There is a well known saying, 'no pain, no gain' and that will be ringing true in the minds of Milk Link’s 1,600 producers, who are on the brink of reaping just reward for 12 years of loyalty and investment.Nan’s initiative is so shrewd
GOOD outbye work from Ewan Mackinnon’s Nan won the day at Aultguish.
The Cheviot gimmers ran reasonably well, but it took a good dog to control them over the big, rough 750-yard course.
The outrun took the dogs across a river, through a gate or fence wires, up the steep, heather hillside to lift the sheep and bring them down the long fetch, through a gate, back across the river on to a flat, but rough and rashy area where they went round their handler’s feet, completed a short drive, pen and shed.
Nan was the only dog to run out to the back of the sheep without a whistle and lift cleanly.
She worked well on the fetch, with only minor wavers and although the sheep faced her as she drove them through the rashes, she got her gates and finished the winning run with a clean pen and shed.
Run-off called
A run-off was called to separate the top runners of a tightly packed list at Balmaha, putting Jock Welsh’s Tanhill Sweep (A. Baines’ Rick and Meg) ahead of Kenny Donald’s Glengregg Cira (R. Goligher’s Ben, J.P. McGee’s Cloverhill Dollar).
The Blackface gimmers ran very well on the big, flat course.
But they were reluctant to go through the chute and reacted against any pressure at the shed, while many handlers found the cross drive gate hard to judge.
The two winning dogs worked steadily over the course, keeping good lines, so the judge set an exacting standard to find faults which would separate the work.
Sweep ran out a little square from Jock’s feet, but he worked well from there, with only minor flaws at individual elements on the course.
He had a clean chute, but took a little time to make his shed.
Cira worked very steadily outbye and drove well, but was not quite as authoritative as she might have been at hand.
SCOTTISH RESULTS
FELTAR, Shetland, Open (A.W.P. Hughson, Brunthamarsland, 31 ran): 1, W. Morrison (West Yell) Roy, 96 of 100; 2, A. Nicolson (Collafirth) Fleck, 90; 3, J. Ramsay (Ollaberry) Cap, 89; 4, A.J. Hughson (Brunthamarsland) Bob, 87; 5, I. Thomason (Fetlar) Lace, 87 Outbye; 6, I. Thomason, Trust, 87.
Limit: 1, A. Nicolson (Ollaberry) Scott, 52 of 60; 2, J. Ramsay (Ollaberry) Nell, 51; 3, R. Anderson (Ollaberry) Chance, 48; 4, K. Birkett (Orkney) Mirk, 46; 5, J. Ridland (Skeld) Rock, 45.
Doubles class: 1, A. Nicolson, Fleck and Kate, 117 of 130; 2, J. Nicolson (Scalloway) Nell and Meg, 106; 3, K. Birkett (Orkney) Tessa and Gift, 92.
Championship: 1, W. Morrison, Roy, 91 of 100; 2, A. Nicolson (Collafirth) Fleck, 82; 3, I. Thomason, Lace, 81.
AULTGUISH Open (D. Murray, Lairg, 33 ran): 1, E.C. Mackinnon (Lochcarron) Nan, 94 of 100; 2, I. MacDonald (Staffin) Ben, 86; 3, S.Grant (Strathcanaird) Mac, 82; 4, M. MacNally (Invergarry) Killiebrae Moss, 81 Outbye; 5, S.Grant (Strathcanaird) Vicky, 81; 6, E.C. MacKinnon, Gyp, 79. Local: 1, S.Grant, Mac, 82; 2, S Grant, Vicky, 81.
BALMAHA Open (J. McKillop, Fort Augustus, 80 ran): 1, J.R. Welsh (Dalrymple) Tanhill Sweep, 90 run-off; 2, K. Donald (Dalrymple) Glencregg Cira, 90; 3, D. Kinloch (Kilsyth) Boab, 89 Outbye; 4, D. Robertson (Luss) Shep, 89; 5, P. Hetherington (Minishant) Lynmar Hemp, 87; 6, M. Caul (Egnomoss) Dougie, 86.
Local: 1, D. Robertson (Luss) Shep, 89; 2, J. MacDougall (Milton of Buchanan) Robbie, 73; 3, J.W. McAllister (Milton of Buchanan) Jan, 72; 4, J.W. McAllister (Milton of Buchanan) Hope, 60; 5, D. Robertson (Luss) Sarfaen Mott, 56;
SOUTH KNAPDALE, Kilberry, Open (D. Galbraith, Comrie, 56 ran): 1, D. Robertson (Luss) Shep, 89; 2, J.R. Welsh (Dalrymple) Tanhill Nap, 88; 3, R MacDiarmid (Cairndow) Jim, 86; 4, J.J. Templeton (Fenwick) Spot, 85; 5, L Clark (Tarbert) Mirk, 84; 6, J. McLachlan (Spean Bridge) Greg, 83 Outbye.
Confined: 1, A Bevis (Ormsary) Susie, 65.
Monkwood Estate Novice III (W. Limmond, Maybole, 6 ran twice): 1, J. Ramsay (Glenluce) Glen, 179 of 200; 2, H. Young (Crosshill) Gael, 119; 3, M. McIlwraith (Stranraer) Nell; Monkwood Estate Novice IV (W. Limmond, Maybole, 10 ran twice): 1, J. Young (Dunlop) Murphy, 156; 2, J. Ramsay, Glen, 152; 3, P. Grieve (Neilston) Ozzy, 149.
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