“IT’S my passion,” Jackie Pieters repeated emphatically, when Mid-Karoo Express asked him about initiating the first sheepdog trials to be held in the region for many years.
His five border collies were all trying to jump off his bakkie as we spoke.
Pieters moved to the Adelaide district recently from Alexandria and his boundless enthusiasm drove the hugely successful two and a half day event at Winterberg Agricultural High School near Fort Beaufort this week.
Emsie van der Vyver, who took care of bookings and logistics, said, “The response took us by surprise. Everyone was so helpful, even the competitors.”
Local sponsors had come forward with generous support.
Pieters is a Winterberg old boy so it was a natural for him to approach the school as a venue. The headmaster, Fred Every, said hosting the farming community was a privilege and he hoped the trials would become an annual event.
The atmosphere was charged with energy as farmers squared up to the competition and excited dogs tugged at their leashes, eyes fixed on the sheep who were alert for any potential escape route.
Forty-seven dogs competed in the various classes – some of them coming from as far away as Zimbabwe.
Pyp Lombard had loaned 150 sheep of different types – the mutton breeds being more stoic and the merinos more flighty and difficult to work with.
All the sheep were accustomed to working with dogs.
“We have waited for this so long,” said Johan Faber who farms between Somerset East and Cradock. He and his dog, Caesar, attended the pre-trials training clinic on Monday afternoon and then competed in the first round of trials on Tuesday.
“Caesar is my right hand: I couldn’t manage without him. He does the work of three people, working with sheep and cattle every day. But I want to refine the way we work together. That’s why we are competing – to gain experience and improve performance.”
This is the main objective of the trials.
Simpiwe Mtana, from Cottisbrook farm between Adelaide and Fort Beaufort, had brought along his six-month old dog, Polly. He was one of more than 36 farm workers who attended the Monday afternoon training clinic which was free of charge.
Mtana and Polly had a one-on-one session with expert trainer, Andrew Phillips.
Although Polly is still very young and bouncy and keen to play rather than work. Mtana told us that his previous dog (who had died of old age) had been very accomplished and would have been a winner in the competitions.
Special guests at the event, Pippa and Andrew Phillips from Caledon, compete internationally. They had brought along a bakkie and trailer with 10 dogs.
Their message was strong: “The sheep comes first and it is crucial to understand how the sheep thinks.”
Sheep could pick up a dog’s temperament and react accordingly. A ram or a ewe defending a lamb could “flatten” a young dog so he/she could never be persuaded to work with sheep again.
Along with this understanding, a bond of mutual love and respect between dog and owner was essential to a successful working partnership.
For more info, refer to the SA Sheepdog Association website, sasda.za.net