"I lost interest — I didn’t have my dogs the way they should be."
He had won a New Zealand title and four island titles and he judged the sport at the highest level.
When he judged, his wife would clerk for him.
"She was probably just about as good a judge as I was."
He returned to the sport last year and had six runs across all four courses at the South Island and New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Championships at Warepa in South Otago last week.
The dogs who qualified for the runs were his heading dogs, 5-year-old Rose and 4-year-old Kip, in the long head and short head and yard events and his 2-year-old huntaway, Waka, in the zig zag hunt and straight hunt.
At the championships, he did did not finish on any of the leaderboards but enjoyed the week of competition.
The retired sheep and beef farmer started out in Hillend in South Otago, then Wendon Valley in Northern Southland and Middlemarch and the Pig Route.
"I’ve been everywhere."
When his wife became sick they moved to Outram.
After she died he moved to Gore to be closer to his children.
Much of his weekends was spent watching his grandchildren play sports.
He was enjoying trialling again.
"It’s bloody good."
When Lynda died he took Rose to the vet to get an injection to keep her off heat and had no success in getting her in-pup since.
He hoped Mr Hore would have success getting pups from Rose so he could have one.
His huntaway, Waka, was a "rebel".
"He’d be in jail if he was a human. He wrecks everything because he is bored."
The indiscretions of Waka include unlocking a tap to drain a water tank and chewing the wiring on the lights of a trailer.
During a play fight, a heading dog tore off half of Waka’s right ear.
Waka’s right ear now stands up, as opposed to his left floppy ear.
He loved Waka.
"He’s a beautiful young dog and for his age, he’s done a hell of a well."
