Very good outbye work on a testing hill course at Inverlochlarig gave Jimmy Wright’s Risp the lead over a tightly packed list.

The Blackface gimmers generally behaved well if lifted quietly, but otherwise tended to split and take off over the natural terrain, making it difficult to regroup the burst packets.

Rashes and bracken growing on the steep, rough course put the dogs out of sight of the handlers at times, but those with a good cast could find their sheep in three minutes, whereas those that went too wide, spent five minutes or more in reaching them.

Jimmy Wright’s Risp needed little encouragement to find his sheep and lifted them without any upset. The line of the fetch bent a little, but the drive was faultless. A clean pen followed and a very good shed set the seal on the winning run.

Alastair McKenzie’s Bhoy (R MacDiarmid’s Jim, A MacKenzie’s Mist) kept a tight line on his outrun, responding to Alastair’s whistle, but he too lifted cleanly and managed to fetch them on a good line.

On the drive, the lines wavered a little, but a clean pen and shed completed the work in second place.

Elinore Nilsson’s Frej (C Joelssson’s Patch, F Greis’ Erkens Yoei) ran out on a good line and reached his sheep with repeated whistles of encouragement. He worked tremendously well from there, and worked unfaulted until the final element of the trial, achieving a clean lift, fetch, drive and pen.

When the shed came off successfully after a couple of attempts, the work earned third place.

LEADING awards

Bute (Judge: C Cropper, Drymsynie) Open – 52 ran – 1, C Toner’s Fly, Drimsynie, 93; 2, K Donald’s Choc, Dalrymple, 90 Outbye; 3, C Davidson’s Cap, Sandbank, 90; 4, M Condie’s Doon, New Cumnock, 89; 5, JR Welsh’s Tanhill Sam, Dalrymple, 88; 6, N McVicar’s Mist, Benmore, 88 Outbye; 7, J Casey’s Ben, Largie, 88; 18, J Main’s Cassie, Largie, 87. Local – 1, N Docherty’s Kinloch Quinn, Bute, 87; 2, L Gast’s Fae, Scalpsie, 86.

Inverlochlarig (Judge: R Stephen, Killin) Open – 41 ran –1, J Wright’s Risp, Doune, 106 /110; 2, A MacKenzie’s Bhoy, Lochearnhead, 104; 3, E Nilsson’s Frej, Meigle, 103; 4, SL Davidson’s Hope, Sandbank, 102; 5, AD Carnegie’s Jess, Comrie,75; 6, L Hinnekens’ Kira, Auchterarder, 100.