New winners at Mohaka sheep dog trials

Putorino trialist Kevin O'Connor and Jo in 2015. Still going three years later, Jo scored its third win of the season at Mohakja last week. Photo / File

Three dogs without any previous points in the Hawke's Bay sheep dog trial season claimed wins at the Mohaka trials last week.

The three were long-head winner Sheena Martin's Bribe, zig zag hunt winner Josh Renner's Quake, and straight hunt winner David Scragg's Jill.

The short head and yard provided the third Hawke's Bay win of the season for Kevin O'Connor's Jo, a long head winner at Wairoa a week earlier and at Omakere in early February.

The latest win keeps O'Connor and Jo just in-touch with Te Aute's Bob Bruce in the race for the Merial Top Heading Dog title, although Bruce's 2017 New Zealand long head champion Cheat also scored points and has a lead of 6pts after eight of the 13 club trials.

Cheat, having followed last June's national title with a win first-up in the new season on the home course when the Te Aute trials were brought forward to November, has claimed points from eight of the 16 runs so far.

Northern Hawke's Bay trialist Sam Bishop is making a strong bid for huntaway honours with Cody, based mainly on wins in both hunts at Takapau, where they also won both centre titles in the hunts earlier this month.

They share the lead in the Aerospread Top Huntaway race with Rocky Hawkins' 2017 centre zig zag champion Kane.

The Tikokino trials are today and tomorrow, in Wairarapa SHB centre the Makotuku trials will be held between Dannevirke and Ormondville tomorrow and Saturday, and west of Hawke's Bay the Moawhango trials and Wanganui championships start near Taihape.

Meanwhile, entries have started coming in for the North Island championships at Te Aute starting on May 7. With dogs still in the process of qualifying, the bulk of the entries are not expected until the last few days before the deadline of April 13.

The South Island and New Zealand championships will be held in Marlborough starting on May 28.

Results from the Mohaka sheep dog trials on Saturday-Sunday, March 17-18:

Long head: Sheena Martin, Bribe, 94.5pts, 1; Graham Duff, Jess, 94pts, 2; Henry Hindmarsh, Gin, 93.5pts, 3; Bob Bruce, Susan, 93pts, 4; Becs Baynes, Floss, 92.5pts, 5. Intermediate: Henry Hindmarsh, Gin. Maiden: Hoppy Patterson, Jess.
Short head and yard: Kevin O'Connor, Jo, 94.5pts, 1; John Foss, Dell, 93.5pts, 2; Bob Bruce, Cheat, 93pts, 3; Bob Bruce, Susan, 92pts, 4; Sheena Martin, Troy, 90pts, 5. Intermediate: Sheena Martin, Troy. Maiden: Quentin Broad, Grace.
Zig zag hunt: Josh Renner, Quake, 94pts, 1; Ben Collister, Dread, 92.5pts, 2; Stuart McNeil, Ranger, 92pts, 3; Becs Baynes, Biddy, 91.5pts, 4; Todd Harris, Bear, 91pts, 5. Intermediate and Maiden: Josh Renner, Quake.
Straight hunt: David Scragg, Jill, 95pts, 1; Jamie McCormack, Butch, 94pts, 2; Tom Manson, Spud, 93.5pts, 3; Becs Baynes Biddy, 93.25pts, 4; Jamie McCormack, George, 93pts, 5. Intermediate: David Scragg, Jill. Maiden: Jamie McCormack, Butch.

Top Dogs:

Leaders in the Hawke's Bay Sheep Dog Trial Centre's top dog series after eight of the 13 club trials:
Merial Ancare Top heading dog: Bob Bruce's Cheat, 28pts; Kevin O'Connor's Jo, 22pts; Bob Bruce's Susan, 17pts; Tom Manson's Pip, 11pts.
Aerospread Top Huntaway: Sam Bishop's Cody, 15pts; Rocky Hawkins' Kane, 15pts; Stuart McNeil's Ranger, 10pts; Tom Manson's Buck, 10pts; Fraser Taylor's Waite, 10pts.