Trial win for Ford but Tess wins the Championship

Set on rough and in places boggy ground over the lower slopes of Deerplay Hill the sizeable course rose gently to the lift. Running was on difficult Cheviot hoggs that would split and bolt if pressed too hard, but would turn and face any dog that was too careful.

In the trial of 34 entries judged by Alastair Lyttle the standard was set at nine when Shirley and Tess gained 75 points. However, at 12 Jim went ahead with Ford. After a clean gather Ford lost a single point from his lift, a total of eight points for line deviations over the course and with one point dropped at the pen he earned the winning score of 80.

He was bred in August 2008 by Charlie Pickford of Rainow out of Midge and sired by his master’s Black. This was his fourth win of the season. Charlie Barcroft won best young handler with Tess.

In the championship the running was on packets of four sheep which the seven contenders had to be split after the pen. Drawn second Tim Longton set the standard with Kim gaining 76 of 100 points.

Fourth to the post Shirley and Tess matched their score. The medium coated bitch managed her sheep well catching all three obstacles and having a good pen before losing four points for hesitation at the shed.

Losing one point less over her outrun, lift and fetch gave Tess her first championship title on an out-bye decision. She had previously taken three nursery wins. Tess was bred in November 2007 by J.B. Wilde of Quarnford out of Jan and sired by his Mirk.

Ryedale

The Ryedale Society concluded its nursery season on Saturday at Nova Lane, Middleton, where Jack Hollows judged the trial entry of 24. Set over slightly rising ground the course had a fetch approaching 200 metres.

Worked in packets of five the Mule gimmer hoggs were quite good around the course but could be tricky to pen. At number 12, David Bristow had the winning run with Parksfarm Bella. The worst part of an otherwise controlled and steady trial was Bella’s fetch where she slipped three sheep at the obstacle.

With slight hesitancy at the pen costing a couple of marks her score of 80 gave her a two point advantage over runners up James Read and Swift. Bella was bred in April 2008 by John Bell of Howden out of Fern and sired by his Ben. This was her fourth title and she also won the aggregate in a closely fought battle with Philip Exelby’s Perrydale Lisa.

Charles Cutler and John Rangeley judged the championship of 11 contenders with the running once again on five sheep with a shed after the pen.

Drawn third Malcolm Mason took the lead gaining 156 of 200 points with Bet. However, their score was soon to be pushed down into second place for with the following run James Howard had the winning round with Zac.

After a faultless start Zac lost some points for line deviations. He penned clean but took his shed on the second attempt to score 164 and take his first championship title having previously taken four nursery wins. Zac was homebred in July 2008 out of Jill and sired by James Richardson’s Staff.

Northern

The Northern Association also held its final trial on Saturday the venue being at Downholme, near Richmond.

Over a sizeable rising course with a fetch of about 350 metres the running was on strong Swaledale hoggs. The sheep were quite challenging over the outfield and forever looking for an escape route at the pen. Brian Hope judged the trial entry of 34 and then the concluding championship of eight contenders.

In the trial, Alec Baines took the lead with Tanhill Joe at 18 gaining 72 points. Although this score won the committee nursery it took second placing in the overall nursery to John Palmer and Ben who took their first win with the penultimate trial on 75 points.

Ben was bred in March 2008 by Alf Kyme of Lumb out of Meg and sired by David Whitehead’s Roy. Drawn sixth in the championship John and Ben took the lead with 83 of 100 points.

With the following run Robert Hutchinson and Jill took the title on 85. Although the two trials were similar, both having good starts and finishes, Jill had a slightly sweeter run to take the championship title two points clear.

She was bred by John Herbert of Barnard Castle out of Meg and sired by her master’s Tanhill Taz. In another closely contested aggregate Jill was the runner up to John Edgar’s Sally.

The following day at the Northern versus Ryedale Inter-club, hosted by the Northern Association at the same venue, Jill won the trial to take her second title that weekend.

With 88 of 100 points she was 12 marks clear of teammate Alec Baines’ Tanhill Will in second place. It was a double victory for Northern as they also won the team trophy.

Inter-club

The Cheshire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire Inter-club, hosted by Fulwood Booth, was held on Sunday at Peak Forest. The Dovedale Society was victorious having the highest team scores in both the novice and nursery classes and taking both individual titles with Harold Owen winning the novice class with Meg while Gus Dermody won the nursery class with Gem.

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