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.Tom and Clyde’s double gather championship
ON Sunday, Tom Lawrenson and Clyde won the Clough Head double gather championship, while Chloe Cropper and Ned won the preceding trial.
Flat to start, the course climbed up a steep hillside to the lift 550 yards away.
Although the Cheviot and Cheviot cross Texel hoggs were good over the outfield, they were very hard to pen, where only two of the 32 trial competitors judged by Ian Salter had success.
At 24, Chloe and Ned had an excellent outfield run to gain the winning score of 78 without a pen.
In the championship the first gather for three sheep was to the right, then back left-handed for three more.
Measuring over 400 yards the driving was right-handed and to conclude there was a shed, pen and single.
Unfortunately, none of the eight contenders were able to pen, hence lost their single. Tom and Clyde were drawn fifth. Clyde had two clean outruns and clean lifts.
He was the only dog to turn back without hesitation and it was his excellent gathers which won him the day.
After controlled outfield work where just a few points were dropped for deviations he had a good shed to score 135 and take the title, seven points clear of the defending champions, Tim Longton and Jake who took second place on 128.
Held on Saturday, the two annual opens trials at Quernmore and Abbeystead, which are just a few miles apart, attracted good entries.
At Quernmore, the gather was downhill for packets of either four Mule or four Swaledale hoggs.
Good around outfield
The sheep were good around the outfield but hard to pen. Running in the early fifties, John Palmer’s Sly had controlled outfield work and then the strong advantage of a clean pen before concluding with a good single.
His score of 88 earned him his first open title.
At Abbeystead, the strong Swaledale hoggs were manageable over the course but they also proved very hard to pen.
Running was over a 14-acre meadow which sloped very gently downhill to the lift.
With a mid-morning run, David Carlton’s Ann managed her hoggs well over the outfield keeping good lines and catching all three obstacles.
Although she was unable to pen, her score of 70 took the title four points clear.
As part of the official opening as a designated National Nature Reserve two days of trialling took place last weekend on Skipwith Common, Selby.
Over a flat course, the running was on the Hebridean sheep that graze the common, which overall were good to manage.
Saturday’s entry of 36 was topped by Shirley Cropper with Tess who, running at 27, gained 92 points.
On Sunday, Brian Bell had an excellent round with Moss to earn 97 points and come top of the entry of 44.
ENGLISH RESULTS
CLOUGH HEAD, Grane Road, Haslingden, Lancashire, Open Trial (32 ran, judge, I. Salter, Foulridge): 1, C. Cropper (Water) Ned, 78 of 90; 2, S. Cropper (Deerplay) Boss, 76 OLF; 3, A. Kyme (Lumb) Moss, 76; 4, C. Cropper, Roy, 76; 5, R. Dean (Chipping) Moss, 75; 6, W. Bell (Earby) Meg, 74. Double Gather Championship (8 ran): 1, T. Lawrenson (Brindle) Clyde, 135 of 160; 2, Tim Longton (Quernmore) Jake, 128; 3, J. Cropper (Deerplay) Black, 127.
QUERNMORE, Rooten Brook, Lancaster, Open (65 ran, T. Rofe, Beaworthy): 1, J. Palmer (Twiston) Sly, 88 of 100; 2, F. Satterthwaite (Brough) Zac, 87; 3, A. Temple (Holmrook) Meg, 78; 4, R. Airey (Trawden) Bet, 77; 5, N. Ireland (Holmrook) Floss, 76; 6, D. Wood (Derwent Valley) Sal, 74. Money raised for Macmillan Nurses amounted to £200.
ABBEYSTEAD, Marshaw Farm, Trough of Bowland, Lancashire, Open (70 ran, T. Huddleston, Caton): 1, D. Carlton (Newton) Ann, 70 of 90; 2, A. Temple (Holmrook) Meg, 66; 3, T. Lawrenson (Brindle) Clyde, 65 OLF; 4, R. Dean (Chipping) Moss, 65; 5, R. Airey (Trawden) Bet, 64; 6, A. Kyme (Lumb) Moss, 62.
SKIPWITH COMMON, The Moat Field, Skipwith, Selby, North Yorkshire, Saturday Open (36 ran, J. Rangeley, Bolton Percy): 1, S. Cropper (Deerplay) Tess, 92 of 100; 2, M. Watson (Tadcaster) Clive, 90; 3, S. Cropper, Boss, 87; 4, J. Cook (Egton) Jade, 80; 5, G. Redpath (Dacre) Rose, 79; 6, M. Kinnes (Kilham) Nan, 78. Sunday Open (44 ran, J. Bell, Howden): 1, B. Bell (Hamsterley) Moss, 97 of 100; 2, J. Atkinson (South Milford) Rosewood Zac, 94; 3, M. Watson, Milo, 92; 4, J. Palmer (Twiston) Jim, 91; 5, B. Swinbank (Isle of Man) Nell 1, 90 OLF; 6, K. Gibson (Winksley) Rob, 90.
FAIRSPRING Farm, Ryal, Matfen, Northumberland, Open (43 ran, G. Rogerson, Wooler): 1, P. Turnbull (Rothbury) Mirk, 95 of 100; 2, A. Tait (Barrasford) Dale, 93; 3, G. Thompson (Edmundbyres) Red, 83 OLF; 4, A. Temple (Holmrook) Bob, 83; 5, P. Turnbull Dot, 81 OLF; 6, B. Jordan (Whitfield) Sugar, 81.
CORNWALL, Saturday, Tryingham Arms Trial, Trethern, Delabole, Open (38 ran, T. Hopper, Veryan): 1, J. Watson (Brecon) Merc, 84 of 90; 2, J. Nicholls (Buckland Brewer) Dan, 82; 3, J. Harper (Jacobstowe) Dee, 81; 4, R. Hayes (Witheridge) Ned, 80; 5, J. Carter (Delabole) Jaff, 79; 6, C. Turland (Daventry) Kelly, 78. Maltese-cross (35 ran, T. Griffiths, Lydney) Open: 1, J. Nicholls, Keri, 74 of 90; 2, J. Watson Hemp, 73; 3, J. Carter Jake, 70; 4, R. Watson (Holsworthy) Lad, 69; 5, W. Evans (Virginstow) Fay, 66; 6, I. Mackay (Lustleigh) Slip, 65. Novice: 1, J. Carter, Jim, 81 of 90; 2, W. Evans Merc, 70; 3, J. Watson Jake, 70; 4, C. Turland Red, 68. Sunday, West Rose Trial, Trethern, Delabole, Open (27 ran, J. Carter): 1, J. Watson Merc, 87 of 100; 2, C. Turland Kelly, 81; 3, J. Harper, Dee, 80; 4, M. Carter (Delabole) Jill, 78; 5, J. Nicholls Kim, 77; 6, W. Evans, Flick, 73. Maltese-cross (26 ran, J. Tucker, Brentor) Open: 1, J. Watson, Craig, 63 of 70; 2, R. Watson Lad, 62; 3, J. Watson, Gale, 60; 4, N. Dalgarno (Tregony) Scott, 59; 5, T. Griffiths, Keri, 56; 6, M. Carter, Blue, 53. Novice: 1, W. Evans, Merc, 62 of 70; 2, J. Watson, Jake, 55; 3, J. Watson, Jack, 50 OLF; 4, J. Nicholls, Joe, 50.
MID-SHIRES, Harringworth, Corby, Northants, Open (63 ran, G. Redpath, Dacre): 1, G. Watt (Saham Toney) Wallis, 86 of 100, TIME; 2, C. Neal (Wormegay) Tom, 86; 3, E. Lawless (Isle of Wight) Bill, 83 TIME: 4, G. Watt, Breeze, 83; 5, J. Thomas (Bicester) Nap, 83; 6, B. Smith (Ashbourne) Guto, 82.
SURREY, Sandhills Farm, Bletchingley (38 ran, W. Cole, Tillingham) Open: 1, Ray Edwards (Eartham) Spud, 75 TIME: 2, A. Jackman (Brockham) Joe, 75; 3, R. Moore (Ifield) Gilfach Glen, 72; 4, M. Greer (Hadlow) Tom, 71; 5, Ray Edwards, Sky, 67; 6, R. Putnam (Kirdford) Seren, 63. Novice: R. Moore, Nidderdale, Jill, 58.
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