The 80-year-old retired farmer from Murrumbateman said he first entered the championships in 1984.

Despite achieving wins at competitions across eastern Australia, for three decades he had to settle for second and third place at the Hall event.

Not so this year, when Mr Slater's dog Jewels won the open competition and his dog Stormy was champion in the maiden event, for dogs which had not won a trial.

There would be no special treats for the fine haired border collies on Sunday night, just their usual feed of meat scraps from the local butcher as Mr Slater prepares for next week's sheep dog trials in NSW.

Mr Slater said he had some promising puppies which he planned to train for future competitions, with the goal always to have a better dog for next year, but the dogs were also good company.

"They're some of the best [companions], the only ones, they're all faithful and friendly, they're all really good," he said.

Championship organiser Bow Cover said competitors had come from as far as Queensland and Tasmania to compete in the five-day event, with 173 entrants in the open event and 85 in the maiden.

The windy conditions had disturbed the livestock and posed challenges for the owner and especially the dog.

"He's the one that's got to compensate for the sheep not being as settled," Ms Bow said.

Ms Cover said there were fewer competitors than in previous years, largely because another sheepdog competition had been held nearby within a month of the Hall event.

She said the drought, which had hit large parts of NSW, also played a part in the reduced competitor turnout. Some farmers had been unable to leave their land.

Dubbo's Mick Hudson, seventh in the open competition last year, and his dog Jess won the improver competition, for dogs which had won a maiden, but not an open, trial.