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:

Irish National website

Judges' Points (basic)

Simon Mosse and Dark are this year's Irish National Champions

Simon Mosse and Dark   Pic: k9tales.co.uk

Just when it seemed that Toddy Lambe's run of 202 was going to win the Irish National title, Simon Mosse and Dark, running at No 127, moved into the top spot with 204. Apart from the shed, where the judges deducted 10 points, the only other deductions anywhere on the course were 2 on the fetch and 4 on the drive.

In one of the last runs before the lunch break on Friday, Toddy Lambe and Sam had taken the lead with an excellent run where the only minor problem was having to put in a couple of quick whistles to hit the second drive gates.

Running at No 35, Allistair Lyttle's score of 200 with Moss had been the best run on Thursday.

The horned blackface sheep from the mountain behind the trials field (see the photo of Sammy Long in the Brace, below) ran well. On Thursday, some packets of sheep were slow to settle on the fetch, only really letting the dogs get into their stride at the start of the drive, and a few handlers ran out of time at the single. On Friday and Saturday, several handlers found the close work difficult, but all in all these running was very even over the three days

The course was of a good size, with no real surprises. The close work was on a flat section, with the lift and fetch on ground rising gently to a wall well behind the lift point. The right hand outrun had an elbow roughly level with the fetch gate, but did not seem to have caused any problems.

The latest results are on the most recent results page.

Team:

This year's Irish team   Pic: k9tales.co.uk

1: 204 Simon Mosse DARK

2: 202 Toddy Lambe SAM

3: 200 Allistair Lyttle MOSS

4: 198 Eugene McLaughlin RULE BOB

5: 196 Thomas Doherty SNIP

6: 192 James McGee KILLIEBRAE NELL

7: 191 Allistair Lyttle SPOT

8: 190 James Diamond TAFF

9: 190 Patrick McGoldrick GLEN
10: 190 Con McGarry DAN

11: 190 James McGee BECCA

12: 190 Michael Gallagher CAP

13: 190 Stephen O'Donnell BLACK

14: 188 Brian Casey CLOVERHILL TWEED

15: 188 Michael Kelly TESS

Res: 188 Michael Hopkins DON

(J J Brennan, also on 188, was 17th)

Brace 1: 244 Sammy Long with MOSS & SAM

Brace 2: 234 Dennis Birchall with FLASH & MOSSIE

Young Handler: Kieran Doherty with BOB

The exact final positions of handlers on equal points were decided on Outrun, Lift and Fetch.

The top fifteen handlers from the three days form the Irish singles team for the International at Lowther Park in September. The handler in sixteenth place is the team reserve. The final three members of the team are the top two Brace competitors and a Young Handler, nominated in time for the International trial.

2009 Irish Brace Champions: Sammy Long with Moss and Sam

2009 Irish Brace Champions Sammy Long with Moss and Sam.        Pic: k9tales.co.uk

The last two competitors ran on Saturday - Dennis Birchall putting up a good performance with 234 to come closer than anyone else to matching Sammy Long's 244's winning score on Friday.

Sammy had an excellent run, Moss and Sam working very well together, both running at the same pace. Sam took a bit of time in the shedding ring, but completed a run which make them this year's National Brace Champions. Sammy and Dennis Birchall go forward to the International Brace competition in September.

Full Brace scores:

Milo O'Brien with Gail & Tweed 178

Dan Morrissey with Gem & Flash 211

Frank Cashen with Clare & Ben 179

Sammy Long with Moss & Sam 244 (2009 Irish National Brace Champion)

Con McGarry with Dan & Ballyglass Nell Ret

Mike Glynn with Biddy (Bet) & Jim Ret

Dennis Birchall with Flash & Mossie 234 (Reserve)

D Corrigan with Jake & Fionn 202

Complete results for Saturday (in reverse order)

Run Handler Dog Score

I150 Billy Ryan DAN RET
I149 Aidan Gallagher CAIN RET
I148 Willie Jones MIST RET
I147 Francis McGuigan FLEET 184
I146 Bill Seale ROSE RET
I145 Frank Cashen CLARE RET
I144 Con McGarry TIP 166
I143 John Pope ROBBIE RET
I142 James McGee BECCA 190
I141 Denis O'Brien JIM RET
I140 Kieran McFadden JOE RET
I139 Mike Glynn JIM RET
I138 Colm Doherty DAN RET
I137 Michael Hopkins LASS RET
I136 Michael Gallagher CAP 190
I135 David Corrigan HARVEY RET
I134 James Hyland RON RET
I133 Barra O'Brien MIST RET
I132 Joe McMonagle MANDY RET
I131 Liam Gallagher LADY 136
I130B Pat Sheelan SHEP RET
I130 Peter Morgan FLOS 168
I129 Andy Corrigan JIM RET
I128 Gerard Graham JESS DIS
I127 Simon Mosse DARK 204
I126 William Watt MAX 182
I125 James Diamond TAFF 190
I124 Joe McGrath PENLLWYN SPOT ABS
I123 Eamon McAuley BEN 172
I121 Laurence Kelly BEN 170
I120 Brenda Swinbank NELL RET
I119 Robert Kelleher ROSE RET
I118 Hugh McMonagle BELLE DIS
I117 Dan Morrissey FLASH RET
I116 Paddy Byrne (Snr) GLEN RET
I115 Sean O'Leary BALLYGLASS MICK ABS
I114 John McFadden BEN RET
I113 Allistair Lyttle SPOT 191
I112 Robert Goligher JAKE RET
I111 John Maginn BELL RET
I110 Michael Cannon JACK RET
I109 Thomas Long ROY RET
I108 Christopher Toner GRAHAMS SAM 176
I107B Martin Walsh NAZ RET
I107 Sammy Long LAD 184
I106 Arthur Mawhinney BEN RET
I105 Seamus Gallagher GLEN 152
I104 James O'Donnell DAN RET
I103B Ivan Stevenson TWEED 142
I103 Stephen O'Donnell BLACK 190

I102 Tony Kearins DAZ 178

I101 C Kearins LYNMAR ELLIE 184

Complete results for Friday (in reverse order)

Run Handler Dog Score

I100 Seamus Gormley MALI 172
I99 Michael Finnegan GLEN RET
I98 John O'Brien NANCY RET
I97 John Rooney FAYE 182
I96 No Runner 0
I95 Thomas Doherty SNIP 196
I94 Joey Walshe MEG RTD
I93 Noel McDevitt JAN 182
I92 James McLaughlin LYN RTD
I91 Patrick Murphy Jnr BEN 160
I90 John Brennan CAP 170
I89 Martin Feeney KIM RET
I88 Robert Reid CHIEF RET
I87 Seamus O'Donnell ROY RET

I86 Frankie McCullough CRAIG RET
I85 Brian Casey CLOVERHILL TWEED(A) 188

I84 J Harkin JOCK RET
I83 Thomas Carpenter SAM 170
I82 No Runner ABS
I81 William Gallagher GROESFAEN ROY RET
I80 Tom Gill NAP (Cap) RET
I79 Colm McAteer JACK 176
I78 Tom O'Sullivan JAN 180
I77 Dean McAuley JIM 152
I76 Charlie Flood TOD RET
I75 M McFadden, handled by E Sharkey SAM RET
I74 Bronagh Gallagher JESS 138
I73 Eugene Feeney JESS RET
I72 Stephen Kelly NELL RET
I71 James Magee CRAIG RET
I70 Wilton Goligher SAM RET
I69 Kieran Doherty BOB RET
I68 Toddy Lambe SAM 202
I67 Eamon McAuley BEN RET
I66 Tommy Brennan ROY RET
I65 Donal Anderson LASS 128
I64 Eamonn Egan NELL 124
I63 David Mulcahy WALKABOUT MORSE 154
I62 Patrick McGoldrick GLEN 190
I61 Samuel Kennedy HOLLY 140
I60 Matthew Murphy ROY 152
I59 Jim McConnell NAN 120
I58 Kevin McCullough JILL ABS
I57 No Runner 0
I56 Eugene McLaughlin RULE BOB 198
I55 Michael Kelly TESS 188
I54 Martin Walsh VIC 138
I53 Edward Sharkey TAFF 126
I52 Ivan Stevenson JIM 170
I51 Pat Sheelan MICK 134

Complete results for Thursday (in reverse order)

Run Handler Dog Score
I50 Wilton Goligher GWEN 152
I49 Frank Cashen JIP 152
I48 James Diamond ROY 170
I47 Thomas Doherty SWEEP(A) 182
I46 Bill Seale MOSS 150
I45 Eugene Feeney LARK 138
I44 Billy Ryan ROY 144
I43 Eamon McAuley LAD ABS
I42 Toddy Lambe SAM RET
I41 Laurence Kelly CHIP 130
I40 William Gallagher TIPPY 166
I39 Brian Casey UDALE MONTY 160
I38 Gerard Graham GRAHAMS MIDGE 174
I37 Michael Gallagher FLINT 184
I36 Colm Doherty CAP RET
I35 Allistair Lyttle MOSS(A) 200
I34 David Corrigan JAKE 124
I33 Robert Kelleher FLY 172
I32 Jim McConnell SPOT 132
I31 Con McGarry DAN 190
I30 Kieran McFadden RAB 150
I29 Mike Glynn BIDDY (BET) 130
I28 Sammy Long MOSS 154
I27 John O'Brien SHEP RET
I26 Peter Concannon ROB 182
I25 John McFadden BESS 170
I24 Seamus Gormley MIDGE 142
I23 James McLaughlin CAP RET
I22 J J Brennan GLEN 188
I21 Stephen O'Donnell FRED 148
I20 Liam Gallagher CLOVERHILL JESS 118
I19 Seamus Gallagher BUFF 176
I18 John Maginn SWEEP 136
I17 Tony Kearins BOB ABS
I16 Denis O'Brien SAM 130
I15 Dan Morrissey GEM 158
I14 Peter Morgan BILL 182
I13 Barra O'Brien FRED DIS
I12 James McGee KILLIEBRAE NELL 192
I11 Tom O'Sullivan NAN RET
I10 Aidan Gallagher BILL 152
I9 John Rooney JEFF 142
I8 Donal Anderson NELL 134
I7 Thomas Long GAIL 156
I6 Michael Hopkins DON 188
I5 Simon Mosse DON 186
I4 Michael Cannon GLEN 182
I3 Arthur Mawhinney QUEEN 132
I2 Robert Reid MOSSE 170
I1 Paddy Byrne (Snr) BEN 150