Distance wasn’t a problem watching the hunts but with gradients that would tip a quad bike some dogs struggled to keep their trio of Merinos climbing straight.
And, of course, in the zig zag that was only half the challenge – for the final gate a tricky diagonal drive was needed before the lambs could sidle off into the matagouri scrub to find their flock mates.
With the short head and yard the task is to fetch the sheep then pen them in the middle of a paddock without so much as a fence on one side to act as a funnel – see Country-Wide, June, p86.
My not-so handy huntaway Guy and I wouldn’t have a hope, and even some of those at Omarama who had all amassed at least six points at open level in regional events to qualify also struggled.
Maurice Haakma (Ward, Marlborough), Alastair Campbell (Kaikoura), Gary Woods (Amberley, Canterbury) and Ian Broadhurst (Seddon, Marlborough) watch the zig-zag hunt.