The Whanganui centre has made a serious bid to take the huntaway dog trial capital of the world mantle off Hunterville.
Hunterville, of course, is at the heart of the Greater Whanganui Region and has long been regarded as the huntaway capital of New Zealand and indeed the world. It is home of the Shemozzle, a rural extravaganza that includes the epic struggle between man and dog versus hill country sheep known as dog trialling.
With the 2018 season coming to an end during May with the North Island championship in TeAute Hawke's Bay, and the South Island and NZ dog trial finals in Blenheim Marlborough, the reputation of the Whanganui huntaway and their masters is growing.
Any dog running in the national finals must first qualify during the club season, run from early February to May, five points are needed to enter an island championship while six points are required for the national championship. And many good dogs fail to qualify such is the quality of so many canines these days.
So here is a remarkable story of a young farm manager from the hills of Mangamahu in the Whanganui hinterland.