Tux North Island Sheep Dog Championships off to a good start

Neville Hore and Speck, from Danseys Pass, close off their run near the end of day one at the North Island Sheep Dog championships. Photo / Warren Buckland

Neville Hore had come a long way so the wait was just part of the trip for the South Island farmer and sheep dog trialist after being one of the last to complete a run on the opening day of the Tux North Island Sheep Dog Championships in Central Hawke's Bay yesterday.

Hore's long head with Speck, one of the two dogs the double national champion brought from Danseys Pass, in the Kakanui mountains between central and north Otago, met with common approval from those braving the late-afternoon chill on a fine day.

The championships, on Brownrigg Agriculture's Barker Block, are hosted by the Te Aute club and the Hawke's Bay centre and have attracted about 500 dogs.

But Hore's was one of five runs after the 4pm leaderboard call and he will have to wait for the next call at noon today to find out if he has a place in the top seven and a chance to make the title runoff at the end of the championships.

Despite the distance, 66-year-old Hore is not unfamiliar with the Te Aute course.

He was judge at the North Island championships there 32 years ago, and in one of many visits to compete in the North Island was seventh in a New Zealand championships long head runoff in 1993 with Tom, a year after winning the title much closer to home, near Wanaka.

The day ended with 70 runs completed on each hunt course by 4pm, and 50 on the heading courses soon afterward.

Another left to wait after a late-afternoon run was Poverty Bay dog-trialing legend Merv Utting, who has won six national titles and 11 at North or South island championships.

Hawke's Bay centre president Clark Chrystal reckoned the change in the leaderboards from lunchtime to late afternoon indicated the sheep were running better in the afternoon, but zig-zag judge Tony Fairweather, who farms near Dannevirke, said it was a "cruisey" day all-round.

Chrystal came out of it as one of six host-centre trialists on the leaderboards, which included five from the South Island.

The 4pm leaderboard call on day one of the 2018 Tux North Island Sheep Dog Championships at Te Aute:

Long head: Bob Bryson (Ngatapa, Poverty Bay), Rex; Corey Caseley (Masterton, Wairarapa SHB), Chief; Mark Copeland (Methven, Canterbury), Zoe; Paul Martin (Mangaehu-Stratford, Taranaki), Di; Barry Hobbs (Oamaru, North Otago), Jane; Paul Evans (Ohingaiti, Wanganui), Bryte; Alistair Dickson (Cheviot, Canterbury), Jack.

Short head and yard: Stuart Millar (Glenroy, Canterbury), Tess; Rob Mather (Mangamahu, Wanganui), Tosh; Tim Hunter (Pahiatua-Makuri, Wairarapa SHB), Doll; Barney Strong (Rangitaiki, Waikato), Queen; Roger Tweed (Waitahuna, Otago), Prince; Graham Duff (Te Aute, Hawke's Bay), Jess; Noddy Halley (Waingake, Poverty Bay), Spike.

Zig-zag hunt: Colin Bayliss (Ngatapa, Poverty Bay), Pearl; Sam Bishop (Wairoa, Hawke's Bay), Cody; Allen Irwin (Whatatutu, Poverty Bay), Chase; David Scragg (Wairoa, Hawke's Bay), Jill; Leo Edginton (Tolaga Bay, Poverty Bay), Gavin; Stuart McNeill (Te Pohue, Hawke's Bay), Stock; Anthony Hughes (Whatatutu, Poverty Bay), Chop.

Straight hunt: Glenn Tomlinson (Waihemo, North Otago), Tempt; Roger Tweed (Waitahuna, Otago), Bolt; Tim Stevenson (Dannevirke, Wairarapa SHB), Cope; Alex Mathews (Wanganui), Rex; Mark Murphy (Waimarama-Maraetotara, Hawke's Bay) Ben; David Wright (Taradale, Hawke's Bay), Ruff; Clark Chrystal (Waikoau, Hawke's Bay), Trix.