July 09

South West Bulletin July 09

It is with sadness that we report that the West Country has lost two of its most well liked and respected Shepherds and Triallists. Tom Cox and Dave Parkman recently passed away within a short time of each other. Tributes to both men appear elsewhere in this magazine. Our condolences to both families.

The Trialling season is well under way, the results of which are regularly published in the Farmers’ Guardian and the Western Morning News in the south west.

Many of the venues provided are repeated year on year which allows familiarity and encourages folk from other parts of the UK to regularly compete. The opening trials at John Carters in May attracted at least 40 – 50 dogs for each of the four trials available over the weekend of 9th and 10th May. Similar numbers appeared for the Roughtor trial of 13th and 14th June. On these occasions trialling very often does not finish until almost dark! And then they all go down the pub!

Another trail very well attended was at Ian McKay’s Charity Trial on 7th June. This was a private trial held for the Paediatric Oncology Fund at Exeter Hospital. The new points certificate system (June 1st 2009) came into play at this trial.

On the other hand, trials held over the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend at Blisland and Tregony Cornwall attracted, in comparison, few competitors. Trials in the main part of England proved a stronger attraction.

From the beginning of July until the end of the season Cornwall has eleven trials having already run thirteen including the four in the one weekend. In the same period Devon has thirteen trials which include five for the Devon & Exmoor Society, after which, in September, there are two Championship Trials for D&E members only. Devon and Cornwall have their traditional Match on 19th September. For all D&E Trials please contact Jane Harper on 01837 810562. Contact Trevor Hopper on 01872 501886 for Cornwall Trials.

The main attraction is, of course, the English National Trial in third week of August – an update of which is included in this magazine. All our usual suspects have been collecting their minimum 12 points towards the Big One and we hope to have a good many West Country contenders.

Mavis Backhouse and Polly had a good nursery season and this team won the National Sheep Association Trial at Okehampton on 9th June over a very tricky and small course that had a slope away to a drop on the left hand side. This made the usual shape for a driving course impossible to arrange and as the sheep were freshly shorn Mule ewe lambs, handler and dog skills were sorely tested! The sheep worked better the second time around! Jane Harper was a creditable second with Dee with Graham Glanville and Jill third.

The design of the course had been influenced by crowd considerations and the proximity to the rest of the Show and considerations for the Sale which was conducted after the Trial had finished and in the same field.

A large pen was used for vendors’ dogs to ‘work’ the sheep and this was to minimise any potential crowd problems with loose sheep (and dogs). Despite its obvious drawbacks, Jed Watson used this system to advantage and his red and white 2 yr old bitch attracted the highest price of 1500 gns and Mr. Bennett from St. Austell attracted just over 1000 gns. for his 19 month dog by Bruce Ayre breeding that was surplus to his team of younger dogs. Other vendors were probably disappointed that their dog could not be handled in the conventional manner.

Reminder of Trials arranged in addition to published Trials

Saturday 1st August. John Whitely (01963 240618/ 07802 749925) will host an Open Trial at Babcary, South Somerset. On Sunday 2nd August is a Somerset Members trial at the same venue.
A further Autumn trial will be arranged for later in the year.

Sunday 16th August Only one day this year, entries to Tom Besant (01258 837918/ 07766 733515) Cheselbourne, Dorchester, Dorset.

Weekend 3rd/4th October. Rob and Anna Hawke (01722 718228 or email: hawke@onetel.com) Bishopstone Charity Trial Entries to Anna Hawke. Entries are restricted to 2 dogs per person and will close when sufficient numbers are received , but no later than 1st September.

To continue

Somerset held a Trial in May where Gordon Martin won the driving with Bess and John Whiteley took second and third with Meg and Sue. The Maltese was won by Graham Glanville and Tilly (good to see this team back in action) with Merrill Fox with gem and Ron Fouracres and Kim second and third.

A Somerset training day was held on Saturday 6th June at John Whiteley’s and was well attended and a second one on 5th July will be held at Richard Stock’s. For further information contact Alex Whiteley on 01963 240618. At these events there are some basic commands taught and an introduction to trialling

Training classes in the south west have started. There is one in Cornwall being looked after by Bill Muggeridge, Victor Pitts has one at his place near Exeter and John Whitely, near Somerton. Potentially there is another near Dartmoor and one near Bath. Numbers are lower than precious years despite the attraction of Funding making the cost, less. With close on 600 people having been to one or other of these courses since early 2002, perhaps we are running out of dogs and people!

The Training Booklet adopted by ISDS is proving popular and has been issued to all new handlers at the beginning of their course. They are available through the ISDS office (01234 352672) to bone fide non profit training groups.

We do have other sheepdogs than Border collies, currently a Huntaway X collie, at least one Kelpie and a Welsh sheepdog is looking to join the Bath group. The Old English Sheepdog that has attended quite a few sessions is a ‘slow learner’! I do worry about people who have Huntaways as their working sheepdog and who have little lowland fields and dainty sheep! Dartmoor – fine!

If anyone has experience of training Huntaways – or do they really train themselves – please contact me as I have several people looking to find out!

While at Sheep 2009 I saw a yard demonstration by a couple of Kelpie handlers. Kevin Reeves has been importing Australian Kelpies for many years and has built up some good blood lines. He showed us how the Kelpie works in a tight yard situation using his own sheep. While not making any real comment I found the whole experience very tough and noisy. I have to say that the dogs were well behaved and only ‘spoke’ on command. If people are interested in Kelpies, contact Kevin on 07774 710812 or Email: lyndhurst@vetty.fsnet.co.uk

Sometimes calls arrive from people who want to take up training and they live in out of the way places. Someone contacted us from the west of Scotland recently looking for an older dog to help with his Hebridean sheep. How very fortunate that we could put him in touch with John Casey of Campbeltown!

The website www.allaboutsheepdogs.com (non commercial) continues to attract a steady stream of enquiries. Should anyone like to advertise their Training course on this site, then perhaps they could contact us.

As a general thought there is the thought that if people are advertising their training classes perhaps a rough indication of their location would help when sending someone to the right area. So, pretty please, location, location, location!

A request arrived about re-homing a reasonably well bred registered 15 month bitch that had had rather a difficult start in life. She was certainly not suitable for working a flock of 400 ewes but clearly had a good work ethic. Very delicate was this operation as a local farmer had bought her from someone known to us and the whole transaction to a new home had to be done in secret! Anyway she is now a happy little person, joined at the hip with her lady handler and, hopefully, a good and fruitful life ahead of her. These situations are bit scary! One never knows whom one is likely to offend!

The Cerne Sheep Group is hoping to have a Club Trial in September this year – all August dates having been taken up! It will be around the last Sunday in September – the 27th. The venue is the Solley’s residence Ferndown Farm, Wynford Eagles, Dorchester. It is a fun trial with a barbeque.

Reference the May/June ISN, South West News - Anybody who is anybody knows that it is Ian McKay who is the stick-maker!

Lastly, one cannot imagine what possessed this lady but at a Trial a couple of years ago Bill Muggeridge was landed a kiss on his cheek and has had frequent sleepless nights since. Who was she? What is he missing out on? Is the lady fully recovered? Answers on a postcard, please!