Templehall Fred picks up the title at Glenmoy trial

A clean fetch and good work at hand put Annette Olofsson’s Templehall Fred into the lead at Glenmoy.

The Blackface hoggs were consistently well behaved all day on a rising course, and went readily through the chute, unless pressured there. Dogs running out on the right hand outrun ran blind for some of the time.

Templehall Fred (RJ Hutchinson’s Sweep, KA Doig’s Jura) stopped on his outrun and the hoggs drifted away as he approached, so he lifted slightly offline, but made a clean fetch. The lines wavered at times on the drive, but a clean chute and a good shed, with a young dog’s hesitancy, set the seal on the winning run.

David McMullen’s Bray (JP McGee’s Sid, J Doherty’s Queen) ran out cleanly to her sheep, and although she rushed her lift a little, had a decent fetch with just minor wavers. The hoggs went off line on the first leg of the drive, but the cross drive was better. Bray came too close on to her sheep at the chute, unsettling them a little, but they went through and another good, if slightly hesitant, shed took second place, ahead of equally pointed third, on outbye work.

Pen-y-Borough Rag (DK Evans’ Kemi Ross, Derwen Wot) set out a little square from Mosse Magnusson’s feet, but he reached his sheep and lifted them well. The hoggs wavered around the lines of the fetch and the drive, but a clean chute and a good shed completed the run in third place.

Although most of the Blackface hoggs at Culloden ran in the previous week’s trial, they could still be challenging to manage and it needed careful handling to push them round the course, and into the pen.

Geordie Simpson’s unregistered Ace ran out and lifted cleanly, but needed a couple of corrections at the start of his fetch.

Again, the line of his drive started with a minor corrections, but the cross drive went well and a minor correction put the return to pen on to track. Ace penned cleanly and completed his winning run with a slightly untidy shed.

Joe McKenzie’s Sweep (R Dean’s Denwyn Jim, I Lancaster’s Heather Hill Gyp) ran out and lifted cleanly, and was making good work of the fetch until the hoggs went off line as they approached Joe to turn round him.

The drive started well, but the hoggs went off line before the first drive gate and Joe had to react quickly to get them back on line for the gate. Despite his best efforts, one hogg slipped by the gate.

The packet went offline again on the cross drive, approaching the bale acting as a gate post, and wavered slightly from line on the return to the pen. A clean pen and shed restored the standard and Sweep earned second place.

Again, Geordie Simpson’s Mick (F McCulloch’s Cap, JR Saunders’ Jan) ran out and lifted cleanly, momentarily let his sheep waver from the line on the first part of the fetch, but otherwise kept a good line.

He worked well on the drive, with just a minor waver at the start and again, before the first gate, but made a good cross drive and return to the pen.

The good work already achieved was put in jeopardy by breaks at the pen, but Mick eventually secured the packet and finished his run with a clean shed, and third place, only two points behind the winner.

The Mule ewes at Huntershall ran well on the flat field, but on a wet and very windy day, the dogs had difficulty hearing and the drive away gate was the biggest casualty of the breakdown of communications. The combination of wind and wind turbines at the far end was thought to be the cause of dogs failing to cover their sheep properly at the end of the outrun.

Cameron Dickson’s Tom (DK Evans’ Ace, U Stromer’s Caefelin Gwen) ran out well, but did not cover his sheep as well as he might, but he lifted and fetched without further difficulty.

The drive was very good, and Tom was the only dog to put his sheep through both sets of drive gates. At the pen, one ewe broke three times before the packet was secured, but when that was accomplished, a good shed completed the winning run.

Mark Arres’ Haig (C Smart’s Lad and Fly) stopped short and tight on his outrun, but got to the right place with Mark’s guidance.

The fetch was hurried, but the line did not suffer too much. As Haig took his sheep towards the first drive gate, communications became seriously impaired and Mark lost contact with him, abandoned any hope of the gate and aimed for the next leg.

The cross drive and return to the pen went quite well and Mark’s patience at the pen was well rewarded when the ewes went in willingly. A good shed completed the run in second place.

Leading awards

Woodside of Culloden (Judge: E Mackinnon, Coulags) Nursery – 20 ran – 1, G Simpson’s Ace, Forgue, 92; 2, J McKenzie’s Sweep, Turriff, 91; 3, G Simpson’s Mick, Forgue, 90; 4, K Brehmer’s Thistledown Fern, New Bythe, 84; 5, J MacDiarmid’s Rab, Eynort, 83; 6, I MacDonald’s June, Staffin, 81 Outbye; 7, G Simpson’s Jim, Forgue, 81; 8, S Campbell’s Queen, Skye, 80; 9, H MacLean’s Meg, Culloden, 78;10, I Sutherland’s High Ash Hugo, Strathnaver, 77. Old Dogs – 11 ran – 1, H MacLean’s Moss, Culloden, 95 Outbye; 2, I Sutherland’s Sid, Strathnaver, 95; 3, H Johnstone’s Fellgate Bella, Fyvie, 93; 4, I MacDonald’s Zoe, Staffin, 92; 5, G Simpson’s Lad, Forgue, 90.

Glenmoy (Judge: M Watt, Kirriemuir) Nursery – 20 ran – 1, A Olofsson’s Templehall Fred, Alyth, 88; 2, D McMullen’s Bray, Glen Clova, 86 Outbye; 3, CM Magnusson’s Pen-y-Borough Rag, Mid Derry, 86; 4, CM Magnusson’s Wheatwood Eddie, Mid Derry, 83; 5, L Magnusson’s Lee, Mid Derry, 82; 6, L Magnusson’s Gael, Mid Derry, 81; 7, P Martin’s Ruby, Glenlyon, 78; 8, E Nilsson’s Tib, Balintore, 75; 9, S Alexander’s Flo, Rickarton, 74 Outbye; 10, C Maitland Gardner’s Kate, Muthill, 74; Novice – 1, C Rimmer’s Kove, Bridge of Cally, 69.

Huntershall (Judge: D Wallace, Blyth Bridge) Nursery – 12 ran – 1, C Dickson’s Tom, Coldingham, 72; 2, M Arres’ Haig, Ashkirk, 70; 3, J Robinson’s Nap, Coldingham, 65; 4, D Gilchrist’s Gus, Oxton, 61; 5, I Jackson’s Glanygors Roy, Ancrum, 60; 6, JB Foster’s Graylees Tipsy, Earlston, 53; 7, G Pate’s Fly, Humbie, 52; 8, J Robinson’s Rock, Coldingham, 42.

Northumberland Nursery League – Dykehead (Judge: J Fyall, Tarset) Nursery – 21 ran – 1, K Preston’s Ross, Elsdon, 93; 2, P Telfer’s Gin, Haydon Bridge, 89; 3, M Davidson’s Blair, Lilburn, 85; 4, E Gray’s Megan, Great Elsdon, 83 Outbye; 5, D Henderson’s Sprite, Allendale, 83; 6, M Davidson’s Poppy, Lilburn, 80. Novice – J Tulloch’s Gem, Wark.