Dog Trials: Kiwis take win in transtasman comp

Murray Child with his dog Dice, left, which he took to the 2015 Trans Tasman test series, and Frank which he used to win the New Zealand straight huntaway title last year. Photo / Michale Cunningham

The argument as to whether sheepdog trialling is a bona fide sport continues to be an ongoing item of debate for sports pundits the world over.

But try telling Maungakaramea's Murray Child that and he'll tell you to throw a dog a bone.

"It's quite a good sport, although there is some conjecture over whether it is," the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial team captain says.

Herding around a Landcorp block out the back of Aratiatia Station near Taupo last week, Child led a four-strong Kiwi side to victory in a transtasman test series - further elevating the sport's stature and case for legitimacy.

Winning the test on home soil to secure back-to-back victories - after placing first in the same event last year in Australia - New Zealand attained an aggregate score of 762.0, several points clear of Australia who finished with 726.0, to retain the much coveted Wayleggo Cup.

An abbreviation for the "come away and let go" command used by musterers and shepherds in New Zealand, "wayleggo" is used over long distances to call dogs back from the stock they are working.

Winning the toss, Child said New Zealand "opted to go first" and that despite facing frigid conditions "the sheep were very good".

"It rained and was quite cold, blowing in of the lake [Taupo]," he says.

Also a handy cricketer back in his day, Child adds that to avoid any under-arm bowling "mishaps" being strewn down the pitch, the rule book for the transtasman series is combined, and one judge is Kiwi, the other Australian.

"They look for imperfections in the run. It's a 15-minute course, but time was not an issue for us. You have to finish within that time, or you lose a lot [points]."

With each series consisting of two tests, the country with the highest combined aggregate wins the cup.

This year,s New Zealand scored 376.5 in the first round and 385.5 in the second to stay on the path to victory. The competition is conducted over a special course and consists of four obstacles - a gate, a Maltese cross, a ramp and a pen.

Australian rules apply as far as the gate, followed by a New Zealand drive through the Maltese cross and over the ramp, then back into an Australian carry to the pen.

In the New Zealand sections, competitors are allowed to assist their dog more than in the Australian section to further demonstrate their stockmanship skills.

The NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association Trans Tasman Test Series has been running for 30 years, and for fans it remains a calendar highlight.