Closely following in the footsteps of a father may be one of life's greatest privileges for a son.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Sunday's finals of the Australian National Sheep Dog Trials at Hall saw Jim Dodge take up the mantle of his father Ross, winning the open championship event with eight-year-old Cossie.
Ross Dodge, who trained Cossie and won six national titles, died in February last year leaving his beloved dog to Jim.
''I have been competing in trials since I was 16 and have won the maiden event three times, but this is my first win in the open, so that is very special,'' Dodge said.
''My father got Cossie as a pup and they won here in 2009. But because of the tough competition [on Sunday] I didn't know if I had won until the last dog competed.''
As the national champion with a score of 193 from a possible 200 points, Dodge received the memorial trophy named for his father in an emotional presentation by his sister Cheryl Brough.
With the annual competition over for this year, Dodge and Cossie will return to their home in Snake Valley, Victoria, on Monday.
To the uninitiated, the trials at Hall Showgrounds can appear a somewhat curious spectacle.
Each competitor starts with 15 minutes and 100 points, aiming to cajole three randomly selected sheep along a course issuing frequent instructions to the dog.
Points are awarded for successful negotiation of obstacles such as a run, a bridge and a pen, with points deducted if any sheep strays from the course.
A large group of spectators watched on in deferential quiet on Sunday as the inching progress of the trials played out before them, clapping politely and even honking car horns as the menagerie crossed the finish line. Trial secretary Charlie Cover said the 250 dogs taking part in six-day event had come from as far as South Australia and Queensland.
''With 125 dogs in the open section alone, we were to come down to the top seven dogs but because of equal scores we have had 10 dogs in the finals,'' Cover said. ''The competition standard has been excellent this year.''
Congratulating Dodge and the other participants, Cover said the association would soon begin planning for next year's event.
The trials have been held at Hall for more than 70 years. ''We are a little disappointed in the size of the crowd this year but I think Canberra may be a little partied out at the moment.''
