed a South Island quinella with Waimate trialist Paul Collins and his titles hope, Tilly.'
It was a big day for the Wairarapa and Southern Hawke's Bay Centre, which won both huntaway titles, with Simon Prouting and Vince, of Weber, claiming the zig zag title, and Vaughan Marfell and Torque, of Masterton, triumphing in the straight hunt.
Central North Island sheep dog trialist Paul Evans, of Ohingaiti, secured the first title decided when he and Bryte won the North Island long head title, despite a late run in a last day shakeup of the top-seven leaderboard, which after four-and-a-half days saw three changes in the last hour.
Evans, who according to the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association website archives had never won a North or South island title nor a national championship, but, also with Bryte, had been sixth in the North Island event last year.
Among those who departed the long head was prolific winning Poverty Bay veteran Merv Utting, who had been on the board since the first day with Prince. He and the dog will however be in the short head and yard runoff after finishing third today.
Fellow prominent trialist Murray Child, from Northland, was among those to benefit with a last throw of the dice - making the top seven after midday with a dog called Dice and eventually claiming second place, a placing he repeated in the straight hunt with Frank.
Results of the North Island Sheep Dog Trial Championships:
Long head: Paul Evans, Bryte, Ohingaiti, 98pts, 1; Murray Child, Dice, Maungakaramea, 97.5pts, 2; Dave Stuart, Gyp, Rangiwahia, 97pts, 3; Graeme Wellington, Murphy, Parapara-Makirikiri, 96.5pts, 4; Roger Tweed, Price, Waitahuna, 96.25pts, 5; Bob Bruce, Cheat, Te Aute, 96pts, 6; Neville Child, Rod, Maungakaramea, 95.75pts, 7.
Short head and yard: Eion Herbert, Storm, Tapawera, 98pts, 1; Paul Coillins, Tilly, Waimate, 97pts, 2; Merv Utting, Prince, Poverty Bay, 96pts, 3; Stuart Miller, Tess, Glenroy, 95.75pts, 4; Rick Aubrey, Toby, Omarama, 95.5pts, 5; Leo Edginton, Skip, Tolaga Bay, 95.25pts, 6; Brent Mathews, Reef, Makotuku, 95pts, 7.
Zig zag hunt: Simon Prouting, Vince, Weber, 98pts, 1; Dave Stuart, Gus, Rangiwahia, 97.75pts, 2; Gerard Brown, Tempo, Dannevirke, 97.5pts, 3; Trevor Rumbal, Thug, Taumarunui, 97.25pts, 4; Chris Baker, Storm, Piopio, 97pts, 5; Leo Edginton, Gavin, Tolaga Bay, 96.75pts, 6; Troy MacDonald, Jude, Putaruru, 96.5pts, 7.
Straight hunt: Vaughan Marfell, Torque, Masterton, 97pts, 1; Murray Child, Maungakaramea, 96.5pts, 2; Colin Bayliss, Guss, Ngatapa, 95.5pts, 3; Brad Bielski, Maximus, Eltham-Tukau, 95.25pts, 4; Graeme Dickson, Bell, Egmont, 95pts, 5; Graeme Dickson, Maude, Egmont, 94.5pts, 6; Brian Sparrow, Bones, Greenvale, 93.5pts.