By Sine Robertson

George Simpson again led the north’s nursery trial, taking the top two places at Durness last week, with Whisp and Lad, respectively.
The Cheviot gimmers behaved well on an uphill course which ran into a corner, while still allowing the dogs space to approach the sheep without upsetting them and the main mistakes were merely caused by the inexperience of the young dogs.
Whisp (A Hermes’ Deerplay Neil and Luce) ran out and lifted well, fetched them down the course to George and put them away on the first leg of the drive. The turn through the gate was a little wide but the cross drive went well and a clean pen and shed set the seal on the winning run.
Kennel mate, Lad (DW Davies’ Bruce, H Hughes’ Nan), worked well outbye and on the course until the sheep slipped by the cross drive gate. Again, a clean pen and shed completed the work and the run earned second place.
The crossed ewes ran well on the challenging open course at Balintore on a bright, sunny winter’s day. The open brae face gives good view, but it rises on to level ground before it rises again, and a central patch of rough and rocky ground creates a natural obstacle to be avoided.
Some young dogs were drawn in on their outrun by the lie of the land, but most reached their sheep and managed to fetch them down to their handler. The ewes stuck together well and it was not easy to separate them at the shed or to avoid their rejoining before the job was completed.
Two well controlled runs from Alan Wilkie’s Jim and Ian Brownlie’s Tib took a narrow lead over a closely packed list.
Irish bred Jim ran out well, but took an additional command at the top of the course to reach his sheep. He fetched and drove well with minor wavers, and finished the winning run with a clean chute and shed.
Tib (MC Shearer’s Bob, S Macaulay’s Gael) worked well outbye, but the line of the cross drive wavered before the sheep went through the gate. A clean chute and a good shed completed the run in second place, a point behind the leader.

Leading awards:

Balintore  (Judge: N McEwan, Glenesk). Nursery –  26 ran – 1, A Wilkie’s Jim, Lintrathen, 93; 2, IM Brownlie’s Tib, Livingston, 92; 3, AD Carnegie’s Groesfaen Nap, Comrie, 91; 4, IM Brownlie’s Lia, Bridge of Cally, 89; 5, M Magnusson’s Murphy, Ardormie, 88; 6, K Howlett’s Tess, Comrie, 87; 7, AD Carnegie’s Mirk, Comrie, 86; 8, J Hastie’s Lethans Bear, Saline, 85; 9, A Wilkie’s Drift, Lintrathen, 84 outbye; 10, P Martin’s Bess, Glenlyon, 84. Novice – 5 ran – N Boyne’s Mirk, Glenlochay, 83.  
Durness (Judge, G Nicholson, Lairg). Nursery – 21 ran – 1, G Simpson’s Whisp, Forgue, 84; 2, G Simpson’s Lad, Forgue, 80; 3, N Sutherland’s Hill, Strathnaver 78 Outbye; 4, G Simpson’s Groesfaen Mac, Forgue, 78; 5, W Cormack’s Jill, Dunnet, 61; 6, I MacDonald’s Zoe, Staffin, 60; 7, W Irvine’s Finn, Lairg, 58; 8, I Sutherland’s Jimmy, Strathnaver, 55; 9, G Simpson’s Jaff, Forgue, 54; 10, S Renwick’s Shiel, Inverbroom, 52.