Sheep, beef and deer farmer and dairy grazer Trevor Stark will be a vendor at a dog sale for the first time when he offers rising 4-year-old heading dog Grace at the Southern Field Days site from 2pm.
Vendors will be working their dogs at the sale to show potential buyers what they can bid on.
He expects running a dog in front of a big crowd to be a nerve-racking experience for the vendor and their dog.
"I know a heap of people are going to be there if last year is anything to go by. Hopefully she doesn’t mind but we’ll find out," he laughed.
Grace’s credentials include breaking her maiden at a dog trial in Gore about two years ago.
Registrations to list a dog for the sale close tomorrow.
Carrfields is running the auction and donating half of the 8% sale commission to the event’s charity Hospice Southland.
To enter a dog in the sale costs $30.
He will liberate sheep and compete at the Southern Charity Dog Trials for three days at the same site from Friday.
"I’m running one and a-half dogs."
The "half" is his 1-year-old heading dog Cooper.
"It is probably too soon for him to be doing this."
He will also run his 5-year-old heading dog Jess.
Jess was mated to Russell Peek’s dog Kip and had nine pups about two months ago.
Mr Stark kept one of the pups and sold the rest.
He is selling Grace so he has one less mouth to feed.
"It costs a lot of money to keep too many dogs."
An appeal of the indoor competition was it being a different experience from competing outdoors.
Weather still played indoors, as the flock waited outside the arena and a cold sheep did not respond as well to the dogs as a warm one.
Stan and Judy MacGibbon, of McNab, supplied the hoggets, which grazed at the Southern Field Days site.
He prefers competing indoors rather than outdoors.
"It suits my dogs better."
Dogs competing indoors have to learn how to work off-balance, which is a new experience for many which prefer to pull sheep to a triallist.
Another appeal of the indoor competition is it being held in the sport’s offseason.
"It is a good way to have fun, run a dog and catch up with all your mates and we make a lot of money for the hospice."
Triallists travel from across the South Island for a chance to run their dogs in winter.
The Maitland Sheep Dog Trial Club member said the appeal of the sport was the "fellowship and the satisfaction of getting a dog going".
"I want a dog primarily for farming who I can take to a trial and he won’t let me down."
Southern Indoor Charity Dog Trials chairman Mike Joyce said the more than 180 dogs entered in the competition was a record.
Many novice triallists have entered the competition.
"There’s plenty of young ones. It’ll be good to see them in the block having a crack," he said.
There were a number of experienced dog triallists who had entered and they often came back year after year, he said.
With the amount of competitors entered he expected to be very busy across the three-day-event.
The event raised $31,000 for the hospice last year.
"It feels pretty sweet."
The competition will be judged by Robin McKenzie, of Clinton.
Mr McKenzie won the previous three trials.
A signed Highlanders training jersey had been donated by Ethan de Groot and would be auctioned off, he said.
He encourages the public to attend as anyone is welcome to the event and can do so for free. For the first time, the annual event will offer novice triallists training sessions from a "top operator" on Sunday.
"If you’re nervous about coming along and running your dog, we’re offering some one-on-one training."
