Meg’s clean pen proves the difference at Lonscale

Although the gather and fetch remained the same as at the previous trial, the drive was changed to go right-handed. The first leg was long and climbed up the hill. Coming downhill over the cross-drive, the fetch obstacle doubled up to become the last hurdle, which was a pull through.

Throughout, the Swaledale gimmer hoggs were very good to handle over the outfield, but some packets played up at the pen. Mark Pickering judged the entry of 35.

With an early run, Jim Cropper had a very good round with Fleet. They lost just two points from their fetch and two from their driving to score 86 of 90. They were relegated into second place when, with a later run, Arthur pulled ahead with Meg.

The tri-coloured bitch had a clean outrun and lift before losing a single point for a minor deviation down her fetch. She dropped two marks over her driving and finished with a clean pen to gain the winning score of 87.

With the penultimate run, Derek Scrimgeour had a near perfect outfield run with Zac, only losing a point before the pen, but difficulty at the final task cost four marks to put them in third place on 85. Just turned eight years old, Meg was bred by J. Penhaligon, of Truro, out of Bess and sired by Scott.

Arthur and Meg almost gained a second title at the Lee End open trial held at Quernmore. Set over a mostly flat field, the course had a fetch approaching 225 metres (250 yards) that most gathered right-handed where the dogs passed between the holding and the sheep.

If handled in a quiet manner the Herdwick hoggs were reasonable to manage around the outfield but were tricky to put into the ungated pen. After the pen the last of the three hoggs had to be singled. Nick Bennett judged the entry of 70 dogs.

Good standard

Arthur and Meg set a good standard running at 12, losing 15 points for a score of 85, mostly for line deviations. They stood top until, in the afternoon, with run 45, David Harrison and Ben had the winning round.

After a clean start, Ben lost four marks for deviations down the fetch before an excellent drive saw him lose a single point.

He had difficulty at the pen, where five of his penning points were lost, but finishing with a clean single gave him the winning score of 88. A rough coated tri-coloured dog, seven-year-old Ben was bred by M. Harrison of Selside, out of Jess and sired by Alan Leak’s Tom.

After a very successful nursery season on Sunday, John Wood and Jim took their first open win at Berry Moor, near Barnsley.

Throughout, the Cheviot and Texel-cross hoggs were quite good to handle provided they were not pressured. Worked in packets of four there was a split after the pen.

John and Jim went to the post at number seven. They had an excellent start losing just one point from their gather and one from their fetch.

Two marks were deducted for minor deviations as the sheep were driven downhill over the first leg of the right hand drive and then a further two marks went as the sheep came back up the hill over the cross-drive.

Jim lost one point over the return to the pen where, for hesitation, another point went. Finishing with a clean shed his score of 82 was not matched.

Running at 12, Stuart Wilkinson’s Tess was his nearest contender, taking second on 80.

Jim was bred in December 2006 by Martin Lund of Oakworth, out of Star, a daughter of John’s Scott and sired by Iain Ibbotson’s Zac. He was reared and trained by his master from a pup.

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