Local hopes at the South Island and New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Championships, being hosted at the Warepa Collie Club’s headquarters this week, rest with four club members, who include Kaka Point’s Amy Robertson.
Several hundred triallists have travelled from throughout the country for the event, while Miss Robertson (29) only had to make the 30-minute drive.
She qualified with two heading dogs, Dot and Stormy, who are 3-and-a-half-year-old litter-mates bred from her previous trial dogs.
Asked whether the dogs had similar traits, she said "yes but no". Dot took after her mother and Stormy after her father.
Stormy also qualified for the championships held in the King Country last year, and her mistress was "happy enough" with the young dog’s performance.
From a farming background, Miss Robertson started "dabbling" in dog trials when she was about 23, initially with the Maitland club — where she gained confidence by attending the likes of "nursery" days — and then at Warepa for the past two and a-half years.
The club had been very welcoming and it had been a busy time recently for members setting up for the influx of visitors to South Otago.
When it came to training her dogs, she tried to talk to as many people as possible, and take bits of knowledge away from them.
"Everyone is willing to give you information if you’re willing to learn," she said.
She reckoned one of the best parts of dog trialling was the satisfaction of both her and her dogs growing and learning.
"You always go home after a ... trial and try and work on something you didn’t get right," she said.
Dog work was an integral part of her daily life working on the family farm, which ran predominantly sheep, but she endeavoured to do as much training as she could.
Leading into the championships, she tried to be consistent with training every day and also keeping them fit.
Her dogs "definitely" knew that something was up when they arrived at the dog trial grounds yesterday, she said.
Sitting in the comfort of her ute, waiting patiently for her first run in the long head with Stormy, she was keeping a close eye on how the course was going. Admitting to some nerves, she said the worst part was waiting around. Once she was out on the course, they subsided.
As for her chances, Miss Robertson was happy just to be getting experience.
"One day it might happen — you never know."
