Peter Hetherington’s sheepdog Liz tastes success

The big Blackface hoggs took advantage of any weakness in the dogs, but appreciated the gentle attitude of a prize list dominated by recent nursery graduates and older bitches.

The field was flat and compact, but the sheep went out of view of the dogs after they left the release pen and this made the outrun the hardest part of the course, some dogs crossing, others needing corrective whistles.

Liz ran out, lifted and fetched the hoggs through the fetch gate, flawlessly. She took them neatly round Peter’s feet and although she got her drive gates, some flanking was called for to keep them on track. Liz put them through the chute without any trouble, but the shed was harder.

The sheep were restless, but Peter took advantage of a 2/2 split to call the dog in and turn on a pair. The combination of senior handler/younger dog worked well and David Shennan and Meg fitted the same bill as the winners.

Meg walked the sheep quietly around the course, again running out and lifting faultlessly, and the work looked good until on the first leg of the drive, the sheep turned and went back towards the handler.

Costly mistake

Meg retrieved the sheep and continued on the drive, but the gaffe had created a hole in the work which cost them the trial. The chute went well and although the hoggs played up at the shed, the run took second place.

A complex course tested the dogs at Saline. The sheep had to run out through one of a pair of gates, one on either side of the course onto rougher ground.

Once the four Mules had been lifted, they were fetched round a series of obstacles before coming back through to the original field, through the fetch gate, turned round the starting post and driven away, eventually to be penned and finally, separated in a shedding ring.

Andy Carnegie’s victorious Lark ran to the left and lifted comfortably, had minor wavers on fetch and drive, penned cleanly and finished with a good shed.

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