The nomadic end-of-week lifestyle of the dog trialist was highlighted in a busy few days of trials, including the Okawa trials west of Hastings last Friday and Saturday.
Hawke's Bay centre president Clark Chrystal was among those on the roam, headed for a judging stint at King Country club Kaitieke, where he claimed the zig zag title with Nell, which, after a fifth at Moawhango on the Napier-Taihape road along the way, became his fifth dog qualified for the New Zealand championships at Whangara, near Gisborne, in association with the North Island championships starting on May 29.
He also has Trix and Flynn qualified in the hunts, and Dick and Boyd as his heading dogs, confirming this week they're also all headed for the South Island championships at Warepa, near Balclutha, south of Dunedin, starting on May 1.
A consequence of his commitments across country was that he missed his home-centre Okawa club trials, on Friday and Saturday, when there was another example of the travel bug in Poverty Bay centre trialist Noddy Halley, who won the short head and yard with Spike, and was third in the long head with Lad. He was also runner-up in his home centre's Whangara trials' straight hunt.
Other highlights at Okawa were Frasertown farmer Becky Baynes' first Open win, with Biddy in the zig zag hunt, and the triumph of yet another from the Te Pohue kennels of Stu McNeill, maiden Stock going straight to the top in winning the straight hunt.