Tommy Hodgetts and Eve pen at the Omatane-Kawhatau trials at the weekend.
The Omatane-Kawhatau club held its annual sheep dog trial at the weekend in warm conditions.
Entries were up on 2016 and the Young Guns series kicked off with a good number of young people participating in the first trial on the circuit.
Mitch Matthews and Stump placed fifth in the open zig-zag hunt giving them a good start.
Meanwhile, Libby Masefield, from Hunterville, is sitting pretty after accumulating 187.55 points with her huntaway Monkey, and she also took out the maiden/man/dog in the longhead and straight hunt.
It was neat to see 14-year-old schoolgirl Phoebe Smailles and Sage step out in this competition. Phoebe was not so lucky in the zig-zag but made up for it in the straight with a creditable 94.
Results:
Class 1: 1, M Nolen & Ace 94.5; 2, P Green & Di 94; 3, D White & Jazz 93; 4, G Drake & Clyde; 5, B Parkinson & Ash 92.75.
Intermediate: M Nolen & Ace 94.5. Open/maiden: B Parkinson & Ash 92.75.
Class 2: 1, J Harvey & Bob 94.5; 2, G Wellington & Murphy 94; 3, N Sinton & Sticky; 4, G Wellington & Rachel 92; 5, N Clark & Jan 91.5.
Intermediate: N Sinton & Sticky 93.5. Open/maiden: N Sinton & Sticky 93.5.
Class 3: 1, B Parkinson & Fake 98; 2, C Johns & Dunn 97.5; 3, M Lourie & Bella 97; 4, S Roberts & Busy 96.5; 5, M Matthews & Stump 96.2.
Intermediate: S Roberts & Busy 96.5. Open/maiden: M Matthews & Stump 96.2.
Class 4: 1, S Phillips & Jade 96.5; 2, M Anderson & Walter 96.25; 3, M Totman & Zac 96; 4, S Roberts & Busy 95.75; 5, M Lourie & Bella 95.25.
Intermediate: M Anderson & Walter 96.25. Open/maiden: L Patterson & Range 95.
The Wanganui Centre hill trials kicked off last week with record entries at the Feilding & Districts hill trial where the Hume Wanganui Centre Championships were also held.
Club secretary Des Bell said they put through 514 runs on the four courses, the most he can recall in his time with the club.
Ralph Holdaway, sales centre manager for major sponsor Humes Concrete of Palmerston North, said the company had sponsored many rural events but never been involved with sheep dog trials before. It is an association the Wanganui Centre hopes will continue.
Keegan Fox, the 2016 Young Gun, and Cloud made both hunt runoffs as did top huntaway from last year, Stef Tweed's Grit - Stef probably being the first woman to win a Wanganui Centre hunt title.
Local maiden club member Grayson Cooper won the maiden, intermediate and placed third in the open as well as the centre zig-zag hunt.
Young shepherd Tyler Ashworth, who works for John Batley at Taihape, placed in the open zig-zag hunt and the centre run-off with Flow.
Results:
Class 1: 1, G White & Josie 96; 2, G Wellington & Murphy 94.5; 3, G Wellington & Rachel 94; 4, S Tweed & Peter 93.5; 5, D Shields & Rose 93.25.
Intermediate: S Tweed & Peter 93.5. Open/Maiden: D Shields & Rose 93.25. Maiden man/dog: B Malcolm & Blaze 85.
Class 2: 1, N Sinton & Mouse 95.5; 2, W Clare & Trac 95; 3, P Evans & Bryte 91; 4, G Wellington & Seamus 89.5; 5, P Evans & Ritchie 89.25.
Intermediate: W Clare & Trac 95. Open/maiden: L Gratten & Crew 84.5. Maiden/man/dog: L Giesen & Troy 44
Class 3: 1, D Atkinson & Lead 98.5; 2, G Dickson; 3, G Cooper & Dee 97.75; 4, A Irwin & Buster 97.5; 5, T Ashworth & Flow 97.25.
Intermediate: G Cooper & Dee 97.75. Open/maiden: G Cooper & Dee 97.75. Maiden/man/dog: G Cooper & Dee 97.75.
Class 4: 1, T Lamont & Bruce 97.5; 2, D Shields & Rock 97.25; 3, B Jensen & Forste 97; 4, S Tweed & Grit 96.75; 5, J McAlley & Rowdy 96.5.
Intermediate: D Shields & Rock 97.25. Open/maiden: D Shields & Rock 97.25. Maiden/man/dog: L Masefield & Monkey 94.
Centre Aggregates:
Class 1: G Wellington & Murphy 190; G White & Josie 189.5: G Drake & Clyde 189; G Wellington & Rachel 187; S Tweed & Peter 177.5.
Class 2: P Evans & Ritchie 182.25; P Evans & Bryte 168.5; W Clare & Trac 158; G Wellington & Seamus 153; M Williams & Brim 145.
Class 3: S Tweed & Grit 192.75; K Fox & Cloud 190; T Ashworth & Flow 189.25; G Cooper & Dee 185.75; D Atkinson & Lead 185.5.
Class 4: J McAlley & Rowdy 192; J Brennan & Hung 190.75; K Fox & Cloud 190; D Atkinson Lead 188.25; S Tweed & Grit 176.75.
The next trial in the Wanganui Centre is at Paparangi on February 16 and 17.