Local sheep dog trials hailed a success
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The first sheep dog trails to be staged in Caithness in over 14 months due to the coronavirus pandemic was a resounding success.
Held at at Ham Farm, Dunnet, the two-day event was staged over the weekend of May 22-23, with 60 dogs running on the Saturday and 53 dogs competing on the Sunday.
The organising trio of Tina Coghill Robertson, Kirsteen Thorburn and Kelsey Reid hailed the trials as a positive social event with familiar farming faces meeting up once again. Over the two days handlers had their work cut out guiding the collies around tricky, fit and challenging sheep.
Overall winner on the Saturday was the furthest north competitor, Billy Morrison from Shetland with Meg junior and on the Sunday the winner was the handler who travelled the furthest from the south, Peter Martin of Aberfeldy with Daisy.
Local competitor Lynn Ronaldson, taking part in her first trial, won best junior handler under 25 years on the Saturday and her dog Bob was chosen as the collie the judge Brian Ross would have liked to have taken home.
Appearing in Caithness for the first time on Sunday was the far travelled Freddy Fulford with Neily from Fort William. He took the best junior handler under 25 years title on the second day of the event and was placed seventh overall with his dog Neily which was selected by judge Jock Mackenzie as the collie he would most like to take home.
