Barney Strong won the New Zealand Yarding Challenge title. Photo / Jan Tairua
New faces rubbed shoulders with old heads in the heat of competition at the Tux yarding and handy dog events in South Canterbury.
Marlborough’s Tahi Doonan will ease up on the competitive whistle calls for his huntaway Nui after winning a national final.
The team pulled one out of the box at the Tux New Zealand Handy Dog Challenge at Springbank Farm to lead the field on 89 points.
This stretched them past runner-up Andy Clark and dog Max on 87 points and Lloyd Smith and Charlie on 83.
At 11 years old, Nui is heading for semi-retirement after his latest success.
Age again proved no barrier for Waikato’s 85-year-old Barney Strong who won the national final of the New Zealand Yarding Challenge with Gyp in the day’s last run.
Their 98.75 points edged them ahead of Bob Bruce, who was runner-up on 98 points with Susan and third place was Smith on 95 points with Guide.
On the flip side, young triallist Mark Mckenzie, of West Otago’s Heriot, won the maiden finals with Grace, and Tess in the yarding challenge in the national and South Island events.
He qualified for the event after completing the double earlier at the West Otago A&P Show.
The 29-year-old is relatively new to dog trials, switching from an engineering career four years ago to farming, and is now a stock manager at a large finishing farm in Heriot.
Mckenzie said he had grown up around working dogs and had probably got a “wee bit of a push” from his father.
Admitting to nerves before each run, he praised both dogs for their calmness under pressure.
Rather than devoting time to training, he incorporated it into his daily work.
“You’ve got to get the job done before you go out and have fun on the hill,” he said.
He comes from a family tradition of competing in dog trials with his father Robin, a national handy dog winner, while his grandfather Garth was also a strong competitor.
The three-day trial had 200 heading dogs and 68 handy dogs entered with judging in the handy dog event by Geraldine’s Mark Mallinson, while Robin Mckenzie judged the yarding competition.
Seasoned open competitors and maiden whistlers included Neil Evans, Jan Tairua, Trevor Wilson, Peter Williams and Bob Bruce.
A strong North Island contingent proved competitive.
Robin Mckenzie said he was proud of his son’s achievements as he had picked up dog trialling quickly.
“He has a good way with dogs and when it comes to the dog trials he has a very good calm manner with dogs and stock too.”
He said the level of competition had been high and a pleasure to judge.
“I’ve been dog-trialling all my life and my father too.
“It’s a natural link with farming, but it’s an enjoyable sport and you meet a lot of good people and have a lot of laughs.”
In the Winchester heat of the handy dog challenge, Kate White was first on 90.5 points with Rain, Brian Wilson second on 90 points with Ned and Alister Paul third on 81.5 points with Rex.
Rosina Dobbe took the maiden category on 72 points with Lofty.
In the South Island yarding final Smith was first on 98.5 points with Guide, second was Graeme Cole on 98.25 points with Kevin and third Eion Herbert on 97.5 points with Ben.
The event was hosted by farmers Chris and Ali Calder.
Kevin and Sharyn Ashworth provided the merino-cross lambs that proved good to work with, but unforgiving of wrong moves.
Chris Calder managed to find time to compete, finishing fourth in the South Island yarding challenge with dog Bruce.
The Mckenzie father and son duo will try to qualify for the national hill trials to be held on home ground in May, hosted by the Warepa Collie Club.