HANDLER Geoff McDougall missed out on winning the SA Yard Dog Championships by just one point in 1998, but nearly a quarter of a century later, he has claimed the big prize.
Mr McDougall, who is a livestock agent with Nutrien Livestock, Hay, NSW, made the trip across to the state championships at Karoonda at the weekend, and returned home with the trophy.
He and dog Darcoo Goldie - a five-year-old red and tan Kelpie bitch - teamed up to gain an average 134 points across his two rounds and win the title at the three-day event held at the Karoonda Farm Fair.
Mr McDougall said he used to be on the SA committee when he lived in the state between 1995 and 1998, and after his narrow loss, "always wanted to go back and have a crack".
This is not Mr McDougall and Goldies only SA-based win, with the duo winning the Australian novice classic at the Australian Yard Dog Championships at Lucindale in March 2020.
Goldie herself was also bred in SA at the Darcoo stud of Herb Cooper.
Mr McDougall said he bought four of his eight dogs across from Hay to Karoonda to compete, with Goldie able to hold her own against some pretty challenging sheep.
"It's a pretty dynamic sort of sport,with a lot of variables that can go wrong in a yard dog trial and you've got to read the play as you go," he said.
SA Yard Dog Association president Lyndon Cooper said there had been a great show of dogs from three states, with as many as 30 handlers and more than 100 dogs put through their paces.
"It was one of the best lineup of dogs we've had," he said.
"The sheep, supplied by the Wegener brothers, from Karoonda, were nice big ewe hoggets and provided quite a challenge."
The championship is made up of 25 dogs including eligible winners of open competitions throughout the year, with the balance from the highest scoring dogs in round one.
The runner-up in the championship was Lee Mickan, Loxton.
Winner of the open section was Mitch Judd, from VIc, with Woodja Cruise, who had an aggregate score of 165.5, and also came third and fourth in the state championships.
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Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
