October 11th, 2024Top dogs headed to the Old Sniff Classic

Top sheepdogs and their trainers are headed to Dean this Sunday, October  13, for the eleventh running of the Old Sniff Classic Sheepdog Trials.  

Among them, veteran sheepdog trainer Jim Dodge and his dog, Connor’s Cash,  will be back to defend Cash’s title after the four-year-old border collie took out the  open competition last year.

The duo from Snake Valley will be the ones to beat and the competition is likely to be intense with Jim also competing with Viewfield Sam, a three-year-old border collie that he bred as well as trained.  

Jim has never missed an Old Sniff Sheepdog Trial in all the years it’s been  running. He and his wife Kerry love to get along to the annual Dean Recreation  Reserve fixture that raises money for local causes.  

“Brian and the committee do a really good job,” says Jim, referring to the  president of the Dean Recreation Reserve Committee, Brian Maher.  

“We won the Old Sniff Classic open with Cash last year and Sam finished  fourth.”  

Jim and Kerry are well known on the sheep dog trial circuit and have recently  been made life members of the Victorian Working Sheepdog Association.  

The accolade recognises their major contributions with Kerry providing untold  hours behind the scenes toward the smooth running of events and admin, and Jim  breeding and training champion working sheepdogs for the last five decades.  

Jim and his dogs have won at state supreme championship level and notched up  an impressive number of Australian and Commonwealth championship level wins,  while Jim’s knowledge has also seen him judge Australian Supreme Sheepdog Trials as  well.  

“We’ll be trying anyway,” he says ahead of this Sunday’s competition.  

Kerry says that over the many years they’ve been attending sheepdog trials, she’s  noticed some interesting changes take place.  

“It’s very much changed over the years. It used to be just farmers competing but  now you get city folk who will train a dog to compete as well,” she says.

“There’s always a good crowd (at the Old Sniff Classic). We get a lot of people  come along and they’ll just sit there for hours and watch it.”  

Busy preparing for this Sunday’s running, Brian Maher is particularly hoping  the sun smiles down on the Old Sniff after foul weather cancelled the committee’s  other main fundraiser for the year, the Dean Kite Festival which was meant to have  happened last month.  

Brian says this Sunday’s trials will see about 40 well-trained and work-honed dogs  competing, offering spectators a pretty pleasant way to spend the day.  

“The stars of the show manoeuvre three sheep around a course on the command  of their handlers, while being judged on time and ability,” he says.  

“National, state and local champions are among the field and spectators can chat  to the handlers and learn the finer points of the sport.”  

Food sales, raffles and a vintage machinery display are part of it as well with entry to the grounds by gold coin donation.  

Words: Eve Lamb