It’s a record win for Stuart

STUART DAVIDSON set a post war, Scottish record by winning his fifth Scottish National sheepdog championship at Laggan Farm, Ballantrae, Ayrshire, last weekend.

Top test at Inverlochlarig

THE BIG outrun to lift Blackface gimmers and fetch them down a steep hill face at Inverlochlarig tested even some experienced dogs, and terrain which hid sheep from dog and dogs from handlers further tested the competitors.

Bill tops Kilberry with a clean pen

THE MULE gimmers at Kilberry ran well and the field’s gentle slope made for easy viewing of the work on the course. The hardest parts of the course lay in judging the line of the cross drive gates accurately and penning the sheep.

STRATHBOGIE GETS THE TOP JEN

A RUN-OFF gave Stuart Grant’s Jen (I Wilkie’s Tillymaud Moss, WR MacLeod’s June) her first open win, at Strathbogie trial, and a similar process put her in second place at Aultguish, the same weekend.

GREAT GLEN RE-RUN

A re-run called at the Great Glen put John Casey's Ben (AI Rofe's Eryri Rock and Gwen) ahead of Duncan Robertson's Bill (W McAllisters' Hope and Queen). Shedding off the last one of three closely allied Blackface hoggs tested dogs and handlers, and proved to be the make or break factor for most of the runners.

BILL CELEBRATES 25 YEARS IN NURSERY SECRETARY'S HOT SEAT

Bill Fleming, of Sorn, in Ayrshire, was presented with a gift to mark his 25 years as secretary of the Scottish Inter-District nursery sheepdog league, at this year’s nursery final, in March.

EILIDH TAKES TOP SPOT AT BOGBAIN

Peter Martin's 2½-year-old Eilidh (R MacDiarmid’s Bill, J Baker’s Vicky) justified her exclusion from the nursery season by taking top spot at Bogbain open trial, outside Inverness.

BOB IMPRESSES DEMANDING JUDGE

Julie Hill's nursery dog, Bob (RB Henderson’s Bill, D Wallace’s Meg) pleased a demanding judge at Rangecleugh, Ettrick. “The sheep behaved so well, and the running was so good, I was forced to search for faults, to pick up on the least thing, to point the runs,” judge, Dennis Smith, said afterwards.

BITTEN BY THE TRIALLING BULL

Last month, Bill Elliot of Yetholm was presented with his RHASS 50 years long service medal, by the Duke of Roxburghe at Kelso Showground, Springwood Park.