DogPro Plus Muresk State Arena Sep 5th-9th

The venue for this years State Championship Arena trial was Muresk, 15kms out of Northam in WA’s Wheatbelt. The trial was run by the Great Southern Sheepdog Club.

Muresk Institute is an Agricultural education and training facility approximately 100km east of Perth.

The last time a trial was held here was in 2016.

It is  a lovely venue for a trial, with an elevated camping area allowing everyone a full view of the trial ground.

The weather was typical spring weather but it did get a little warm on the last day.

Each night bought with it a crunching frost, so people awoke to frozen windscreens and bitter cold.

Everyone started the day wrapped in many layers of clothing which was removed as the day wore on.

The sheep were 18 month old merinos recently shorn. They were very good trial sheep, workable but with enough in them to create a challenge.

The open was run first to allow the sheep to be re-used for the novice, but keeping fresh sheep for the finals.

The open sheep worked well through the race and over the bridge, but took a dislike to the pen and many top runs came unstuck here, as the sheep refused to enter. Some handlers and dogs, after having completed the course up to the pen with the loss of only a few points, had to watch in dismay as the sheep did laps of the pen or made a break down the ground, ringing off many points as they went.

Generally the sheep were fairly quiet, some taking the dogs on or quietly grazing and refusing to move.

They were similar in the improver, but the re-worked sheep for the novice were the most difficult. They knew their way back towards the let-outs and even if the dog managed a pickup they would belt back down the ground at every opportunity. There were only 6 scores in this event from 41 entries. In the Improver there were 15 scores from 32 entries and in the open there were 34 scores from 60 runs.

Results.

Novice, judged by Tanya DeBijl.

1st. Len Morton. Perengary Sadie. 52+77=129.

2nd. Rod Forsyth. Barkervale Clark. 48+71=119. Kelpie.

3rd. Dave Lacey. Coshies Kimba. 62+44=106.

4th. Dave Lacey. One and Only Sue. 54+38=92.

5th. Jenny Nolan. Nolans Nitro. 45+34=79.

6th. Dave Lacey. Brands Hatch. Tusker. 57+X=57.

Improver, judged by Phill Dorrell.

1st. Jane Dorrell. Perengary Buster. 77+73=150.

2nd. Simon Leaning. Marionvale Mindy.76+64=144. Kelpie

3rd. Len Morton. Perengary Sadie. 74+65=139.

4th. Nan Lloyd. Kumbark Ace. 75+49=124. Kelpie.

5th. Peter Gorman. Pendalup Cloudy. 79+X=79.

6th. Rod Forsyth. Barkervale Austin. 70+X=70. Kelpie.

7th. Dave Lacey. Coshies Kimba. 66.

8th. Neil Kristianson. Princes Delta. 61

=9th. Marianne Rogers. Ok Anwenelle. 60.

=9th. Helen Svalbe. Booninning Swag. 60 Kelpie.

Open, judged by Neil Kristianson.

1st. Ivan Solomon. Perengary Sasha. 90+91=181.

=2nd. Tony Boyle. Boyle Midget. 91+87=178.

=2nd. Dave Lacey. Akoonah Lady. 94+84=178.

4th. Grant Cooke. Badgingarra Fly. 91+76=158.

5th. Peter Gorman. Coshies Dusty. 85+70=155.

6th. Simon Leaning. Marionvale Mindy. 85+68=153. Kelpie.

7th. Tony Boyle. Boyle Sugar. 90+59=149.

8th. Nan Lloyd. Kumbark Rocket. 88+60=148. Kelpie.

9th. Grant Cooke. Grassvalley Bluey. 91+37=128.

10th. Peter Gorman. Princes Sally. 94+X=94.

=11th. Ivan Solomon. Rocky Fran. 86+RTD=86.

=11th. Frank Sutherland. Pendalup Sue. 86+X=86

Novice winners, Len Morton and Perengary Sadie.

Corey Rose and Boylee Pick.

Neil Kristianson and Princes Delta, trying to deal with a sheep that though

the safest place was right next to him.

Dave Lacey's Akoonah Lady, nose to nose at the bridge.

Jane Dorrell and Perengary Buster, Improver winners.

Novice. Jenny Nolan 5th, Rod Forsyth 2nd, Len Morton 1st.

(Dave Lacey, 3rd and 4th, Absent)

Improver. Rod Forsyth 6th, Jane Dorrell 1st, Simon Leaning 2nd, Nan Lloyd 4th,

Peter Gorman 5th, Len Morton 3rd.

Open. Tony Boyle =2nd, Peter Gorman 5th, Grant Cooke 4th, Simon Leaning 6th,

Ivan Solomon 1st. (Dave Lacey =2nd Absent.)

Patrons awards were presented to handlers who are not in the winners circle but had

performed well at the trial.

Novice winner was Frank Maynard, Improver winner Marianne Rogers and open winner was Brad Rose.

Photos and Article from Nan Lloyd