Success at Waternish, the first trial of the Hebridean circuit, set Carol Mellin’s Moor Lodge Ben on a track which led to their sharing the Hebridean cup with Tommy Long’s Ben, by the end of the week.

The Cheviot gimmers at Waternish were flighty but improved in the afternoon. Tracks had been cut in the grass on the undulating and sideways sloping ground, to guide the sheep, but they tended to take their own route on the fetch, the drive away and the return to the pen, but they liked the cross drive. The ground dropped to the right, and to the far end, so the dogs went out of sight on the right hand outrun till they came on to their sheep.

Ben (C Mellin’s Moor Lodge Mirk, P Mellin’s Becca) had an excellent start, fetching his sheep to Carol with only a point lost. The gimmers wavered slightly from line on the short drive away, leaving little time to realign them before the gate, but Ben put them through. The packet strayed from the mown grass track, but again, Ben got them through, and made a good return to the pen, penned well, and eventually got his shed after a little struggle and earned first place.

Farquhar Renwick’s Fly (R McIver’s Jock and Tess) won the young handler’s prize with a run that went well until the gimmers proved difficult to pen and then, once that was successfully achieved, time ran out at the shed.

Cheviot ewes and gimmers, running in groups of three, at Staffin, were amenable to penning, if the right amount of pressure was applied, and they were reasonable to single.

The trial was set on rough, gently undulating moorland, and the topography set the first 200 yards of the fetch, to the gates, at an oblique angle to the natural line. The fetch then dipped slightly towards a small burn and rose to the handler. The burn crossed the drive away and impacted on the turn onto the cross drive, and into the return.

Stuart Davidson’s Gillieglen Queen (SL Davidson’s Rob, A Gillies’ Peg) had a good outrun but overshot her sheep a little, and lifted slightly off line. The fetch was excellent, and the first leg of the drive was good. The turn out of the first drive gates was neat, and the cross drive started well, but a correction was needed before the next gate. Queen then had to go the long way round, and failed to tuck her sheep back in sufficiently on the return, but a clean pen and single put the run into first place.

Peter Martin’s Jill (R Dalziel’s Joe, N McVicar’s Nikki) was slightly square at the start of her outrun, and a little hesitant to lift. She had a good fetch, with just minor wavers, but she had problems getting the drive away started nicely.

Her tight turn out of the gates, misplaced her for the cross drive and the sheep were slightly off line going across, but they went through the gates. A clean pen and single gave Jill an early lead, eventually placed second.

The cross Lleyn gimmers at a new venue for Aboyne trial were tricky in the morning, and although they were more manageable in the afternoon, they were not readily penned. The rolling field rose up from the handler to the cross drive, fell away and rose again to the far end, but the action was generally easily seen.

Ian Wilkie’s Floss (M MacNally’s Finn, I Wilkie’s Nell) ran out right to her sheep and worked well, until on the first leg of the drive, the gimmers were breaking away to a fence on the left. Floss managed to put them through the gate and made a good cross drive. At hand, while one gimmer broke up the side of the pen, twice, the three already safely in the pen, waited there while Floss turned back the escapee twice and finally secured her with the packet. A good shed completed the winning run with a long lead over the field.

Wind and fog followed a morning of heavy rain at Hillswick. The rough grass field started on the flat and then halfway out, rose toward the lift, at the end of the 330 yards outrun. The Cheviot cross gimmers were good on the course, if lifted quietly, but could be challenging otherwise.

Jerry Ramsay’s Drift (J Ramsay's Kemi Tim and Marchup Roxy) started very well, but the gimmers were a little offline on the fetch. The drive was nearly perfect and a clean pen and shed completed the winning open run.

David Murray’s Sweep (JP McGee's Silver and S McManus' Nell) ran out cleanly and had a good lift. The fetch was very good but there was a slight waver on the drive. The first shed and pen were clean and a good single completed the course, giving David and Sweep their third consecutive championship win.

Andrew Hughson’s Nortrow Lol (D Murray's Ali and Groesfaen Petra) had a good outrun and lift, and although the line of the fetch wavered slightly, a clean pen secured first place in the limit class.

Hebridean Circuit

Waternish, Skye (Judge: E Mackinnon, Coulags) Open – 61 ran – 1, C Mellin’s Moor Lodge Ben, Oakworth, 91; 2, I MacDonald’s Zoe, Staffin, 90; 3, L Hansson’s Lisbon, Glenlyon, 88; 4, L Hansson’s Velvet, Glenlyon, 87 Outbye; 5, S Conn’s Maggie, Limavady, 87; 6, H Johnstone’s Roy, Fyvie, 86; 7, S Gormley's Mali, Co Antrim, 85. Local - I MacDonald’s Zoe, Staffin,; Young Handler - F Renwick’s Fly, Inverbroom.

Berneray, Uist (Judge: D Mullan, Kinross) Open – 50 ran – 1, T Long’s Ben, Ballybofey, 92 Outbye; 2, L Conn’s Kip, Limavady, 92; 3, A Andersson’s Blue, Glenlyon, 87; 4, J Gilman’s Bonnie, Derbyshire, 85 Outbye; 5, L Hansson’s Lisbon, Glenlyon, 85; 6, S Conn’s Harry, Limavady, 83; Best Local - D.A. MacAskill.

Scarista, Harris (Judge: C Neale, Norfolk) Open – 54 ran – 1, T Long’s Ben, Ballybofey, 95; 2, J MacKillop's Straid Ben, Fort Augustus, 89; 3, R Newsome’s Mia, Rosendale, 87; 4, K Donald’s Choc, Dalrymple, 86; 5,T Long’s Buff, Ballybofey, 83 Outbye; 6, S Conn’s Harry, Limavady, 83; Local – D Campbell’s Floss.

Shawbost, Lewis (Judge: A Cameron, Callander) Open – 51 ran – 1, C Mellin’s Gyp, Oakworth, 91 Outbye; 2, S Conn’s Maggie, Limavady, 91; 3, M Murray’s Gael, Back, 90; 4, C Mellin’s Moor Lodge Ben, Oakworth, 89; 5, W Gallagher’s Moss, Kilcar, 88; 6, J Gilman’s Jazz, Derbyshire, 88.

Laxay, Lewis (Judge: J Gilman, Derbyshire) Open – 48 ran – 1, M Murray’s Gael, Back, 88; 2, W Gallagher’s Moss, Kilcar, 86; 3, W Gallagher’s Blue, Kilcar, 79; 4, C Mellin’s Moor Lodge Ben, Oakworth, 78; 5, A Andersson’s Cruaidh, Glenlyon, 77; 6, L Hansson’s Lisbon, Glenlyon,76; Local – 1, M Murray’s Gael, Back, 88.

Staffin (Judge: M McNally, Invergarry) Open – 62 ran – 1, SL Davidson’s Gillieglen Queen, Sandbank, 88; 2, P Martin’s Jill, Glenlyon, 85; 3, W Gallagher’s Moss, Kilcar, 84; 4, SL Davidson’s Maid, Sandbank, 82 Outbye; 5, J MacKillop's Straid Ben, Fort Augustus, 82; 6, J MacDiarmid’s Lass, Eynort, 80 Outbye. Local - J MacDiarmid’s Lass, Eynort, 80.

Hebridean Cup - ‘Lord of the Isles’ - C Mellin’s Moor Lodge Ben and T Long’s Ben, 12 pts each.

Hillswick, Shetland (Judge: C Caygill, Whinnyliggate ) Open – 30 ran - 1, J Ramsay’s Drift, Ollaberry, 92; 2, B Smith’s Lass, Dunrossness, 87; 3, S Fraser’s Jan, Cullswick, 86; 4, J Ramsay’s Fly, Ollaberry, 84; 5, D Murray’s Sweep, North Roe, 83; 6, C Williamson’s Moss, Ollaberry, 80. Championship – 5 ran – 1, D Murray’s Sweep, North Roe, 102 /110; 2, S Fraser’s Jan, Cullswick, 87; 3, C Williamson’s Moss, Ollaberry, 86; Limit – 13 ran – 1, AWP Hughson’s Nortrow Lol, Girlsta, 53 /60; 2, B Smith’s Cap, Dunrossness, 40 Outbye; 3, C Williamson’s Nap, Ollaberry, 40; 4, R Colclough’s Rosefield Pip, Westsandwick, 36 Outbye; 5, J Ramsay’s Bud, Ollaberry, 36.

Gairloch (Judge: D McRitchie, Ness) Open – 58 ran – 1, W Gallagher’s Moss, Kilcar, 91 Outbye; 2, CM Magnusson’s Kemi Sally, Mid Derry, 91; 3, L Magnusson’s Liz, Mid Derry, 85; 4, C Mellin’s Moor Lodge Ben, Oakworth, 82; 5, A Kyme’s Annie, Rosendale, 77; 6, T Long’s Ben, Ballybofey, 74; 7, W Gallagher’s Ann, Kilcar, 73; 8, T Long’s Buff, Ballybofey, 72; 9, S Conn’s Maggie, Limavady, 70; 10, S Gormley's Zak, Co Antrim, 69.

Inverlochlarig (Judge: J MacDougall, Milton of Buchannan) Open – 55 ran – 1, P Martin’s Daisy, Glenlyon, 86; 2, C Toner’s Tammi, Drimsynie, 85 Outbye; 3, K Howlett’s Spot, Comrie, 85; 4, W Welsh’s Cap, Dalcairney, 84; 5, A Wilkie’s Spot, Glenmoy, 82; 6, A MacKenzie’s Bhoy, Lochearnhead, 80.

Bute (Judge: A Stewart, Lockerbie ) Open - ran - 1, C Toner’s Tammi, Drimsynie, 90; 2, N McVicar’s Mist, Benmore, 88; 3, WJ Welsh’s Jimmy, Sanquhar, 87; 4, I McConnell’s Sam, Lamlash, 86; 5, N Gillon’s Shweep, Dailly, 77; 6, SL Davidson’s Gillieglen Queen, Sandbank, 73.

Aboyne (Judge: R Lawson, Killiecrankie) Open – 58 ran – 1, I Wilkie’s Floss Keithhall, 87; 2, E Nilsson’s Midderry Kid, Meigle,77 Outbye; 3, K Brehmer’s Cynfal Gwen, New Bythe,77; 4, M Grant’s Cashlie, Forss, 76; 5, CM Magnusson’s Kemi Sally, Mid Derry, 75 Outbye; 6, T Long’s Ben, Ballybofey,75 Outbye; 7, H Johnstone’s Roy, Fyvie,75; 8, D McMullen’s Eve, Ireland , 73; 9, A Wright’s Pat, Ballater, 72 Outbye; 10, P Martin’s Daisy, Glenlyon, 75. Two dog Aggregate - M Grant’s Cashlie & Reba, Forss.

Northumberland League

Powburn (Judge: T Iley, Longframlington ) Open – 44 ran -1, D Henderson’s Star, Allendale, 75; 2, M Elliott’s Dot, Lazonby, 94; 3, C Dickson’s Stuart, Coldingham, 87; 4, JJ Pattinson’s Boo, Roman Wall, 73; 5, R Watson’s Sally, Millom, 69; A McCulloch’s Fern, Dalmellington, 80; Novice – 1, S McAuley’s Jack, Conachan, 49.