Gilpa Platinum championship for Sîan

ON the first day, there were two qualifying sessions and on the morning of the second day there was the third. From each qualifier, the top three ran in a Double Fetch Final.

From the handler, dogs had to cross a bridge into the field which would be used for the in-bye work and then make their way onto a very steep hill where the sheep were held just under the top ridge of the hill.

When dogs reached the hill on the left for the second gather they immediately had to climb a slope before it levelled out before the sheep were reached.

Having been picked up the sheep had to be brought to a gap in a hedge that was straight in front of the fetch gates. The first drive was to the left and there was a shed before penning.

The winner of the Championship was I. Jones with Sîan on 23 points followed by E.W. Edwards and Cap on 26 points, who had both qualified from the second session.

Much of the final was run in appalling conditions but the excellence of the sheep over the two days made for a most successful and enjoyable event.

Double fetch

There was also two days of trials at Talgarreg with both days devoted to a double fetch trial with the same course used for both. The course at Blaenglowon Fawr, has been used before and it offers a first outrun of some 600 yards and a turn back of 400 yards.

On Monday, Merion Jones with Joe had a narrow two point margin over Nigel Watkins with Lad while Tuesday’s winner was Irwell Evans with Jess with Kevin Evans and Mirk a further six points back.

The course was set over two fields and for the dog to follow the correct line for the first outrun, it had to run, out of sight, in the bottom of a fold in the ground which ended when the dog climbed out into the field where the sheep were held.

Again these were trials where the sheep fully understood being worked by dogs but over the long distances of the fetch, some wobbles were inevitable.

Let out in each corner, the sheep had to be brought across the slope to white marker posts through which they passed to reach the fetch gates.

Unusually, there was no cross drive. This was an innovation and instead the drive gate on the right-hand side of the field consisted of three gates in line with the sheep being pulled back through the gates.

Newbridge-on-Wye

There was a shortish course, around 200 metres long, at Newbridge on Wye where for the first time, and instead of a full day, the afternoon of the first day there were Open and Novice South Wales classes with runs being combined.

The sheep hand to be handled with care. Often disturbed at the lift, they would run and took advantage of a downward slope towards to the handler.

In Saturday’s morning session, Kevin Evans with Mirk beat his father, David who was working Floss by a single point.

In the Novice National, David Howells with a combined run claimed a win here and a third place in the Open National.

The second session belonged to Aurwen Price with Jill with Mark Bufton and Mick who, although six points adrift, won the Novice class, beating his other dog Rob.