Steady work gives Reba first win at Forss

The North Country Cheviot hill gimmers ran well in the morning, on a good, gently rising grass field which afforded good viewing, but they became lighter to handle later in the day. The gimmers responded well to dogs which moved them tactfully round the course, but tended to take off if dogs thought to push or poke at them.

Reba (AJT Nicolson’s Byanaway Fleck and May) was slightly short on her outrun so the gimmers came away a little offline, but she kept a good line on the fetch. She turned the sheep so neatly round Mure at the post, she had them ready to head up the field and had to widen them out onto the line of the drive away.

The lie of the land made the first drive gate hard for handlers to judge and Mure let the sheep go well through the gate before Reba turned them on to the cross drive, but the cross drive went smoothly. The pen was good, if a little cautious, and if Reba was fractionally hesitant at the shed, Mure was ready to help her, but together they completed the job and took the lead with a comfortable margin.

Good Swale gimmers behaved well on a steep hill course at Cairndow, but some dogs struggled to find them at the end of a testing outrun.

Neil McVicar’s Mist (R Hutchinson’s Sweep, IM Brownlie’s Mo) ran out to the top without encouragement. The sheep were slightly off line on the fetch, but they kept good lines on the drive, if not flowing quite as smoothly as the ideal. Mist stopped a small break before she penned successfully. The combination of rashy ground and one Blackface keeping her distance from the swales meant the shed was not as neat as it might have been, but the work was done and Mist earned first place with another long lead.

Stuart Davidson’s Queen (SL Davidson’s Rob, A Gillies’ Peg) had a good run, marred by the gimmers going well off line on the fetch which put her into second place.

A good run with a clean finish gave David Murray’s Ali a win at Yell.

The trial was run on a flattish part of a short heather hill, which was rough with small wet patches in parts on a very warm, bright day, with a warm breeze blowing. The Cheviot cross Shetland gimmers, ran in threes for the limit and open classes, and in fives for the championship, and behaved well on the 250 yd course, but some lots were tricky.

David Murray’s Ali (M Gallagher’s Cap, S Garvey’s Lil) stopped a little short on the outrun, but lifted cleanly. There were slight wavers on the fetch and drive, but a clean pen and shed set the seal on the winning open run.

Brendon Smith’s Chip (P Byrne’s Jim and Tess) had a near perfect outrun and lift, but was slightly offline on the fetch. His drive, shed and pen were nearly perfect, and although the single fell a little short of that, Chip won the championship.

Billy Morrison’s Meg (RJ Hutchinson’s Jock, I Wilkie’s Floss) started with a clean outrun, but lost a little off the lift. The gimmers went slightly offline on the fetch, but a clean pen completed the winning run of the limit class.

The Blackface gimmers at Comrie were tricky to hold at the top and to pen and shed, but they ran well on the fetch and drive in the morning, although they became less co-operative, later in the day.

Stuart Davidson’s Gillieglen Queen handled difficult sheep extremely well. Queen stopped short on her outrun, but lifted beautifully and had a very good fetch and drive. She penned the sheep after stopping small breaks, and although the gimmers proved hard for Queen to shed, once the split was made, she won the trial.

Lotta Magnusson’s Liz (RJ Hutchinson’s Sweep, L Magnuson’s Kate) ran out clean to the top and lifted well, she worked well on the fetch and drive with just slight wavers. Again, the the gimmers were not readily penned, but Liz secured her packet and a good shed completed the run in second place, only a point behind Queen.

Leading awards

Creich and Kincardine, Ardgay (Judge: JF McInnes, Alness). Open – 45 ran – 1, J Lamont’s Craig, Portree, 93; 2, W Cormack’s Nap, Dunnet, 90 Outbye; 3, M Grant’s Cashlie, Forss, 90; 4, H MacLean’s Moss, Culloden, 88; 5, EC MacKinnon’s Midge, Lochcarron, 85 outbye; 6, G Williamson’s Ben, Dornoch, 85.

Forss (Judge: MC Shearer, Westfield). Open – 30 ran –1, M Grant’s Reba, Forss, 93; 2, H Johnstone’s Fellgate Bella, Fyvie, 88; 3, W Cormack’s Nap, Dunnet, 86; 4, H MacLean’s Moss, Culloden, 86; 5, K Keith’s Jen, Durness, 85 outbye; 6, J Grant’s Bess, Dunbeath, 85 outbye. County – 1, M Grant’s Reba, Forss, 93; 2, W Cormack’s Nap, Dunnet, 86; 3, J Grant’s Bess, Dunbeath, 85; 4, M Grant’s Cashlie, Forss, 85; 5, T McPhee’s Liz, Wick, 77; 6, W Cormack’s Jill, Dunnet, 73.

Yell, Shetland (Judge: J Thomason, Fetlar). Open – 25 ran – 1, D Murray’s Ali, North Roe, 93 /100; 2, J Ramsay’s Fly, Ollaberry, 87; 3, J Ramsay’s Drift, Ollaberry, 81; 4, B Smith’s Chip, Dunrossness, 80; 5, J Ramsay’s Meg, Ollaberry, 78; 6, J Nicolson’s Todd, Scalloway,75. Championship (top 5 handlers) – 5 ran – 1, B Smith’s Chip, Dunrossness, 100 /110; 2, J Ramsay’s Drift, Ollaberry, 93; 3, C Williamson’s Moss, Ollaberry, 83. Limit – 11 ran – 1, W Morrison’s Meg, Yell, 55 /60; 2, D Murray’s Jill, North Roe, 52; 3, J Ramsay’s Bud, Ollaberry, 49.

Comrie (Judge: A McCulloch, Dalmellington). Open – 86 ran – 1, SL Davidson’s Gillieglen Queen, Sandbank, 88; 2, L Magnusson’s Liz, Mid Derry, 87; 3, N Gillon’s Shweep, Dailly, 84; 4, P Martin’s Daisy, Glenlyon, 83 outbye; 5, A Wilkie’s Spot, Glenmoy, 83; 6, N Campbell’s Cassie, Kinross, 81.

Cairndow (Judge: RJ Hutchinson, Littledale). Open – 40 ran – 1, N McVicar’s Mist, Benmore, 81; 2, SL Davidson’s Gillieglen Queen, Sandbank, 76; 3, C Toner’s Ali, Drimsynie, 65; 4, AC MacKenzie jnr’s Maid, Lochearnhead, 63; 5, M MacNally’s Ash, Invergarry, 61; 6, SL Davidson’s Lee, Sandbank, 58. King of the Hills (Aggregate of Cashlie, Balquhidder and Cairndow hill trials) – 1, N McVicar’s Mist, Benmore, 10; 2, SL Davidson’s Gillieglen Queen, Sandbank, 8; 3, A MacKenzie’s Bhoy, Lochearnhead, 6.