NEW SHEEPDOG CLUB AND TRIAL IN VICTORIA’S SOUTH WEST Article by Marion Whalan The South West Sheepdog Club Incorporated is a non-profit organisation (affiliated with the Victorian Working Sheepdog Association) which is dedicated to promoting the sport of three sheep trialling and encouraging new people into the sport. The club supports owners, breeders, and workers of sheepdogs by conducting training days and trials. The South West Sheepdog Club was formed in 2020. Club president and vet student, Irishman Conor McConnell said the club provides opportunities for members to gain knowledge, share their interest in sheepdog working and to become more proficient in the sport of sheepdog trialling. “I have been fortunate to train with some of the best sheepdog workers in the country and I want to share the knowledge that has been passed on to me by these experienced triallers. If our sport is to grow, we need to improve the knowledge of workers and help everyone trial more successfully.” Recently, from July 9th to 11th, the club successfully ran its first Trans-Tasman three sheep trial at Branxholme in western Victoria. The Trans-Tasman course is a test of dog and handlers' ability to navigate a course that combines the best of Australian
sheepdog trials with those from New Zealand. With 112 dogs and 40 handlers entered, the trial ran from dawn to dusk over the first two days at Branxholme, with the last 10 dogs running on Sunday morning, followed by finals in the Novice, Improver and Open competitions. Competitors as young as six years of age competed, along with handlers from across Victoria, South Australia, southern New South Wales, and some travelling from as far as Queensland to attend. The trial attracted strong local support from sponsors and the community, enabling the club to post $1000 on offer for first prize in the Open competition, which was won by Jim Dodge, from Snake Valley in Victoria with his dog Paton’s Cooper.
