TWO national champions served notice of being major threats at the Hawke's Bay Centre sheep dog trial championships starting tomorrow when they shared the straight hunts at two trials last weekend.
Three-times national champion Stu McNeil, of Te Pohue, looked to have another big hope in the making when he and intermediate dog Trump won at Waikoau on Saturday, and then finished second and fourth with Sue and Trump in a zig zag at Okawa won by Patoka triallist James Turner and Ned.
Okawa club president Mark Loye then took the spoils at his home event which finished on Sunday, with a near perfect 99-point run with Troop, living up to their all-conquering form of last year when they won a centre title at Kahuranaki and a national title at Orakei Korako, and were the centre's champion huntaway pairing based on points throughout the season.
Waikoau also provided a third win in four runs on the hunting courses for Maungateretere handler Grant Magee and Cribb, a zig zag win following a zig zag and straight hunt double in the opening trials at Kahuranaki a week earlier.
The wins were overshadowed, however, by that of 91-year-old centre patron and 1960 national champion Keith Satchwell and 11-year-old Sue in the short head and yard at Waikoau, where King Country visitor Nigel Sinton won the Waikoau long head with intermediate dog Mouse.
