The Taranaki Sheep Dog Trial Centre hosted the North Island and New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Championships at the Eltham-Takau club grounds inland from the small township of Eltham in South Taranaki last week. It was a massive five days of competition with over 250 heading dogs and 270 huntaways competing for the NZ titles.
The Wanganui Centre was well represented, particularly in the huntaway events, with five centre dogs making the finals.
Two young ladies added some real sparkle to the huntaway events with Whangamonona’s Rachel Law and her well-seasoned huntaway ‘Miss’ winning the North Island zig-zag hunt and placing third in the NZ title runoff. Rachel has made a real name for herself over the last eight or so years. Rachel works at Paparata Station on the forgotten Highway eastern Taranaki. Earlier in May at the South Island Champs Rachel was 7th in the Shorthead with ‘Shrimp’.
A 22-year-old, Lana Chrystal, from the Moawhango club, with her five-year-old dog ‘Belle’(the first dog she has broken in) won their first open in the 2023 season, this being her third season of dog trialling, the pair got on the leader board on the first day of competition and stayed there to end up 2nd in the North Island Straight Hunt. Lana started shepherding at Wairoa and has worked at the Kelly Land Co on the Taihape/Napier Road for over two years, she grew up around sheepdogs.
