Taieri Collie Club trials, 1920: weather, heading and huntaway work

Key facts

Meeting

Twelfth annual Taieri Collie Club trials, Mosgiel, 1920

Publication

Otago Witness, 4 May 1920

Separate winners

Chance: All-comers; Rock: Open Huntaway

A delayed start at Mosgiel

The account appears within the Otago Witness kennel column published on 4 May 1920. It describes the twelfth annual Taieri Collie Club trial beginning on a Monday in conditions too rough for an immediate start. The committee eventually began the Maiden Heading at about ten in the morning, with twenty-four entries. The second day brought better weather and progress through the programme. The report is therefore evidence of an actual multi-day meeting, not a schedule that merely proposed one. Its publication date should remain separate from the relative weekdays used within the narrative.

Chance and Rock win different events

Twenty-five entries were reported for the All-comers. The published leading four were Golightly’s Chance on thirty-eight points, McMillan’s Bett on thirty-three, Chartres’s Roddie on thirty-two and Chartres’s Tweed on thirty-one. The Open Huntaway was a separate competition, led by Golightly’s Rock with thirty-three points ahead of Chartres’s Baldie. Chartres’s Roddy led the Consolation. These distinctions matter because a handler appearing successfully in more than one list does not make those lists a single championship. The original spellings also vary between Roddie and Roddy, a small example of the care needed with historical dog names.

A run description beyond the prize list

One memorable passage describes Craig’s Toss dealing with a sheep that broke away after passing the second set of poles. The correspondent admired the dog’s attempt to bring it back, although that praise was not the same thing as a first-place award. The meeting concluded on Thursday in fine weather, with president McLean thanking officials and judges. Entries came from districts including Oamaru, Central Otago, Arrowtown, Catlins and Southland. Together, the incident, weather and regional participation give this edition its character: it was both a test of sheep work and a gathering across a substantial rural network.

Common questions

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• Otago Witness, 4 May 1920 — The Kennel, Taieri trial report (opens in a new tab)

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