Tasmania’s best sheepdogs were put to the test at the Tasmanian Working Sheepdog state championships last weekend.
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Held at the Campbell Town War Memorial Oval, the event saw handlers and dogs from across the state competing in open, improver and novice categories.
Boyer’s Bruce Dolliver won the novice event while Bridport’s Malcolm Taylor proved a standout performer, pairing with Somerville Nell to clinch the improver category ahead of Martin Waddingham and Megan Rowles, and placing second in the open category.
The five-time state championship winner also combined with Me Mate Shades to record the highest score of the event - 87 points - but it wasn’t enough to see off Michael Grant and McGlashans Minty, who scored 86 and 81 points to claim the open title.
Tasmanian Working Sheepdog Association president Lance Clifford said the victory was the latest in a stretch of impressive results for the Westbury handler.
“Michael Grant who won the trial also won the trial the first time we held our championships at Campbell Town in 2012 with Minty,” Mr Clifford said.
“He also won last year's competition which was held at the Tasmanian Craft Fair in Deloraine with another one of his dogs Fleetwood Dot, so he's had a pretty good run the last few years.”
The dogs didn’t have it all their own way thanks to Riccarton farmer Crosby Lyne’s sheep, which proved a worthy opponent and left a number of handlers contemplating lower scores in the finals.
“They're very good trial sheep, this year they really tested the dogs out but the winners put up good scores and showed how good they are at handling these sheep.”
Mr Clifford said crowd numbers were slightly down at this year’s event, which was held on the same weekend as a number of popular event including Longford Blooms, Sally’s Ride and the Deloraine Show.
“We didn’t get as many spectators as we normally get because there were a lot of things on this weekend.
“Normally we get a pretty full crowd around the arena, especially on the last day and a lot on the Saturday.”
The next TWSDA event will be held at Exeter on December 10 and 11.