UNITED KINGDOM-SHEEPDOG CHALLENGE.
The annual sheepdog challenge, between the Dumfries and Kirkcudbright, Wigtownshire and North Westmorland nursery leagues took place at Meikleholm, Parkgate, Dumfries, on February 21, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs G Mair.
Ten dogs from each league competed for the Border Cup which is awarded to the highest placed individual competitor and the team shield for the team which gains the most points overall.
The course was set on a very large flat field, with an almost 300-metre outrun and long cross drive section, a pen and finally a split.
The sheep for the trial were big, fit blackfaced hoggs, which needed to be handled with care, as, if the dogs put too much pressure on them, they were inclined to take off at speed.
The most difficult part of the course was the pen. Many of the competitors were unable to complete this task and were consequently timed up.
The judge for the day was Peter Hetherington from Ayrshire.
Richard Harrison with Mac, who were part of the North Westmorland team, were the victors.
Richard sent Mac to the right on his outrun, which was completed for no loss of points, as was the lift. Two points were lost on the fetch, this was for being slightly off line. On the drive section, Richard and Mac failed to negotiate the first set of drive gates and all the sheep missed on the outside.
The cross drive was good and all the sheep were put through the cross drive gates. Nine points were lost on this section; at the pen three points were dropped, this was for the sheep milling around before being penned; a further two points were lost at the split giving Richard and Mac a winning score of 84 points.
In second place were Joseph Relph and Dillon, also running for the North Westmorland team.
Joseph sent Dillon out on a left handed outrun, the lift was clean and no points were lost from these two sections.
Two points went on the fetch for minor line deviations.
On the drive, 15 points were deducted, as Joseph and Dillon failed to put the sheep through either of the drive gates.
Another four points went at the pen, as the sheep refused to settle, before going into the pen.
The split was clean and no points were lost, giving the pair a total score of 79 points.
Third place went to another North Westmorland team member, David Goulding, running Rock.
Rock was sent out on a right hand outrun, here they lost three points, as Rock ran out wide at the start of the outrun.
One point went at the lift and a further five on the fetch for being off line.
David and Rock managed to put the sheep through the first drive gates but unfortunately brought them back through.
The rest of the drive went well and the second drive gates were negotiated successfully.
Nine points were lost on the drive section, at the pen the sheep were quite flighty and were trying to evade being penned, they did go in the pen for a loss of four points, two more points went at the split, giving them a total of 76 points.
The team shield was won by the North Westmorland with a score of 594 points.
Dumfries and Kirkcudbright were second with 572 points and in third place were the Wigtownshire team with 517 points.
Results
1 R Harrison, Mac, North Westmorland, 84.
2 J Relph, Dillon, North Westmorland, 79.
3 D Goulding, Rock, North Westmorland, 76.
4 J McRobert, Fly, Dumfries and Kirkcudbright, 72.
5 C Armstrong, Dash, Dumfries and Kirkcudbright, 72.
6 S Anderson, Glen, Dumfries and Kirkcudbright,
