Chloe and Elaine show fields way home at Trawden

George Redpath judged Trawden’s seventh and final nursery of the season which was concluded by the championship. Held at Lower Twiston, near Clitheroe, the mainly flat course had a fetch of approximately 250 yards which was gathered either way. Provided they were not unduly pushed, the Mule gimmer hoggs were very good to manage.

Due to fog, the trial was delayed until 11am, so each competitor was allowed to run just one dog – giving an entry of 26.

At 17, Richard Hutchinson had a very good round to take the lead with Sweep on 82 of 90 points.

With the following run, Elaine Hill pulled ahead with Kate. As Kate progressed over her left-hand outrun, her sheep ran back to the holding pen, but the shepherds managed to push them out into the field just before she arrived.

Her outrun and lift were clean, but as the sheep were unsettled, she lost four marks – mainly from the first half of her fetch as she steadied them and worked them on to line.

Kate lost three marks from the middle section of driving, then had a clean return to the pen, where her sheep went straight in.

With 83 points, Kate took her second nursery title, having taken her first win in November – also at Trawden.

Six contenders

In the championship of six contenders, all winners, just two dogs gathered left handed and Chloe’s Gilly was one of them. He had a clean outrun before losing three points from his lift.

As they progressed down the first leg of the drive, the four hoggs strayed off line and split, costing three marks. A single point was lost from both the cross-drive and the return, before Gilly had a clean pen. Losing an odd point for slight hesitation at the shed. His score of 91 of 100 points, failed to be matched.

Gilly’s closest contender was John Palmer’s Sly. He had a faultless start before losing three marks over the fetch, and five marks from his driving.

One sheep slipped up the side of the pen before going in, which cost a point and, with three marks deducted from a slightly unsettled shed, Sly was the runner-up on 88.

Gilly, which took his first win in October at Trawden, won in November at Northern and earned a third title at the end of January at Holme. On Saturday, both he and his young custodian won their first nursery championship.

There was another delayed start due to fog at the North Westmorland trial held at Greystoke on Sunday.

Over a mainly flat course, the running was on packets of five Herdwick hoggs which proved quite testing.

At 32, Alec Baines had the winning nursery run with Tanhill Will on 80 points, the highest score of the day.

His nearest contender was Dennis Purdham’s Jess who scored 78 with run 39.

Clear winners

Derek Scrimgeour and Zac were the clear winners of the novice class with run 26 on 79 – five clear of runners-up Joseph Relph and Bet.

Joe Lowry won best new handler with Sky.

At the Windermere nursery held on Sunday at Crosthwaite, Fred Ingham judged the entry of 36 dogs.

Running was on mostly Herdwick hoggs, along with some Swaledales.

At 12, Tim Longton had the winning trial with Kim, on 77 points, her third win with a single-point advantage over the runner-up, William Bell’s Meg.

Best new handler went to Sally Temple with Cap.

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