There will be a lot on the line when this year's Northland Sheep Dog Trial Centre championship gets under way this weekend.
Many competitors are seeking to qualify for the nationals which are being run in the Far North later this year and where the laws of local knowledge and home advantage could reap dividends.
Sitting firmly in the ranks of those holding good odds of qualifying is veteran campaigner Ken Whittaker. The Okaihau farmer has enjoyed plenty of success at domestic, regional and national levels, having featured an estimated 20 times in the final run-off at the nationals and/or the respective North or South Island championships.
The holder of the New Zealand long head title which he won with the late, great Doc in Masterton in 2011, Whittaker is among a group of dedicated local shepherds who are planning on covering plenty of ground in the next few weeks to boost the odds of qualifying.
To make the nationals a dog needs six points from a system which gives five points for a win and one point for fifth place; thus a first place finish in the short head and yard, backed up by a fifth in the long head event at any centre event — here or elsewhere — wins the canine a berth at the New Zealand championships.