North Island sheep dog trials: East Otago’s Liam Park humble about win

East Otago’s Liam Park and his huntaway Ollie in action at the North Island Championship sheep dog trials. Photo / The Shepherd

Alice Scott from Southern Rural Life catches up with Liam Park after he won the recent North Island Championship sheep dog trials.

East Otago’s Liam Park may have won event four at the North Island Championship sheep dog trials recently with his huntaway Ollie, but the humble 26-year-old had his head down back at work last week and was not too enthusiastic about doing a media interview.

When Southern Rural Life did eventually catch up with Liam, he was still very coy about the win.

“I am super stoked about the achievement, I never thought I would get here, to be honest. Hopefully, I can keep it going with some of my younger dogs,” he said.

Working in the King Country as a stock manager, Park is a member of the Tokirima Collie Club and credits the steep North Island hill country for the strong hold North Island trialists seem to have in the huntaway events.

“There’s just always hill work to do up here,” he said.

Liam Park, originally from East Otago, won event four with his huntaway Ollie at the North Island Championship Sheepdog Trials recently. Photo / The Shepherd

Seeing his name on the leaders’ board throughout the week was “awesome but nerve-racking at the same time”, he said.

“It’s hard to know if you’re going to stay there or not. There’s so many good stockmen and women out there that can bump you off just as quickly.

“To be there is a privilege and I don’t take it for granted”, he said.

He had put a lot of hours into training his dogs “but so does every other person beside you. There is always someone better.”

Not originally from a farm, Park credited his strong farming foundations to his first employers Sarah and Dave Smith, of Mt Watkins Farm in Waikouaiti.

“I have got this far thanks to an awesome start I got at Mt Watkins.

‘’They gave me so much opportunity and I will never forget it,” he said.