Katrina Brandon
ONE extreme to another was brought to the 28th Annual Beloka Kelpie Championships in Welshpool, with a wet end to November and a sunny but wet start to December.
More than 70 people attended the Kelpie trials over the weekend, hailing from all corners of the state and even some from New South Wales.
Everyone was welcome to enter, from young pups and older dogs to young handlers and older folks.
November 30 started with a downpour of almost 20 millimetres, followed by the open yard trail, encourage/local, novice utility trial, cattle trial, instinct testing, city slicker sheep dog trails and novelty events such as dog high jump and farm agility.
Due to high attendance, most events ran long, with some contenders holding back by the fire to stay warm while waiting for their turn.
The crowd of handlers and dogs ranged from beginners to ‘city slickers’ to farmers to professionals and experienced trial runners. The weekend allowed attendees to network with different Kelpie owners, test the skills of their pup or pups, learn different skills, and have fun while spending time with their beloved Kelpies.
Photos: Katrina Brandon
To end the day on a good note, those camping overnight could dine together over a roast in the main Beloka shed. Many conversations around tables and the campfire warmed up the night as it ended.
Some Saturday trials were pushed back to December 1 due to high demand and high weather pressure, leaving not enough options for some, especially for the city slicker sheep dog trial division.
Starting on a warmer note, the Sunday followed with more yard trials (novice), utility trails (open), cattle trials (novice), instinct testing
and city slickers, as well as more additions such as duck trials, a working dog race and puppy trials for pups under five or 10 months old.
Winners
Top Dog Challenge and Yard Trial (Open) – Travis Scott with Pin;
Yard Trial (Novice) – Stephen Bullas with Clancy;
Yard Trial (Encourage) – Marcus Taylor with Molly;
Yard Trial (Local) – Stacey Jans with Issy;
Utility Trial (Open) – Travis Scott with Pin;
Utility Trial (Novice) – Stephen Bullas with Clancy;
Cattle Trail (Open) – Andrew Whelan with Victor;
Cattle Tria (Novice) – Andrew Whelan with Burls;
Duck Trials – Chris Davies with Harry, followed by Ms Davies’ dogs Whiskey (second) and Zoe (third);
City Slicker Sheep Dog Trail (Saturday) – Max Douglas with Roger, scoring 99 out of 100;
City Slicker Sheep Dog Trail (Sunday) – Marie Todd with Billie;
Dog High Jump – Marie Todd with Storm;
Farm Agility and Working Dog Race – Ally Hook with Jaffa;
Puppies on Sheep (under five months) – Paul Ward with Sonic, and;
Puppies on Sheep (under 10 months) – Carolyn Houston with Vaila.
