Sheepdogs make their mark

The NCC hill gimmers were released from a knowe below the top of a steeply rising field. They varied between being tricky to pen and sufficiently co-operative to walk straight in. The left hand outrun made for good viewing, and although dogs running to the right lost sight of their sheep and were themselves hidden from their handler for part of the way out, it seemed to cause no major problem. The drive was long and the shed was conducted in a sawdust ring.

Roger – J Richardson’s Shep, AH Roberts’s Morag – ran out and lifted cleanly, worked very well on the course with only minor departures from line, and finished the winning run with a clean pen and shed only two points separating first and sixth place.

Caithness saw a busy, co-ordinated weekend of fund raising trials, with two trials at Forss followed by one at Ham.

The Armadale NCC gimmers were in great form on the gently rising course, although they were keen to return to the next field and tended to pull towards it, and they could be tricky to pen.

Ian Wilkie’s Pip – R Hutchinson’s Sweep, I Wilkie’s Floss – worked very well outbye and only a slightly low line on the cross drive marred the drive. A clean pen and shed completed another high scoring win.

Forss II saw the course redesigned to incorporate a version of a National style shed in a sawdust ring preceding the pen.

Peter Martin’s Daisy – D Naylor’s Straid Moss, P Martin’s Jill – deterred the gimmers from bolting to their field and made a good lift and fetch. The gimmers were fighting for home ground on the first leg of the drive which made it difficult to keep a good line, but Daisy got them through the gate and found it easier to put them along the cross drive. One gimmer broke from the shedding ring, but once she was retrieved, the shed went well and a clean pen followed.

At Ham, good NCC gimmers ran well on a flat field, but yet again, could be touchy at the pen. Peter’s Daisy romped home here with a run which won her trophies for the best outbye outbye work, the best drive of the day, the best shed and tying for the best pen.

Sandy McCulloch’s Sam won the open class at Beoch, on his second outing since recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

The Blackface gimmers behaved very well on the course, although odd packets could play up at the pen. The course ran uphill and into a hollow which put dogs out of sight on the outrun before it rose again to the release post.

Sam – A Lehtio’s Coel, BJ Bowen’s Pat – was a little short on his outrun, but lifted nicely and had a good fetch. His drive started very well, although the cross drive was a little offline, but he got all his gates. A good pen and a clean shed secured first place for Sam.

The top five open dogs went forward to a double lift championship. The course for that went to the right for the first packet, then further out after the hollow and dogs needed to keep running out to their sheep from the unseen ground, bring them across the face and diagonally down to the fetch gate. Once the sheep were through, dogs had to turn back immediately to the left for their next packet.

Neil Gillon’s Boss – S Perellio’s Murgia Jim, R Hutchinson’s Denwyn Moya – ran out and over the ridge and Neil gave him two safety whistles while out of sight. Boss found his sheep and brought them back on a wider line than ideal, but he got them through the gate. He took a little convincing to leave them and look back, but once engaged, he fetched the second packet, reunited them and made a good drive, with just a slightly wide turn through the first drive gate to fault it. He shed well and after a little milling at the mouth of the pen, Boss calmly penned his sheep and claimed the championship.

The Texel cross gimmers at Aberfeldy trial responded to careful handling, but could be wound up by dogs that were too forceful, and a number of runs were unfinished.

Stuart Davidson’s Kyle – C Davidson’s Cap, R Harris’ Jan – ran out well on the steep face, found his sheep and handled them well. Although they made a wide turn round Stuart’s feet, the drive went well, with good lines and turns. The pen did not go smoothly, but Kyle put the sheep in and completed the winning run with a good shed.

Laura Hinnekens’ K’eira – RD Lambie’s Craig, RH Jones’ Nel – worked very well outbye and her early morning run found the gimmers a little restless, but she settled them and handled them very well. K’eira turned the sheep nicely round Laura and although she kept good lines and sharp turns on the drive, Laura misjudged the cross drive gate and the gimmers slipped by. An excellent pen with difficult sheep and a nice shed completed the run in second place.

The strong and very fit Shetland cross Cheviot gimmers at Northmavine were not easily handled over an upward sloping, 320 yards rough grass course, on a cold, windy and showery day. If they were lifted too severely, they would be unwilling to stay on line or go through the gates and very few sheep passed through the fetch gates throughout the day.

Jerry Ramsay’s Fly – M Gallagher’s Cap, DS McAuley’s Gael – dropped a little on the outrun had a perfect lift, but was a little offline on the fetch and missed the gates. The drive went well with just a slight waver and a very good pen and shed completed the winning run.

It was a near perfect outrun and lift for Brendon Smith’s Chip – P Byrne’s Jim, A Gallagher’s Tess – a little waver on the fetch, and was a little offline on the drive, but a perfect shed, pen, and single set the seal on the championship.

Christopher Williamson’s Jed – McGoldrick’s Dan bred sire, Tanhill bitch – lost a little on his outrun, but lifted very well, although he missed the incoming gates. He penned his packet and won the limit class.

LEADING awards

Dryden (Judge: C Malcolm, Selkirk) Open – 45 ran – 1, JA Common’s Elwy Roger, Lockerbie, 96; 2, D Aitken’s Tweeddale Viki, Lockerbie, 95 Outbye; 3, I Fleming’s Glen, Douglas, 95; 4, JW Common’s Grit, Lockerbie, 94 Outbye; 5, D Aitken’s Tami, Lockerbie, 94; 6, C Dickson’s Tom, Coldingham, 94.

Forss I (Judge:W Sutherland, Brackside) Open – 70 ran – 1, I Wilkie’s Pip, Tillypronie, 96; 2, K Brehmer’s Thistledown Fern, New Bythe, 94; 3, P Martin’s Daisy, Glenlyon, 93 Outbye; 4, E Nilsson’s Midderry Kid, Balintore, 93; 5, E Nilsson’s Fergie, Balintore, 90; 6, MC Shearer’s Heilan Rab, Westfield, 85; 7, S Campbell’s Queen, Skye, 83; 8, W Morrison’s Meg Snr, Yell,79 Outbye; 9, H Johnstone’s Roy, Fyvie, 78; 10, I Sutherland’s Foinaven Drift, Strathnaver, 76; County – 1, MC Shearer’s Heilan Rab, Westfield, 85; 2,W Cormack’s Nap, Dunnet,76; 3, MC Shearer’s Tib, Westfield, 74; 4, T McPhee’s Liz, Wick, 72; 5, T McPhee’s Scott, Wick, 71; 6, V Shearer’s Bess, Westfield, 70.

Forss II (Judge: T McPhee, Wick ) Open – 72 ran – 1, P Martin’s Daisy, Glenlyon, 92; 2, K Brehmer’s Thistledown Fern, New Bythe, 88; 3, H Johnstone’s Roy, Fyvie, 87 Outbye; 4, E Nilsson’s Midderry Kid, Balintore,87; 5, MC Shearer’s Heilan Rab, Westfield, 85; 6, W Cormack’s Jill, Dunnet, 84; 7, B Smith’s Chip (Flash), Dunrossness, 83; 8, M Grant’s Jess, Forss, 81; 9, I MacDonald’s Zoe, Staffin, 80; 10, S Campbell’s Queen, Skye,77; County – 1, MC Shearer’s Heilan Rab, Westfield, 85; 2, W Cormack’s Jill, Dunnet, 84; 3, M Grant’s Jess, Forss, 81; 4, MC Shearer’s Cap, Westfield, 75; 5, J Grant’s Meg, Dunbeath,74; 6, V Shearer’s Bess, Westfield, 70; Novice – 1, J Gilmour’s Diesel, Bettyhill 72; £450 raised for Scottish National funds.

Ham, Dunnet (Judge: R Meikle, Munlochy) Open – 65 ran – 1, P Martin’s Daisy, Glenlyon, 94; 2, B Smith’s Chip (Flash), Dunrossness, 93; 3, MC Shearer’s Tib, Westfield, 92; 4,K Brehmer’s Huthwaite Roy, New Bythe, 84; 5, E Nilsson’s Fergie, Balintore,82; 6, J MacKillop’s Zac, Fort Augustus, 80 Outbye; 7, M Davidson’s Jan, Lilburn, 80; 8, B Smith’s Lass, Dunrossness,75; 9, MC Shearer’s Heilan Rab, Westfield, 74; 10, I Sutherland’s Sid, Strathnaver, 72; Local – 1, MC Shearer’s Tib, Westfield, 92; 2, MC Shearer’s Heilan Rab, Westfield, 74; 3, M Grant’s Lass, Forss, 48; 4, V Shearer’s Bess, Westfield, 47; 5, J Grant’s Pat, Dunbeath, - ; 6, W Cormack’s Jill, Dunnet, - ; £300 raised for Scottish National funds.Aberfeldy (Judge: P Simpson, Kirriemuir) Open – 50 ran – 1, SL Davidson’s Kyle, Sandbank, 87; 2, L Hinneken’s K’eira, Quothquan, 85; 3, SL Davidson’s Maid, Sandbank, 83; 4, S MacFarlane’s Willow, Blairgowrie, 82.5; 5, C Davidson’s Fuzz, Sandbank, 82; 6, JR Welsh’s Sonny, Dalrymple ,70.

Beoch, Loch Doon (Judge:P Morgan, Ireland) Open – 70 ran – 1, A McCulloch’s Sam, Dalmellington, 88 /100; 2, J McGowan’s Tony, Portpatrick, 86 Outbye; 3, S McCrindle’s Zak, Palnackie, 86 Outbye; 4, N Gillon’s Boss, Barr, 86 Outbye; 5, SL Davidson’s Kyle, Sandbank, 86; 6, JW Common’s Grit, Lockerbie, 85; Double lift championship – 1, N Gillon’s Boss, Barr,129 /150; 2, A McCulloch’s Sam, Dalmellington, 110; 3, J McGowan’s Tony, Portpatrick,107; 4, S McCrindle’s Zak, Palnackie,104.

Northmavine, Shetland (Judge: MC Hughson, Scalloway) Open – 27 ran – 1, J Ramsay’s Fly, Ollaberry, 83 /100; 2, J Ramsay’s Drift, Ollaberry, 82; 3, J Nicolson’s Todd, Scalloway,81 Outbye; 4, B Smith’s Chip (Flash), Dunrossness, 81; 5, C Williamson’s Moss, Ollaberry, Outbye; 6, D Murray’s Sweep, North Roe,; Championship – 5 ran - 1, B Smith’s Chip (Flash), Dunrossness, 95 /110; 2, C Williamson’s Moss, Ollaberry, 85; 3, D Murray’s Sweep, North Roe, 83; 4, J Nicolson’s Todd, Scalloway,81; 5, J Ramsay’s Fly, Ollaberry, 80; Limit – 10 ran - 1, C Williamson’s Jed, Ollaberry, 46 /60; 2, C Williamson’s Flynn, Ollaberry, 40 Outbye; 3, R Colclough’s Malin, Westsandwick, 40; 4, J Nicolson’s Flo, Scalloway, 39; 5, J Ramsay’s Spot, Ollaberry, 30.

Northumberland League

Lilburn (Judge: D Wallace, Blyth Bridge) Open – 51 ran – 1, B Jordan’s, Cis, Whitfield, 88 /100; 2, B Jordan’s, Bozo, Whitfield, 84; 3, GC Gardner’s Meg, Lesmahagow, 78; 4, M Davidson’s Angus, Lilburn, 77; 5, D Henderson’s Star, Allendale, 68; 6, JJ Pattinson’s Boo, Roman Wall, 60; Novice – 1, C Pattinson’s Jean, Roman Wall.