Heading off for transtasman test

Southern dog triallist Scott Hunter and his heading dog Lucy are part of the team set to defend the Wayleggo Cup in a transtasman test series in Australia this month. He talks to Shawn McAvinue about his preparations for the competition, the squad being younger than usual and running the only crossbred flock in Omarama. 

Southern dog triallist Scott Hunter is learning to walk like an Australian as he prepares for his first tilt at a transtasman title.

A team of four triallists and their dogs from throughout New Zealand are readying themselves for the Australian Sheepdog Championships.

Nine days of dog trials in Geelong will culminate with a transtasman test series, where teams will vie for the Wayleggo Cup over three days from Friday next week.

Mr Hunter and his 6-year-old heading dog Lucy, whom he bred, are in the team.

"It has been quite rewarding to get her through this far and she’s got plenty to go as well," Mr Hunter said.

The three-test series would feature a blend of Australian and New Zealand rules.

To familiarise himself with the rule amalgamation, he had created the transtasman competition course on Berwen Station, the 3500ha sheep and beef property he manages in Omarama.

"I’ve been practising to get myself used to the changes. It is more for the man than the dog. Your dog is trained; it is more training yourself to get your mind around the changing sections," he said.

The course features four obstacles — a gate, a Maltese cross, a ramp and a pen.

Australian rules apply as far as the gate, followed by a New Zealand drive through the Maltese cross and over the ramp, then back into an Australian carry to the pen.

In the Australian sections, triallists must walk at the same pace which was different to competing in New Zealand where triallists could stop walking or change pace to assist their dog.

Another difference was triallists having to stand in rings on different parts of the Australian section to ensure they could not assist their dog moving the sheep through a gap or in to a pen.

Once the sheep were in the pen, the triallist could move from the ring and shut the gate.

"You can’t help your dog at all," Mr Hunter said.

In New Zealand, a triallist could hold a gate as a dog was moving sheep in a pen.

The course must be completed in 15 minutes.

The sheep used in the tests would be two-tooth merino wethers "so they’ll be reasonably wild".

"So we have to have our dogs fit because they’ll have to run around a lot in that 15 minutes," he said.

The sheep on Berwen Station had been Romney since the owners changed from a finewool breed about 25 years ago and the breed went "real good" on the property.

Berwen was the only property in Omarama to run a crossbred flock, he said.

Lucy had experience working finewool sheep from competing at Omarama Collie Dog Club events and when Mr Hunter was previously stock manager at Longslip Station in Omarama for eight years, so she "knows what it is about".

He planned to take Lucy to the Anderson family’s Ben Omar Station to work some freshly shorn two-tooth merino ewes in preparation for the Australian trip.

"They’ll be reasonably toey so it’ll be something to get Lucy used to."

Lucy won the first major competition she entered; the short head and yard at the South Island championships in Blenheim in May this year.

The duo missed a chance to compete at the New Zealand championships in Taranaki later that month as he was judging at the event.

"You don’t turn it down because it is a privilege to be asked," he said.

He learned of his selection in the New Zealand team at the national championships. The average age of the team was much younger than what it had been traditionally.

Ben Millar was the youngest at 22; he and Leo Edginton were in their early 40s; and Stuart Child was the oldest at 48, he said.

The team was younger because it was selected on recent form of a triallist and their dog, rather than on past experience.

"The youngest person last year was 64, so it is quite a change," he said.

The change would be good for the sport, he said.

Before leaving, he would seek advice from experienced campaigners such as Ginger Anderson, who had represented New Zealand several times.

"It is good to go and pick those guys’ brains because they know what it is all about," he said.

He had managed Berwen Station for 18 months and thanked owners Simon and Liz Croft for their support and allowing him and his wife Carla to travel to Australia at a busy time of year.

"They’ve been more than accommodating to let it happen, which is great."

He would be back before lambing starts at the end of this month.

Recent rainfall would hopefully set them up for spring.

Dry conditions since Christmas last year had required feed to be bought for the flock to tup on in autumn and to get through winter.

"We were extremely dry over winter. There were no creeks or springs running."

Lower sheep slaughter prices had them making sure money was being spent in the right places, such as fertiliser, regrassing and genetics.

"We are trying to be conservative enough without impacting seasons to come. We still need to do the basics and do them right," he said.

Work such as installing new fences or water systems were "on hold until things come right".

Raised in Dipton, Mr Hunter left school at 16 to muster in St Bathans, launching a farming career mostly spent in the lower South Island.

An appeal of the sport of dog trialling was being able to improve his dogs to make work easier.

"Once you’ve got the bug, you’re hooked," he said.

Wayleggo Cup

What: Annual transtasman sheep dog trial test series.

Test series: 36.

New Zealand won: 22.

Australia won: 14.

Where: Alternates between the two countries.

This year: Geelong, southwest of Melbourne.

Current cup holder: New Zealand.

First competition: Brisbane in 1985.

Our representatives

The four members of the New Zealand transtasman test dog trial team:

• Scott Hunter and Lucy, of Omarama Collie Dog Club in North Otago centre, won the short head at the 2024 South Island Championships.

• Stuart Child and Diesel, of Te Anga Sheep Dog Trial Club in King Country centre, won the short head at the 2024 New Zealand Championships.

• Ben Millar and King, of Waimārama-Maraetotara-Elsthorpe Sheep Dog Trial Club in Hawke’s Bay centre, third in the long head at the 2024 New Zealand Championships.

• Leo Edginton and Roxy, of Tolaga Bay Sheep Dog Trial Club in Poverty Bay centre, won the short head at the 2024 North Island Championships.

Non-travelling reserve:

• Paul Collins and Sky, of Tahatika Collie Club in Otago centre, won the long head at the 2024 New Zealand Championships.

Berwen Station