ARGUABLY Australia’s top dog trainer has dominated the sheep dog trials at the Australian Sheep & Wool Show.
Greg Prince, Dubbo, NSW, brought nine dogs to the competition and took out first and second in the open division and placed third in the novice and improver divisions.
Laurie Slater, NSW, won the novice division with Wondara Maisie, while Dickie Read placed first in the improver division with Kiora Mishka.
Mr Prince was full of praise for his winning dog, eight-year-old Border Collie Princes Di.
“It’s her ability to quieten the stock down that makes her so successful initially,” he said.
“Then she has the ability and strength to go on and move the stock without busting them.
“She has the x-factor and that’s something you can’t train.”
Princes Di won the Australian dog of the year of the Commonwealth championships in Port Fairy earlier this year.
He said dog trialling was a complex art to learn.
“My role is to read the sheep so I can give my dogs the correct commands and that takes a lot of years to learn,” he said.
Mr Prince said the standard of competition was strong.
“It was as good a competition as you’ll come across,” he said.
