Hunterville Shepherds’ Shemozzle gearing up for 25-year anniversary

Huntaway dogs racing with their owners in the most important race of the day - the Shepherds' Shemozzle. Photo/ Bevan Conley

Hunterville is getting ready to be taken over by Shemozzle mania as the town celebrates 25 years of its most iconic race for shepherds.

The 25th anniversary of the Hunterville Huntaway Festival is its biggest year yet: all life members are going to be in attendance and there’ll be an anniversary cake, as well as a 40-square metre TV which will be used to live-stream drone footage from the races.

“It’s going to be huge,” organiser Christine Whinn said.

There are 625 competitors across the various races, with 3000-5000 people expected to gather in Hunterville.

People travel from Hamilton and Gisborne to attend, and last year a group of shepherds from the South Island travelled up, Whinn said.

“It’s all over the country - it’s certainly not just for locals.”

Whinn said the junior races sold out in a single day this year, and there were going to be double the number of stalls.

The festival has a jam-packed schedule, beginning with a dog trial showcasing huntaways herding sheep and races by age category before finishing with a speed shearing competition.

The main event of the day, the Shepherds’ Shemozzle, has 125 people and their mainstay huntaways enrolled to race— a mixture of female and male entrants.

It’s very impressive witnessing 125 dogs all tied up on the street ready to race, Whinn said.

“People love it, they’ve never seen anything like it.

Local shepherd Angus McKelvie has won the Shepherds’ Shemozzle five years in a row.

Most dogs are pretty good at following, he said.

“If you’re running along and your dog’s disappeared, you’re in a bit of trouble, and the odd one might get a bit lost.”

Huntaways were very loyal, Whinn said.

“They tend to stick right beside their owners, but when you throw them into a town environment with thousands of people, it can be quite overwhelming.

“We get lots of dogs waiting at the finish line for their owners.”

McKelvie said he wasn’t feeling too good about contesting his title ahead of this year’s race.

“Not very fit for this year, so I’m just going along to participate for a bit of fun.”

In past years, shepherds have eaten raw eggs, whole chilis and raw milk with tuna chunks and squid oil as part of the race.

You would be running the course and breathing very heavily when you suddenly had to try to eat something, McKelvie said.

“Everyone’s a shepherd and no one really cares, it’s just a case of getting it down quick enough, and then you can keep going.”

Whinn said she thought it was amazing how the community had kept the event going for 25 years, and that it was only getting bigger and better.

“It all started off with a couple of local old fellas in the pub having a few too many lemonades [when they] came up with the idea.

“I don’t think there was much health and safety back then, and you were probably lucky if there were 20 or maybe 30 people running in it.”

The Shepherds’ Shemozzle was the only race for a long time until the event became more inclusive for families and children, Whinn said.

“Now, people will come for the whole day.”

The winner of the Shepherds’ Shemozzle gets $1000 in cash, a voucher for a local lodge and additional prizes donated by sponsors.

The Hunterville Huntaway Festival will be held on October 28.

Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.