Wally isn’t so wayward now, winning two sheepdog titles for Central Hawke’s Bay farmer

A sheepdog named Wally for his wayward tendencies in puppy days — as in Where’s Wally? — has won an Ongaonga farmer from Scotland two of the four titles at the Hawke’s Bay sheepdog trials championships.

The long head and short head and yard titles on Sunday at Kahuranaki Station, east of Hastings, were the first Hawke’s Bay centre titles for Jim Wilson in about seven years of trying, although he had won titles in the King Country and Whanganui centres.

A 6-year-old who occasionally still feels the effects of leg joint injuries that resulted in veterinary surgery a few years ago, Wilson’s Wally showed no sign of any of the issues of the past as he worked through the tasks of two championship runs on the same day.

Jim Wilson (left) and the still slightly-wayward Wally after winning the long head title on Sunday. Others (from left) are Mark Murphy and Ernie, Bob Bruce and Ruby, Tom Manson and Trim, and Ned George and Muzz. Photo / Supplied.

Wilson, born in the Scottish Borders and who emigrated to New Zealand 30 years ago with his wife after she secured a job as a vet, recalled first seeing his new kennel star as a pup

When the other puppies appeared, one was nowhere to be seen, thus the nickname “Where’s Wally.”

“We dropped Where’s, just called him Wally, and it stuck,” he says.

Meanwhile, the huntaway titles on Sunday each went to well-recognised partnerships in a switch of northern triallist honours for Wairoa trialist Ned George winning the zig zag hunt with Krunch, and Tom Manson, of Raupunga, winning the straight hunt with Buck.

It was the other way around when the 2024 championships were hosted by the Wairoa Collie Club a couple of months before Tukemokihi Station shepherd George took eight dogs to the North Island national championships in Taranaki and won a straight hunt double with Bounce.

It was the third season in a row for Manson and Buck, who had also won the 2023 centre zig zag at Petane in December 2022.

It was a busy Sunday for both George and Manson, each qualifying for three of the runoffs, Manson and Trim finishing third in the long head and second in the short head and yard, and George running Fred into third in the zig-zag and fourth in the straight hunt.

It gets busier, with the Omakere and Waikoau trials running back-to-back this week.

Results from the Waimarama sheep dog trials and 2025 Hawke’s Bay Centre Championships at Kahuranaki on January 31-February 2:

Long head: Jim Wilson, Wally (91.5, 96) 187.5pts, 1; Bob Bruce, Ruby (88, 96.25) 184.25pts, 2; Tom Manson, Trim (89, 95) 184pts, 3; Ned George, Muzz (87, 95.75) 182.75pts, 4; Mark Murphy, Ernie (86.5, 95.5) 182pts, 5.

Short head and yard: Jim Wilson, Wally (86.5, 96.75) 193.25pts, 1; Tom Manson, Trim (97, 95.25) 192.25pts, 2; Bob Bruce, Ruby (95.1, 97) 192.1pts, 3; John Foss, Gem (95.6, 89) 184.6pts, 4; Lindsay Schmidt, Jed (95.5, 53.5) 149pts, 5.

Zig zag hunt: Ned George, Krunch (96.75, 95.5) 192.25pts, 1; Dave Scragg, Jane (97, 92.5) 189.5pts, 2; Med George, Fred (96, 91) 187pts, 3; Bex Scragg, Tom (95.5, 83) 178.5pts, 4; Dan Jury, Cube (96.5, 72) 168.5pts, 5.

Straight hunt: Tom Manson, Buck (96.25, 98) 194.25pts, 1; Bennett Manson, Base (97, 96) 193pts, 2; Dave Scragg, Jake (97.75, 94) 191.75pts, 3; Ned George, Fred (97.25, 93) 190.25pts, 4.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.