Season summary for the Waimea Sheep Dog Trial Club
Julie Edwards and Coco compete in dog trials, aiming to secure vital qualification points for championships. Photo: Supplied.
Sally Powell - Waimea Dog Trial Club
The dog trialling season is winding to a close and will culminate with the combined South Island and National Championships to be held at Lochiel Station, Hanmer Springs from Sunday 25th May. The Waimea Club has had another successful year, with club member Ali Eggers travelling north to win the maiden section of the Tux Yarding Challenge with his dog, Moss.
Moss also won the maiden section of the short head and yard at the Nelson Lakes trial and so now becomes an intermediate dog. Perhaps even more noteworthy are the successes of Russell Lawrence and his dog Tui. Tui won the maiden section of the short head and yard at the Awatere trial and so became an intermediate dog.
Just two weeks later, the same dog won the intermediate category of the same event at Nelson Lakes and so now competes as an open dog. The jump from intermediate to open is a considerable one and we look forward to seeing how Tui fares in “the big leagues”.
Behind the scenes, the Waimea Sheep Dog Trial Club along with the Tapawera Dog Trial Club has been fundraising to replace scrim and an ageing portable bridge used in their trials and at the A & P Show. Both clubs would like to acknowledge the generous sponsorship from ITM Motueka which has made the bridge project a much more achievable goal.
Another joint project between both clubs will be the hosting of the Tux Yarding Challenge heat for the top of the South, in October 2025. Hosted for the last few years by Richmond Brook, it will now come to the Nelson side of the Whangamoa and be held at Emma and Ali Eggers’ property, Rowandale. This is new territory for both clubs and the event will be scaled down to involve heading dogs only, but extensive planning is already underway to make the event a success, with the intention of potential growth in future years.
The winter will be filled with training days and fundraising opportunities that will continue to fuel enthusiasm for the sport locally. For further information on dog trialling, go to the Facebook page of Waimea and Tapawera Dog Trial clubs or the NZSDTA website.