|
English National Trials 2009
 Read the full story in the September/October issue of International Sheepdog News, which will be ready at the beginning of September, just before the International trial. Links: English National Judges' Points here. Congratulations to English National Champions Eamonn Lawless and Bill English National Brace Champions Jim Cropper with Fleet & Dan
English National Champions Eamonn Lawless and Bill penning with just seconds to go in the runoff. Pic: Kim Gibson
English National Brace Champions Jim Cropper with Fleet and Dan. Pic: Kim Gibson Team:
English team 2009. Pic: Kim Gibson The top five Singles team members from each day. In addition, the highest pointed sixth placed competitor becomes the reserve Singles team member, plus the two highest pointed Brace competitors, and a Young Handler to be announced. The top three places were decided between the winners of the three days on a shortened runoff without shed or single and thus out of 180 points, because of the increasing darkness. 1: Eamonn Lawless BILL 180 (Sun), 145 in runoff 2: Tom Lawrenson SPOT 189 (Sat), 142 in runoff 3: Mark Elliott GAIL 192 (Fri), 136 in runoff 4: Michael Longton MONTY 182 5: Derek Scrimgeour FLEECE 181 6: Larry Cowper GAIL 178 7: David Wood MOE 181 8: Richard Briggs BILL 176 9: Michael Longton DON 175 10: Ian Ibbotson ZAC 179 11: Mark Elliot SPOT 175 12: Ben Smith GUTO 171 13: Tim Foster NELL 177 14: Larry Cowper FLEET 172 15: John Palmer JIM 168 Reserve: Frank Noble MOSS 174 Brace 1: Jim Cropper FLEET & DAN 243 Brace 2: Richard Hutchinson WENNDALE ROY & SPOT 211 Young handler: Craig Strewart TAN 282702 Latest News: Sunday 7.45pm: Eamonn Lawless beat the other two competitors in the runoff to take the English National title. In a nailbiting finish, Eamonn and Bill finished with just seconds to spare. Sunday 6.30pm: The runoff is about to start on a short course without shed or single (because of failing light). Sunday 6.15pm: Larry Cowper has had a good run, ending up just two points behind the current leader. Sunday 5.15pm: A burst of Longtons has made quite a difference to the leader board. Timothy's 163 puts him in sixth place, but Michael, already in the team with Monty from Friday, has taken second place on 175 with Don. Just thirteen to run. Sunday 4.45pm: A new leader - Eamonn Lawless from the Isle of Wight has moved into top spot with 180. ian Murdoch also has a place on the leader board with 162. Seventeen runs and a runoff to go. Sunday 3.45pm: Chloe Cropper has just posted 160 with Roy to go into fourth place. Sunday 3pm: Some more runs in the 150s during the early part of this afternoon, but Ben Smith and Guto are still ahead. Sunday 1.30pm: Jim Cropper is the 2009 English National Brace champion. Running first today with Fleet and Dan, Jim put up a textbook run to score 243, putting a lot of pressure on the final two competitors. Richard Hutchinson certainly made a contest of it with the final Brace run, his score being 211. Interestingly, Jim had been one of just a handful of Singles competitors yesterday to send Fleet out to the right, and the tactic certainly seemed to work today in his Brace run. Sunday 12.15pm: The Brace runs have begun, so we will know the Brace champion within the hour. As well as the trials, there are excellent craft and local produce stalls. Sunday 11.15am: Matt Watson and Milo have joined the leader board on a morning when the scores seem to be as depressed as the weather, which is dull, but at least mostly dry. Sunday 10am: Ben Smith and Guto are the first to breach the 170 mark. On previous days, buzzards on the course were said to have confused some dogs - today several handlers have reported significant numbers of wasps. Sunday 7.30am: Trialling starts early today, with more team places and the National Championship title still at stake. It is dull, with a hint of dampness in the air and the sheep (recycled from Friday) are a little more sticky than yesterday at the moment.
Mark Elliot, Saturday's winner with the last run of the day. Pic: Kim Gibson
David Wood and Moe, third on Saturday. Pic: Kim Gibson
Frank Ibbotson and Zac, fourth on Saturday. Pic: Kim Gibson Saturday 7.45pm: The last run of the day was well on into the evening, but Mark Elliot, already in the team with Spot, piloted Gail to snatch the day's prize from Derek Scrimgeour. Judges' points for the run: Outrun 9 Lift 2 Fetch 6 Drive 9 Shed 0 Pen 0 Single 2. Trialling starts early tomorrow at 7.30. The final 50 Singles runs, three Brace and the National Championship runoff are on the menu. Saturday 7.15pm: Arthur Temple and Richard Hutchinson have both posted 171, but with just two runs to go nobody else has really challenged today's leaders. Saturday 6pm: A hatful of retirements has brought the number of competitors left for today down to 6. Saturday 4pm: Frank Ibbotson and Zac moved into third place with 179, and Frank Noble into fifth with 174. With 17 scores to be posted, including some who could be expected to do well, it is clear that today's required total is going to be higher than yesterday's. Saturday 2.30pm: Two more high scores - Dick Roper and Scrap have joined Bevis Jordan on 173. David Wood and Moe have equalled Derek Scrimgeour's 181, but Derek is ahead by a small margin on OLF. The Brace judges have revised yesterday's points for Richard Briggs, leaving Thomas Longton as the Brace leader at this stage. It appears that Richard selected the wrong pen during his run. Saturday 1.15pm: Today's Brace runs have kept the crowds entertained during the lunch break. Thomas Longton's run appeared to be going very slowly, but the finish was good - the score of 181 was just one point behind yesterday's leader (but see below). Today's other finisher was J Gilman with Dot and Peggy who finished on 153. The Singles have resumed for the afternoon session. Competitors will have to score more than the Australian First Innings to get into the team, albeit on an ideal wicket. Saturday 11.45am: Derek Scrimgeour and Fleece have moved into top place; Bevis Jordan is currently third. Part two of the Brace will be starting at about noon. It is currently pleasant and warm, but not too sunny, ideal for trialling. Saturday 10.15am: A good run from James Burrow and Jim to go second. Bevis Jordan is on the course now and has had a good start. Saturday 9.15am: Early scores have been in the 160s and 170s with Nij Vyas and Syke starting today's proceedings on 161 and John Carter with Moon Park Jen following him on 163. Tim Foster and Nell have posted 177. which would have been enough to make the team yesterday. Saturday 7am: 50 more Singles and three Brace runs will be taking place today. The forecast is for better weather than yesterday. The top five placed handlers in the Singles will join the English team.
Tom Lawrenson and Spot, winners of Friday's trial, will compete in Sunday's runoff. Pic: Kim Gibson
Michael Longton and Monty were in second place. Pic: Kim Gibson Friday 6.50pm: Tom Lawrenson and Spot have won today's trial with a good run towards the end of the afternoon. The five team members from today are listed above; Jim Cropper will be reserve if his is the highest scoring sixth place. And 50 more Singles runners plus three Brace will be competing tomorrow. Tom's points off: Outrun 4, Lift 6, Fetch 7, Drive 11, Shed 0, Pen 3, Single 0 = 189. Friday 5.15pm: Some higher scores have emerged during the afternoon - Richard Briggs and Bill posted 176 to take the lead, only to be outpointed by the very next run, Michael Longton and Monty who are in the lead with 182. Friday 3pm: Larry Cowper and Fleet have come within 3 points of today's leader, but on this testing course, scores continue to be on the low side. Friday 2.40pm: Run 29, Derek Scrimgeour with Killiebrae Laddie is about to start. It is still raining! The Brace scores are up - only one completed Brace run so far (see below). Friday 2pm: The afternoon session has begun, and with it the rain has returned. At almost the half way stage for today, Dick Roper and Tom posted 160 to go fourth.
It is interesting to note that so far today, only one competitor has attempted a right hand outrun. Pic: Kim Gibson Friday 12noon: The brace runs are about to start, with two runs today and three on the other two days. Friday 11.25am: The weather has improved, but scores are still generally low, reflecting the challenge of the course. Jim Cropper has just had one of the best runs of the day with Dan to go second in the table so far. Most of his points were lost on the drive, but others, including Alf Kyme, who was timed out at the pen, and David Wood, who would otherwise have been well ahead, have lost a considerable number of points on the fetch. Friday 10am: The rain has been pelting down this morning, but there is a chance of blue skies later on. First run of the day, Mark Elliot with Spot, set a benchmark with 175, but scores have been fairly low so far. Rob Moore from Faygate with Gilfach Glen, running at his first National, was delighted to complete. As well as the outrunning, which as predicted has been difficult, several handlers have had trouble singling. Friday 8am: The course is long and fairly narrow. Both outruns encourage dogs to come in below their sheep; on the left there is an elbow, on the right some trees, so the general feeling is to follow the old adage "Go left, young man" (or woman). (I know that's misquoted, but left does happen to be west on this course). The drives are fairly short, and the Romney cross sheep, not often encountered by many of those handlers at this trial from further north, are expected to be fairly heavy. Brace Competition The Brace competition takes place during the lunch breaks on all three days of the National trial. The highest pointed handler and dogs become the National Champions, and, together with the runners up, compete for the International Brace title at Lowther Park in September.
By the end of Saturday, Thomas Longton's Spot and Tot were in the lead on 181. Pic: Kim Gibson
Second at this stage were James Gilman with Peggy and Dot on 153. Pic: Kim Gibson
Richard Briggs with Wenndale Star and Wenndale Peg turn around the post. The left hand side of the course with its tricky elbow can be seen in the background. Pic: Kim Gibson Scores so far: Richard Briggs WENNDALE STAR & WENNDALE PEG DIS (revised score announced at 2pm on Saturday) Stephen Duckworth SPY & HIGHCLIFF TOM RET Thomas Longton TOT & SPOT 181 (72) James Gilman DOT & PEGGY 153 (62) G R Harland JED & SHEP RET Jim Cropper FLEET & DAN 243 (2009 English National Brace Champion) Ronald Hodgkinson FLASH & DELL 150 Richard Hutchinson WENNDALE ROY & SPOT 211 (Runner up) Full results for Sunday E150 James Howard WISP RET E142 Colin Turland KELLY RET E133 Eamonn Lawless BILL 180 E124 John Palmer JIM 168
E109 Thomas Longton TOT 129 Full results for Saturday E100 Mark Elliott GAIL 192 E98 Richard Hutchinson WENNDALE ROY 171 E96 David Harrison BEN RET Full results for Friday E50 No runner E1 Mark Elliot SPOT 175 |
 |
|
 |
 |
