“She’s very good. She stays pretty close and can do all the things she needs to do - she’s pretty reliable.”
McKelvie put Red through training when she was younger to build up her Shemozzle skills, such as going in a wheelbarrow, barking on cue, walking on a rail and being dragged along on top of a sack.
A lucky break with the weather for the 25th anniversary meant the streets were packed in Hunterville with a stand-out attendance.
As part of tradition, competitors in the races were also forced to stomach an unappetising snack.
Those taking part in the junior and intermediate races had to eat raw Brussels sprouts that had been in the freezer for a month, competitors in the teams’ race had to down a raw egg, and the shepherds had to eat a boiled sheep’s tongue that had been cooked in green food colouring.
Whinn said the shepherds’ reports were that the tongue was “very chewy”, but some felt it looked like a sausage and just ate it.
McKelvie said he made up a bit of time on the sheep’s tongue and it was “quite good”.
Despite it being a momentous win, McKelvie did not get too carried away celebrating his victory due to being “pretty knackered”.
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
