By Sine Robertson

Mosse Magnusson’s Kemi Sally worked steadily, with no holes in the work, and with kennelmate Sprout, achieved a double Scandi-Cymric success for Mosse and his Welsh-bred team, at Ardormie.

The easy care lambs behaved well if handled appropriately on the rolling braeface.

Sally (A Lehtio’s Kemi Rhys, DK Evans’ Meg) ran out well, and despite stopping a little short at the top had a decent lift. She fetched and drove well and penned cleanly. A good shed completed the run in first place.

Sprout (DK Evans’ Tanhill Glen, P Williams’ Silk) too, stopped a little short but he made a clean lift and another good fetch. Minor wavers on the drive and a small break before the lambs went into the pen put Sprout behind Sally, but a good shed finished the run in second place.

The Cheviot Mule ewe lambs at Easter Bush behaved reasonably well if the young dogs were not too tight on them, but otherwise they could take off. The field was flat at hand, and rose at the far end, but the cross drive was hard to judge.

Dave Smith’s Ross (DW Davies’ Prince, RA Evans’ Spotan) handled the lambs calmly, impressing the judge with his mature and authoritative style, to which they responded by walking steadily round the course. The only hole in the work was a bend on the cross drive before the lambs went through, and Ross was the clear winner.

Calm control of an unsettled packet gave Bobby Dalziel’s Mack the lead at Troneyhill.

The Texel cross lambs generally behaved well on the big flat course, but they were unforgiving if upset and many dogs had difficulties on the first leg of the drive and at the pen.

Mack (I Fourney’s Spot, C Le Guelle’s Jeda) proved himself the dog for the task. Although his sheep were milling and breaking at the top of the course, he gathered them together, kept them moving smoothly round the course and achieved good lines and turns.

The pen was good, despite a slight break; it took time to separate them for the shed, but Bobby waited for an opportunity, called Mack in when it arose and proved a worthy winner.

A beautiful run round the course, marred only by breaks at the pen and a slightly untidy shed put Mark Arres’ Moss (E Foster’s Moss, C Smart’s Fly) in the lead, until Mack followed him to the post and overtook him in the close work.

The big Texel cross ewes at Kilwhannel were unpredictable on a very wet, rising field and tended to exhaust, during the close work. Some ewes were even prepared to walk off the course, refusing to be returned, but others were more responsive. The weather was mild and dry overhead during the day, after early morning rain had saturated the field.

Ian Fergie’s Craig (M McTeir’s Bob, A Sim’s Flo) came in at the end of his outrun and pushed the sheep offline, but he fetched well, with just minor wavers before the gates. The ewes were slightly wide at the start of the drive, but once on line, they went well until just before the cross drive gate, but Craig put them successfully through. A clean chute and a good, if slightly hesitant shed, helped to maintain his unbroken hold on South Ayrshire’s top slot.

Jock Welsh’s Sweep (J Connolly’s Craig and Mist) took a whistle on his outrun and lifted slightly offline, but he worked very well on the fetch and drive, until Jock’s misjudgement caused Sweep to miss the cross drive gate. The ewes went through the chute after minor attempts at breaking, and although Sweep failed to take positive control at the shed, he earned second place.

Peter Martin’s Jill made the most of the co-operative behaviour of the easy care lambs at Ardormie open trial. They generally ran well on the uphill course, but characteristically of their breed, lacked a natural flocking instinct.

Jill (R Dalziel’s Joe, N McVicar’s Nikki) ran out to the back of her sheep, lifted and fetched cleanly. The sheep were a little high on the cross drive, and although Jill put them through the gate, they made a wide turn.

A clean pen followed, and although one lamb’s urge for solitude threatened to spoil the shed, Jill completed the job and claimed first place for the second year in succession.

The Mule ewes at Kilwhannel ran well on a very wet, rising field, but went off slightly towards the end of the trial.

Neil Gillon’s Kinloch Rheed (N Gillon’s Bhoy, A Driscoll’s Pippi) ran out well, but started lifting before end of the outrun, he had an excellent fetch and started the drive well until the sheep moved left slightly at gates; Rheed took a wrong command and before it was rectified the sheep had missed gates.

The turn through the cross drive gate was slightly wide, but a good clean pen followed. Despite a slight hesitation at shed, Rheed finished with a comfortable lead.

Willie Welsh’s Chance (R Hutchinson’s Sweep, MJ Mason’s Floss) came in very tight at the top but lifted cleanly and brought the sheep steadily and straight down the field.

He made a good turn at Willie’s feet, and the drive was going well until a misjudgement at the cross drive gate caused him to miss the gate and and make a wide turn round it.

There was a break at the pen before Chance secured the packet. Hesitation to take control of the shed meant he had no chance of victory, but he earned second place.

The Blackface feeding lambs behaved well round the flat course at Gaups Mill, but could be tricky, and were particularly difficult to shed.

Billy Common’s unregistered Jaff (JA Common’s Taff, S Dodd’s Jill) ran out to the right and went nicely round his sheep at the top. He lifted smoothly and fetched with only minor deviations. He made a neat turn round Billy, took a good line up the first leg of the drive and made a neat turn.

The cross drive continued well with only minor deviations. The chute went well, but the difficulty came at the shed; when that was eventually achieved, Jaff usurped kennel mate Rosie’s more accustomed first place.

Billy’s Cowlow Rosie (GRN Saxon’s Cammen Rip, I Hulme’s Cowlow Fan) also ran out to the right, and earned full marks for a perfect outrun. She lifted smoothly and held a good line down the fetch.

She turned the sheep round Billy’s feet, but the lambs gathered a little pace before the drive away gate and slipped past, but Rosie put them through the cross drive gates. There were a few breaks at the chute before the lambs went through, but a good shed completed the run in second place.

In the novice section, Murray Common preferred to send Grit out to the left, but matched his father’s clean outrun with Rosie and continued with a clean lift.

Grit fetched on a good line, made a neat turn round Murray and drove the lambs round the course with only minor wavers. The chute went well, and although there was some difficulty at the shed, once the sheep were successfully split, Grit was the top placed novice and matched Jaff’s score.

LEADING awards

Ardormie (Judge: AD Carnegie, Comrie) Nursery – 24 ran – 1, M Magnusson’s Kemi Sally, Mid Derry, 92; 2, M Magnusson’s Sprout, Mid Derry, 90; 3, L Hinnekens’ Khal, Auchterarder, 89 Outbye; 4, E Nilsson’s Midderry Kid, Meigle, 89; 5, K Howlett’s Yellowhill Jock, Comrie, 88; 6, R Lewis’ Ruby, Killin, 83; 7, D Galbraith’s Craig, Comrie, 78; 8, A MacKenzie’s Jess, Lochearnhead,76; 9, M Magnusson’s Foxridge Blake, Mid Derry,74; 10, P Martin’s Daisy, Glenlyon,73; Novice -1, M Lundin’s Sture, Sweden,70;

Troneyhill, Ancrum (Judge: D Henderson, Allendale) Nursery - 17 ran – 1, R Dalziel’s Mack, Ettrick, 92; 2, M Arres’ Moss, Ashkirk, 89; 3, D Gilchrist’s Peg, Oxton, 77; 4, C Dickson’s Stuart, Coldingham, 73 Outbye; 5, A Dickman’s Jaff, Oxton,73; 6, J Robinson’s Templehall Jack, Coldingham,71; 7, J Allan’s Ellie, Mt Benger, 69; 8, I Jackson’s Chap, Ancrum, 65; Novice – G Pate’s Tib, Humbie, 61;

Easter Bush (Judge: M Davidson, Lilburn) Nursery – 24 ran – 1, D Smith’s Ross, Lanark, 90; 2, J Hill’s Bill, Heriot, 85; 3, RB Henderson’s Lad, Heriot, 83; 4, J McRobert’s Bill, Tweedsmuir, 82; 5, R Henderson’s Bill, Crawford, 74Outbye; 6, GC Gardner’s Nan, Lesmahagow,74; 7, S Morgan’s Jill, West Linton,73; 8, I Fleming’s Kim, Douglas,72; 9, H Brown’s Cap, Coulter, 71; 10, I Fleming’s Jill, Douglas, 69; Novice -1, K Aitchison’s Beth, Mossdale, 73; 2, R Reid’s Skye, Carnwath, 50;

Kilwhannel, Ballantrae (Judge: N McVicar, Benmore) Nursery – 10 ran – 1, I Fergie’s Craig, Straiton, 85; 2, JR Welsh’s Sweep, Dalrymple, 74; 3, A McCulloch’s Meg, Dalmellington, 73; 4, W Welsh’s Chance (Chase), Dalcairney, 59; 5, A McCulloch’s Sam, Dalmellington, 55.

Ardormie (Judge: J McKenzie, Ardormie) Open – 38 ran – 1, P Martin’s Jill, Glenlyon, 95; 2, L Hinnekens’ Meg, Auchterarder, 93 Outbye; 3, A Stewart’s Kemi Ruby, Lockerbie, 93; 4, M Magnusson’s Kemi Sally, Mid Derry, 91 Outbye; 5, AD Carnegie’s Groesfaen Nap, Comrie, 91; 6, C Toner’s Fly, Drimsynie, 88; 7, E Nilsson’s Friel, Meigle, 86 Outbye; 8, M Magnusson’s Sprout, Mid Derry, 86;

Gaups Mill, Moniaive (Judge: I Lockhart, Dalrymple) Nursery – 10 ran –1, JW Common’s Jaff, Lockerbie, 83; 2, JW Common’s Cowlow Rosie,Lockerbie, 78; 3, D Robertson’s Moss, Langholm, 77; 4, M Forster’s Meg, Irongray, 62; 5, D Robertson’s Lad, Langholm, 54; 6, D McMillan’s Fleet, Carsphairn; Novice – 1, JM Common’s Grit, Lockerbie, 83; 2, JM Common’s Queen, Lockerbie, 61 Outbye; 3, A Mair’s Wispa, Parkgate, 61; Pro Novice – 1, D McMillan’s Glen, Carsphairn, 57;

Kilwhannel, Ballantrae (Judge: R Welsh, Patna) Nursery –10 ran –1, N Gillon’s Kinloch Rheed, Dailly, 82; 2, W Welsh’s Chance (Chase), Dalcairney, 75; 3, A McCulloch’s Meg, Dalmellington, 68; 4, I Fergie’s Craig, Straiton, 63; 5, C Derwent’s Dot, Dumfries House, 60; 6, G Hodge’s Patch, Barrhill, 59 Outbye; 7, C Derwent’s Maggie, Dumfries House, 59.