Richard and Mac’s narrow Tewitfield Open win

Malcolm Mason judged the entry of 28 as they worked mixed breeds of store lambs over a sizeable hillside course.

Although the sheep were testing, both over the outfield and at hand, running at number 12, Mac had his packet’s measure.

To either side there was open ground where the dogs could run too wide over their outruns.

Mac gathered right-handed and lost two marks for going slightly wide before lifting his sheep without fault. As he brought his hoggs down the steep fetch, two points were deducted for minor line deviations. His driving was good as he dropped only three points over all three sections.

A chute replaced the pen where, for hesitation, half a point was lost. To finish, the last sheep had to be singled, where Mac lost one-and-a-half points to score 91. At 15, Jim Cropper and Fleet had another good round despite one sheep causing problems by splitting from the others. They finished as runners-up on 90 points.

Four-year-old Mac was bred by Kevin Evans of Modrydd out of Mist and sired by Kemi Zac. Richard started to compete in the nursery classes with Mac in December 2008 after a 10-year break from trialing.

The pair did well and concluded the season by winning the North Westmorland Sterling Cup and Nursery Championship.

Two open trials were held on Easter Monday at the elevated location of Deerplay.

Lower slopes

Running was over a sizeable course set on the lower slopes of the hill. Worked in threes, the Cheviot hoggs were not easily managed over the outfield and, in general, were very hard to pen. Frank Cleary judged the morning entry of 31 dogs.

At four, Gus Dermody set the standard with Gem and stood top on 83 points until Alf Kyme and Sally ran at 24. For stopping marginally short at the end of her outrun, Sally lost one point before having a clean lift.

She had a wide turn at her master’s feet, losing three marks, but could not be faulted throughout her driving. Finishing with a clean pen, her score of 86 took the title with a three-point advantage. Six-year-old Sally was home-bred out of her master’s Meg and sired by his Spot.

Chloe Cropper judged the second session with an entry of 36. In the afternoon it became very windy, causing hearing difficulties for the dogs and making the hoggs more unsettled.

At 10, Alan Bradley took the lead with Goe, gaining 77 points. However, again with run 24, Alec Baines and Tanhill Joe gained 79 points to win the trial by two points. Joe had a clean gather then dropped one mark from his lift. He managed his flighty hoggs well, working them through all three obstacles but lost a total of eight points.

Losing just two marks, he was one of the few dogs to pen – giving Joe his first open title.

David Harrison judged the entry of 50 at the open trial at Lee End Farm, Quernmore on Saturday.

Over a mainly flat course, the running was on Herdwick hoggs which were reasonable to manage over but hard to pen.

With an early run at number six, Frank Cleary had an excellent round with Peg. Apart from dropping an odd mark from her lift and losing two points for deviations down the fetch, Peg’s run could not be faulted. Unlike many, her sheep walked straight into the pen and she finished by singling the last sheep.

‘Cracking run’

“It was a cracking run, the best I have ever judged,” remarked David.

No-one came close to matching Peg’s score of 97 points.

Her nearest contender, Thomas Longton’s Spot, running at 26, was runner-up on 91.

On Sunday 39 dogs ran at the North Reston open judged by John Rangeley. There was a good crowd and £200 was raised for the village church.

With a gentle gradient up to the lift, the fetch was approximately 250 yards. Running was on packets of four strong Scotch half-bred gimmer hoggs which could be stubborn.

Jim Cropper took both first and second placings with litter brothers Black and Fleet. His winning run was at number six with Black.

After a clean gather, Black lost one point from his lift before having a faultless fetch. Driving was to the left with a lengthy middle section where the obstacle was hard to judge.

For deviations, Black dropped five marks from his driving. Four points were lost at the pen before he finished with a clean shed, which gave him a strong advantage as the sheep were very hard to split.

With 90 points, Black was five clear of Fleet who had a faultless start, lost five from his driving, six at the pen and four at the shed.

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