Murray Child's' champion bitch Dice shows a stroppy sheep she has fangs as sharp as her eyes.
Murray Child's' champion bitch Dice shows a stroppy sheep she has fangs as sharp as her eyes.
Murray Child was the most successful competitor at the Northland Sheep Dog Trial Centre championships, gaining two wins, one second placing, three thirds and a fourth with the four dogs he had at Omamari on Saturday.
Child, from Maungakaramea, won the short head and yard, scoring 183.5 points with his ageing eye dog Dice and continuing their winning run in this event over the previous two days of club qualifying trials. He also took third place with Boy.
Murray Child hollers and picks up his pace controlling the four dogs who brought him a swag of top placings.
The runner-up was Mike Moody, from the Bay of Islands, and Spot with 179 points. Steve Osbourne, from Avoca, and Pip were fourth and Shaun Haynes, from Bay of Islands, was fifth with Sue.
It was a different story in the long head which Moody and Spot won with 195.5 points, continuing their club qualifying trials dominance in this event over Child, who came second in the championships run with Dice on 194.75 points and third with Boy on 191.75. Colin Jay, of Taipa, was fourth with Tracey and Barney Robinson, of Taipa, was fifth with Dan.
Child scored his second win in the straight hunt, gaining 191 points with Frank despite the pair making only a fifth placing in the club qualifying trials which were led by Craig Pearson, from the Waikato, and his dogs Ben and Wilma but were unplaced on Saturday.
Roger Davis was runner-up in the championship run with Guy on 178 points, Child picked up a third placing with Ralph, Roger Jordan, of Pouto, and Tone were fourth and Tony Comins, of Taipuha, and Tote were fifth.
Grant West, of Omana, won the zig-zag hunt with Swagga, scoring 188.5 points and continuing their club qualifying trials leadership in this event. Scott McRae, from Wellsford, and Toby were second with 182.5 points, Jordan and Tone third with 171.75, Child and Ralph fourth and Brett Wilson, of Warkworth, fifth with Cruise.
Judges were Art Eastham (long head), Stu Henson (short head and yard) and David Sheild (zig-zag and straight hunt). All were from the Wairarapa and Southern Hawke's Bay Centre.
Murray Child hollers and picks up his pace controlling the four dogs who brought him a swag of top placings.
RESULTS (club qualifying trials' points followed by championship run points and their total):
Long head: Mike Moody and Spot, 97.5, 98, 195.5, 1; Murray Child and Dice, 97, 97.5, 194.75, 2; Child and Boy, 96.25, 95.5, 191.75, 3; Colin Jay and Tracey, 96, 91.25, 187.25, 4; Barney Robinson and Dan, 96.5, 59, 155.5, 5.
Short head and yard: Murray Child and Dice, 92.5, 91, 183.5, 1; Mike Moody and Spot, 91, 88, 179, 2; Child and Boy, 90.5, 86.5, 177, 3; Steve Osbourne and Pip, 90.75, 4; Shaun Haynes and Sue, 92.25, 61, 153.25, 5.
Zig-zag hunt: Grant West and Swagga, 96.5, 92, 188.5, 1; Scott McRae and Toby, 91.5, 91, 182.5, 2; Roger Jordan and Tone, 92.75, 79, 171,75, 3; Murray Child and Ralph, 93, 10, 103, 4; Brett Wilson and Cruise, 92.5, 10, 102.5, 5.
Straight hunt: Murray Child and Frank, 96, 95, 191, 1; Roger Davis and Guy, 92, 86, 178, 2; Child and Ralph, 94, 83, 177, 3; Roger Jordan and Tone, 96.5, 74, 170.5, 4; Tony Comins and Tote, 93, 58, 151, 5.
