Alexandra pairing winners of charity dog trial

Alister Ward of Balclutha and his dog Lace try to persuade the sheep to walk through the race obstacle in the Southern Indoor Charity Dog Trials runoff on Sunday. PHOTOS: SANDY EGGLESTON

A point and a-half separated the first two placegetters in the Southern Indoor Charity Dog Trials final on Sunday.

Thirteen triallists took part in the final, which was won by Jack Ponsonby, of Alexandra, and his dog Blue.

Russell Peek, of Gore, and Kip were second on 96.5 points, Des Dysaght of Timaru and Baz were third, half a point behind.

Throughout the three days of the competition, held in the Agrished at the Southern Field Days, Waimumu site, a record number of 183 entrants attempted to move three ewe hoggets around an obstacle course to the finish where the sheep were shut in a pen.

Ray Stewart and his dog Ally of Gore finished fourth on 95 points.

Ray Stewart, of Gore, looks to his dog Ally as he shuts the gate on the pen of three sheep.

After his run, Mr Stewart said it was the first time he had competed in the final.

He was very pleased with his run.

While luck helped, he believed people also make their own luck, he said.

The nature of the sheep was quite "bolshy" and hard to manage.

"They would sooner knock you over than go around you."

Rather than trying to direct the sheep too much, he and his dog allowed the sheep to choose their own path and then guided them the right way while they were moving.

Levi McCall, of Waikoikoi, and dog Jane wait for the last sheep to enter the pen completely at the end of their run in the final.

"Even if they were drifting offline a little bit, I was better to have them coming and flowing.

"I just didn’t take the lead off them."

If a dog blocked the direction where the sheep wanted to go they would stop and it was hard to get them moving again.

When it came to crossing the sheep over the bridge he chose to stand on the side closest the audience, rather than the opposite side where most of the other competitors stood.

He had noticed that the sheep walked on to the bridge better when triallists had their back to the audience.

Ally kept calm and glided her way around the course.

Quentin Whitehead, of Gore, and Ted come to a standstill with the three sheep they are attempting to move on to the bridge obstacle in their run during the final.

"She didn’t spook them once."

He was a member of the committee which helped run the event and it was satisfying to have made the final after the volunteering hours he had put in.

It is the fifth time Andrew Herriott, of Heriot, had taken part in the trial and he has also judged the event.

He and his dog Flame ran out of time and did not pen the sheep.

Judging the event did not give him an advantage when it came to competing, Mr Herriott said.

Even though a judge knew how to score the course, what could not be known was how the sheep would react.