Latest news with #WayleggoCup
West Australian
27-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
More than 200 working sheep dogs to take over Northam for Dogpro Supreme Australian Sheep Dog Championship
More than 200 working sheep dogs and their handlers will flock to Northam in August to compete for the top honour at one of Australia's largest sheep dog trials. The top four competitors at the 2025 Dogpro Supreme Australian Sheep Dog Championship will be chosen to compete against New Zealand at October's Wayleggo Cup in Ashburton in New Zealand's South Island. It has been nine years since the last competition was held in WA, when Malcolm Taylor and Somerville Nell took out the top prize. Bill Davidson from Tamworth, New South Wales, was crowned open champion at last year's competition with Grassvalley Flake. The trials will take place at Northam Recreation Centre from August 23 to August 31. About 220 working sheep dogs and their handlers are expected to take part in the free nine-day event. WA Working Sheep Dog Association president Grant Cooke has been competing for about 30 years and described the competition as 'pretty full-on'. 'We'll be running from daylight to dusk, and the sheep will come in and out every day,' he said. 'It's got two sections of driving, where the man, the dog and the sheep — you become more of a team and are able to influence the sheep help the dog.' While unsure if he is competing this year, Mr Cooke said he would take his nine-year-old border collie Bluey, a half-sister to Grassvalley Flake, to the trials. Bluey has competed against New Zealand twice in the Trans Tasman Test. Mr Cooke said the championships would involve about 1200 sheep, with no sheep used twice for the competitions, and include novice, improver and open classes. He described the competition is an 'adrenaline rush' for the competing dogs, mostly kelpies and border collies. WAWSDA began the first annual championship trials, held in Deloraine, Tasmania, in 1990.
Otago Daily Times
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
NZ keen to regain Wayleggo Cup
Winchmore farmer Mark Copland expects the New Zealand and Australian rivalry will be as strong as ever when the first whistle is blown in the transtasman sheep dog trials at Ashburton. The veteran dog triallist, who has captained New Zealand five of the nine times he has represented the team, has been named to lead the side again for the annual grudge match from the end of October to November 1. Mr Copland and heading dog Guy will be joined by fellow Cantabrian Ben Millar and King, Waikato's Leo Jecentho and Jake and North Otago's Lloyd Smith and Code. Southlander Brian Dickison and Dan are the travelling reserves. The Wayleggo Cup has been to-ing and fro-ing between the countries in the past few years, Australia winning last year. The Ashburton Showgrounds are a winning venue for New Zealand after they convincingly beat the visitors in 2023 when the late Neil Evans led the side. New Zealand triallists will have him in the back of their minds as well as Mr Smith whose wife Linda died earlier this year, when they step on to the course. Mr Copland said the team had a good blend of youthful enthusiasm and real experience. He said a lot was at stake. "That goes without saying that we will be trying to beat the Aussies. We are down parked in our part of the world and we are like-minded people, but like other sports we don't hold back, do we?" He said the team members possessed top dogs, Mr Jecentho's Jake achieving the uncommon feat of being in all four run-offs this year. Mr Smith had faced a tough year and it showed his character that he had so much strength within to perform well in competitions. "We will have Neil in mind and no doubt Lloyd's wife, Linda, of recent times so it's not been easy for people. You try and beat everyone else in normal times, but you also have a quiet thought for them too." Mr Copland said his own black and white heading dog Guy had just turned 5 and was a "hard case" after going though a tough run of problems thrown at him. "He's had a lot of adversity and has had a foot problem with his toenails, a broken tail and only two months ago he had a cut above his pupil in his eyeball. Christchurch vet Kirsten Wylie basically saved it by stitching the eye and grafting something over it to enhance the blood flow and then stitched the eyebrows together. I went back a week later she undid the stitching and said this looks promising and the eye looks very much normal." Mr Copland had a five-year stint from the mid-2000s as captain with a dog called Mary. He said the Australians liked competing in Ashburton because it was near Christchurch airport and they could be shown good dog country in the Rakaia Gorge area. They would also be able to "sink their teeth" if they wanted to enter a Tux yard dog competition also being held at the showgrounds. "We used to go there years ago when the manager was Tony Sheild, from Marlborough. Ironically, our team will be managed by one of his sons, David, who is now the new president of the NZ dog trial association. The acorn hasn't fallen far from the tree because he definitely looks very similar." He and wife Robyn have just moved off the family's Westmere farm in Dromore between Rakaia and Ashburton to make a new home on a 20ha block at upper Winchmore where, as well as running a few sheep and finishing cattle, he has bought a few stags and got his velveting licence. Their son, Hugh, and his wife, Kylie, have taken over the farm and the plan is to spend more time on dog trialling. Mr Copland was runner-up to winner Lindsay Wink from Weber in the national long head competition and also finished runner-up to Mr Jecentho in the South Island long head, at Lochiel Station. He was just outside of the main placegetters with fourth in the national short head and yard won by Mr Jecentho and was seventh overall in the South Island long short. Results NZ sheep dog trial championship results at Lochiel Station near Hanmer Springs: Long head: Lindsay Wink (Weber) Ghost, first round, 93.25 points, second round, 93.50pts, total 186.75pts, 1; Mark Copland (Methven) Don, 92.50pts, 94pts, 186.50pts, 2; Stuart Child (Te Anga) Carl 97.50pts, 88pts, 185.50pts, 3. Short head and yard: Leo Jecentho (Karioi) Jake 97.50pts, 98pts, 195.50pts, 1; Ben Millar (Glenroy) King 94.25pts, 93pts, 187.25pts, 2; Stuart Millar (Glenroy) Laddie 95.75pts, 87pts, 182.75pts, 3; Mark Copland (Methven) Guy 96pts, 84pts, 180pts, 4. Zig zag hunt: Samantha Shaw (Matawai) Rogue 96.75pts, 96pts, 192.75pts, 1; Andy McNab (Mt Nessing) Kahn 97.80pts, 91pts, 188.80pts, 2; Sam Jamieson (Mackenzie) Gary 95.75pts, 82pts, 177.75pts, 3. Straight hunt: Steve Murphy (Whangamomona) Bridge 98pts, 97pts, 19pts, 1 ; Grant Plaisted (Waikari) Coke 97.50pts, 96.50pts, 194pts, 2; Dan Jury (Petane) Ice 97.25pts, 95pts, 192.25pts, 3.
Otago Daily Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Chances of NZ win pretty good: triallist
East Otago triallist Lloyd Smith and his heading dog Code are in a team out to beat their Australian rivals and bring home the Wayleggo Cup. Smith talks to Shawn McAvinue about their surprise selection and his successes during more than 40 years at the top level of the sport. A wooden sign covered in moss on a fence on the sheep and beef farm of Lloyd Smith in Palmerston reads "dog training paddock". The time spent in that paddock continues to pay off for the veteran triallist. Smith and his heading dog Code have been selected for the New Zealand team to contest the Wayleggo Cup in a transtasman test series over two days at the Ashburton A&P Show from October 31. Australia holds the cup after winning in Geelong, southwest of Melbourne, last year and Smith said the Kiwis would "endeavour to get it back". In Australia, the home team has the upper hand because they use merino sheep which had limited contact with people, and New Zealand dogs were new to the wild nature of the Aussie flock. In New Zealand, crossbred sheep were used, bringing its own home advantage. "It is a bit like preparing a cricket wicket, you prepare it for the home team," he said. The other New Zealand team members are captain Mark Copland and his dog Guy, of Methven Collie Club in Canterbury Centre, Leo Jecentho and Jake, of Karioi Sheep Dog Trial Club in Waikato Centre and Ben Millar and King, of Glenroy in Canterbury Centre. The reserve is Brian Dickison and dog Dan, of Greenvale Dog Trial Club in Southland Centre. "It is a pretty strong team. I like to think we have a pretty good chance," Smith said. Smith and Code competed in the short head and yard at the South Island and New Zealand Championships at Lochiel Station in Hanmer Springs recently and placing fifth in the South Island champs, drawing seventh and final place in the run-off at nationals. The duo finished sixth in the national championships. Code had a good run to the pen but did not yard the Romney flock. Code did not place in the top three at nationals, Smith was surprised to have been selected for the New Zealand team. He and Code also competed in the national run-off last year. The consistent performance of the 5-year-old dog might have helped them get selected for the national team, he said. Code was the progeny of Smith's bitch Samantha and a dog Crest, owned by his son-in-law Scott Hunter in Omarama. Smith's farm near Palmerston was once twice the size. He and his late wife Linda sold half of it so they could semi-retire and continue farming, rather than sell up and move to town. "I keep some dogs on and can carry on doing what I enjoy doing." He now runs about 250 ewes and about 45 beef cattle. His wife — who he described as his biggest supporter — died in February this year after battling cancer. The couple's 50th wedding anniversary was the same month she died. Smith has been dog-trialling for more than 40 years. His first year competing was with huntaway Oak in Lowburn in 1982. The pair won a national championship in 1983. "He was an exceptional dog." He won four New Zealand hunt titles before he won a heading title. As you age, a heading dog suits you better, he said. "I don't have the work for the young huntaways anyway." Since starting in the sport, he had placed 69 times in island and national championships, competing with 24 dogs. "I have been there or there or thereabouts for the last 40-odd years." Some of the scores of trophies he won were on display in his house, some were in cabinets, some were used as door stops. The rest were stored in a shipping container outside. The prizes include five green ties for winning national championships. He had also won six island championships. Smith has represented New Zealand before. He and his dog Ace won the New Zealand champs in Gore in 2010 and got selected for the New Zealand team. Being able to represent your country was a "great thrill". "When you are standing out there and the national anthem is being played, it makes you feel pretty proud." Ace had the same mother as Code. Smith then made the national team again in Wānaka with heading dog Risk about two years later. Risk broke her leg before she was able to compete. He had been reserve for the transtasman test twice including Ashburton in 2023 but was never called on to compete. The Wayleggo Cup competition course was split in four sections. Two sections were run under New Zealand rules and two sections were run under Australian rules. "You have to be mindful if you are in a New Zealand section or an Australian section." Under New Zealand rules, triallists were more free to move their body in a way to coax a flock in a direction. Australian rules meant a triallist had to stand still during a certain part of the course. "Their rules take a bit of adjusting to. Here you are allowed to move your arms and help the dog but over there it is not allowed so you've virtually got to put your hands in your pockets." Smith is the president of the Waihemo Collie Club in the North Otago Centre, a position he had held before. "We are limited member-wise so they are getting into recycling us oldies now. It is a good wee club." His late wife was a life member of the club and her involvement included running the cookshop. Winter was a good time to train working dogs, as there was less farm work to do than usual. Training a pup and taking it to the top level of the sport was the "ultimate", he said. "A pups isn't born with bad habits. The reason they end up with them is people let them develop." Wayleggo Cup What: Annual transtasman sheep dog trial test series. Test series: 37. New Zealand won: 22. Australia won: 15. Where: Alternates between the two countries. This year: Ashburton from October 31. Current cup holder: Australia. First competition: Brisbane in 1985.
