Trials Results 2026
Weskus 1 Dog of the Year Trial 21-22 February 2026
Weskus 1 Dog of the Year Trial
The first trial of the new season was held near Lamberts Bay, on the farm belonging to Herman Burger. The venue was a sand camp sparsely covered with sour fig vegetation, which was heavy going for dogs and sheep. The weather was nice for working, with mist (which caused a delay the first day) and a cool breeze off the sea.
There was a very small entry of dogs so the classes were finished by midday. The Dorper ewes worked well if not pressurized by the dogs, resulting is some high scores.
Our sincere thanks to our venue host Herman, the Weskus Club for a well-run event, and especially to our main dog food sponsor, Optimizor.
Sandveld Championship – 21 Feb 2026 Weskus Championship – 22 Feb 2026
Juniors (90) Judge – J. v d Vvyer Juniors (90) Judge - J. v d Vyver
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Vic – P. Philip 69 1. Spy – WA. Hugo 76
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Spy – W A. Hugo 68 2. Vic – P. Philip 73
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Lisa – L. de Waal 66 3. Lisa – L. de Waal 59
Seniors (100) Judge – A. Philip Seniors (100) Judge A. Philip
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Nan – P. Philip 83 1. Missy – J. v d Vyver 94
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Missy – J. v d Vyver 67 2. Nan - P. Philip 78
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n/a 3. Togo – B. Greeff 67
Top Dogs (110) Judge – P. Philip Top Dogs (110) Judge – P. Philip
1. Mirk – A. Philip 101 1. Mirk – A. Philip 104
2. Maya – B. Greeff 99 2. Wimpie – Y. Fourie 98
3. Wimpie – Y. Fourie 98 3. Mac - WA. Hugo 95
4. Zap - A. Philip 95 4. Zap - A. Philip 95
5. Cap - J. v d Vyver 89 5. Cap - J. v d Vyver 87
Zimbabwe Sheepdog Association
Dog of the Year Trial – 28 & 29 March 2026
Bramber Farm, Ruwa
Our next set of trials took us up north to the picturesque country of Zimbabwe. While
they are an association on their own they also form part of the SASDA trialling circuit as
a club. For those of us in the south of the country (South Africa) the trek up north would
take three to four days and cover some 2,700kms. Once in Zim however we were
subjected to their wonderful and generous hospitality.
The first two days of trialling were at Bramber farm, Ruwa where owner Rose van de
Ruit runs a Dorper stud. Ruwa is situated some 30kms east of the capital Harare. The
competition was run on her ewes in packets of three. The now familiar flat field that had
recently been moved was soft under foot for the dogs and allowed for a 350m outrun for
the Top Dogs. The left hand outrun was preferred for the senior classes as the set-out
post was quite close to a small dam on the right and the ewes tended to be heavy to the
left and would take off in that direction if pushed. In general, though the sheep were
very steady if the dog was under control and kept a good pace. Top Dogs also had a
Maltese Cross to negotiate before penning. There were qualifications out of the junior
class on both days where the handler won the class with a qualifying score of 85%. The
first day Kirsty Holme and Poppet won and second Jo Ades and Bella took the honours,
both these handlers will now compete in the senior class.
Thank you to Rose, the Zim club and our sponsors for an enjoyable and well run trial.
Day 1
Beginners (75) – Judge: Mark Trollip
1. Atmos Chiunye Calla 62
2. Yara Hanssen Mac 56
3. Boshoff Steenekamp Stoffel 48
Juniors (90) – Judge: Elaine Portch
1. Kirsty Holme Poppet 82 Q
2. Rose van de Ruit Ren 73
3. Rose van de Ruit Henna 70
Seniors (100) – Judge: Rose van de Ruit
1. Irene Kilpert Jodi 74
2. Elsie Jammy Brooklyn 55
Top Dogs (110) – Judge: Irene Thompson
1. William Hundermark Bryn 102
2. Rose van de Ruit Hemp 101
3. Mark Trollip Diesel 98
4. Nola Bowie Skye 91
5. Jenny Ludick Whiskey 90
Day 2
Beginners (75) – Judge: Rose van de Ruit
1. Yara Hanssen Finn 58
2. Atmos Chiunye Calla 56
3. Yara Hanssen Mac 51
Juniors (90) – Judge: Mark Trollip
1. Jo Ades Bella 77 Q
2. Martyn Portch Potter 75
3. Rose van de Ruit Orla 75
Seniors (100) – Judge: Irene Thompson
1. Irene Kilpert Jodi 85
2. Elsie Jammy Brooklyn 80
Top Dogs (110) – Judge: Elaine Portch
1. Mark Trollip Diesel 102
2. Jenny Ludick Whiskey 96
3. Jenny Ludick Cola 95
4. Nola Bowie Skye 90
5. Rose van de Ruit Hemp 90
Zimbabwe Sheepdog Association
Dog of the Year Trial – 31 March and 1 April 2026
Watershed Farm, Marondera
The next two days of competition were at Watershed farm some 35kms east of Ruwa
close to the town of Marondera. Owner William Hundermark has only recently acquired
the farm so there was a lot work put in to get the field ready for the trials. The ground
was flat and soft under foot but covered in thatch grass at shoulder height and a number
of thorn trees. A good size field was cut and all the thorn tress removed in the week
prior to the trial. The rectangular trials field allowed for a Top Dog outrun of about 300m
with ample space for a good drive.
William also runs a Dorper stud and had recently acquired a mixed flock of Dorpers and
indigenous sheep referred to as Nguni who are very similar to the Pedi breed. These
were the ewes used for the trial and were also run in packets of 3. Top Dogs and
seniors would single and pen making both the classes out of 100. The ewes weren’t
used to dogs and definitely not used to being run in 3’s. The lift was the crucial part as
they did their best to escape in all directions once the dog tried to engage at the top.
There were a number of retirements on both days.
Thank you to William, the club members and all the sponsors for a wonderful well-run
event. A number of us started the long trek back south on the morning after and some
were very fortunate to go Tiger fishing on lake Kariba on a houseboat!
Day 1
Beginners (75) – Judge: Mark Trollip
1. Atmos Chiunye Calla 47
2. Helen Goodwin Ladybug 20
Juniors (90) – Judge: Elaine Portch
1. Doug Coleman Max 69
2. William Hundermark Izzy 66
3. Elsie Jammy Hella 63
Seniors (100) – Judge: Rose van de Ruit
1. Elsie Jammy Brooklyn 61
2. Jo Ades Bella 51
Top Dogs (100) – Judge: Irene Thompson
1. Mark Trollip Diesel 89
2. Nola Bowie Skye 85
3. Jenny Ludick Sprite 73
4. Jenny Ludick Cola 67
5. Martyn Portch Meg 67
Day 2
Beginners (75) – Judge: Rose van de Ruit
1. Atmos Chiunye Calla 42
2. Helen Goodwin Ladybug 39
Juniors (90) – Judge: Mark Trollip
1. Doug Coleman Max 64
2. Rose van de Ruit Ren 63
3. Rose van de Ruit Henna 59
Seniors (100) – Judge: Irene Thompson
1. Elsie Jammy Brooklyn 67
2. Jo Ades Bella 61
3. Irene Kilpert Jodi 56
Top Dogs (100) – Judge: Elaine Portch
1. Jenny Ludick Cola 92
2. William Hundermark Bryn 86
3. Mark Trollip Diesel 84
4. Rose van de Ruit Hemp 81
5. Nola Bowie Skye 68
Midlands Sheepdog Club
Dog of the Year trial – 28 th April to 1 st May 2026
Lansdowne Farm, Middelburg, Eastern Cape
For the next set of trials we headed to the Eastern Cape and the Karoo town of
Middelburg. Andre Lesch manages the 10,000ha farm Lansdowne for a business
consortium. The farm carries a large flock of Dohne Merinos, a flock of MeatMasters
and a herd of beef cattle. Normally with 4 days of trialling we have a rest day in the
middle but with a small entry we’d be done by lunchtime each day so it was decided to
do away with the day off.
For the competition Andre used a flock of 7 month old Dohne Merino lambs. The field
used for the trial has a gradual slope downhill from north to south, is some 350ha in
extent and has a pathway running through the middle. The handlers post was
positioned just off this path allowing us to cast north for the first two days and then
downhill (south) for the next two. Visibility on the south side was slightly better although
the sheep blended in with the longish grass resulting in some cross casts and dogs
having to be whistled to find the sheep.
The lambs proved a good test and difficult to read as they were not used to being
worked in packets of 5 as well as having to negotiate the natural Karoo bushes.
Despite these challenges there were some very good runs, on day 2 Andre Lesch and
Peg qualified into the senior class having won with a score above 85%. Day 4 also saw
a qualifier with Andrew Philip and Gary winning the junior class.
Thank you to host Andre Lesch for a well-run and enjoyable event as well as our
generous sponsors.
Day 1
Juniors (90) – Judge : M Trollip
1. A Lesch Peg 73
2. P Philip Vic 71
3. R Pretorius Lea 58
Seniors (100) – Judge : A Philip
1. P Philip Nan 75
2. R Pretorius Mieke 67
3. G Staegemann Cait 57
TopDogs (110) – Judge : J vd Vyver
1. A Philip Mirk 103
2. A Philip Zap 86
3. M Trollip Diesel 85
4. R Pretorius Elke 85
5. R Pretorius Tess 84
Day 2
Juniors (90) – Judge : J vd Vyver
1. A Lesch Peg 78 Q
2. P Philip Vic 72
3. A Lesch Lyca 67
Seniors (100) – Judge : M Trollip
1. R Pretorius Mieke 79
2. P Philip Nan 77
3. E Jammy Brooklyn 55
TopDogs (160) – Judge : A Philip
1. M Trollip Diesel 132
2. R Pretorius Tess 132
Day 3
Juniors (90) – Judge : M Trollip
1. A Philip Gary 71
2. A Lesch Lyca 65
3. P Philip Vic 64
Seniors (100) – Judge : J vd Vyver
1. A Lesch Peg 74
2. R Pretorius Mieke 73
3. E Jammy Brooklyn 54
TopDogs (110) – Judge : P Philip
1. A Philip Zap 101
2. A Philip Mirk 86
3. R Pretorius Elke 82
4. J vd Vyver Missy 78
5. R Pretorius Tess 76
Day 4
Juniors (90) – Judge : M Trollip
1. A Philip Gary 77 Q
2. A Lesch Lyca 72
3. P Philip Vic 72
Seniors (100) – Judge : A Philip
1. P Philip Nan 77
2. R Pretorius Mieke 63
3. A Lesch Peg 61
TopDogs (160) – Judge : M Trollip
1. R Pretorius Tess 138
2. A Philip Zap 121
3. A Philip Mirk 117
4. R Pretorius Elke 96
5. J vd Vyver Missy 87
West Coast Sheepdog Club
Dog of the Year Trial 2 – 23 & 24 June 2026
Betties Ville Farm, Lamberts Bay
For the second West Coast Trial of the season we moved to the farm Betties Ville of
Hugo Louw which is some 10kms inland from Lamberts Bay on the west coast of the
country. Conveniently the venue is also next to the property of host WA Hugo who
assists Hugo with the management of his stock.
Being close to the coast the field is soft under foot with a covering of various indigenous
grasses. The field is predominantly flat but from just past the senior post slopes slightly
up to an elevated portion which has a number of undulations and large bushes. This is
where the top dog’s sheep were set out which made seeing the sheep and dog from the
handler’s post very difficult. We had a flock of 8mnth old Dohne Merino lambs for the
event which were very scatty in packets of five and extremely skittish. Handling them
called for calm fluent movements otherwise they would bolt. As expected the more
experienced dogs handled the situation better as evidenced from the higher scores in
the senior classes.
Thank you to Hugo Louw for the use of his sheep and venue, WA Hugo and West Coast
club members for all their efforts and our generous sponsors, Optimizor Dog Food.
Day 1
Juniors (90) – Judge : A Philip
1. P Philip Vic 75
2. L de Waal Vlam 63
3. WA Hugo Spy 42
Seniors (100) – Judge : M Trollip
1. P Philip Nan 86
2. B Lloyd Plaidy 81
3. B Lloyd Joc 66
TopDogs (110) – Judge : P Philip
1. M Trollip Diesel 94
2. WA Hugo Mac 90
3. WA Hugo Sally 89
4. A Philip Mirk 88
5. A Philip Zap 87
Day 2
Juniors (90) – Judge : M Trollip
1. P Philip Vic 62
2. L de Waal Vlam 50
3. WA Hugo Spy 47
Seniors (100) – Judge : M Trollip
1. P Philip Nan 85
2. B Lloyd Plaidy 76
3. A Philip Gary 63
TopDogs (110) – Judge : WA Hugo
1. A Philip Mirk 94
2. M Trollip Diesel 92
3. A Philip Zap 91
4. H vd Merwe Jem 85
5. J vd Vyver Missy 82
Western Province Sheepdog Club
Dog of the Year Trial 1 – 26 & 27 May 2026
Farm Kinko, Buffeljagsrivier
The first of the seasons Western Province trials took place on the farm Kinko 10kms
east of the Overberg town of Swellendam. Co-owner Johan Swart together with his two
brothers run a large mixed farming operating including a dairy, sheep, boer goats and
cropping. Kinko is a well-known Dormer stud but for the trial Johan used a mix flock of
young Merinos which he’d recently bought in. There were two groups, one lot were
about 10mnths old and the other about 13mnths though they had been together for a
month or two.
The field was the same as the one used for last year’s nationals, very flat for the first
200m and then sloping upwards to the top at about 400m. Casting left meant the dogs
lost sight of the sheep from about 200m until they came in at the top while on the right
cast they had good visibility all the way. The field had a good covering of oats and was
soft underfoot for the bottom half but the top half of the field was very rocky although the
oats softened it somewhat.
The sheep could best be described as “athletic” and took off down the field from the lift,
negotiating the bring gates required the dog to be a good distance off but not far that it
lost contact. A number of handlers crossed the line on the wrong side of the handler’s
post as the sheep were heavy and running to the exhaust side. The drive required a
delicate touch with shedding and penning also being quite a challenge. There were
however some high scoring runs and Pippa Philip with her young dog Vic qualified out
of the junior class on the second day.
Our thanks to Johan for a well organised event and once again our very generous
sponsors Optimizor Dog Food.
Day 1
Juniors (90) – Judge : A Philip
1. M Portch Potter 34
2. H vd Merwe Roy 31
Seniors (100) – Judge : M Trollip
1. B Lloyd Plaidy 63
2. B Lloyd Joc 61
3. P Philip Nan 61
TopDogs (110) – Judge : P Philip
1. H vd Merwe Lisa 94
2. M Trollip Diesel 94
3. A Philip Mirk 85
4. J vd Vyver Missy 83
5. B Greeff Maya 79
Day 2
Beginners (75) – Judge : A Philip
1. L Young Chui 46
Junior (90) – Judge : A Philip
1. P Philip Vic 77 Q
2. M Portch Potter 69
3. H vd Merwe Roy 24
Seniors (100) – Judge : J vd Vyver
1. B Lloyd Plaidy 79
2. B Greeff Togo 77
3. B Lloyd Joc 76
TopDogs (110) – Judge : M Trollip
1. Jvd Vyver Missy 99
2. A Philip Zap 94
3. J vd Vyver Cap 90
4. B Greeff Maya 84
5. H vd Merwe Jem 83