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    

Life is looking up as Dean gets set to stage its annual kite festival. 

The little locality between Daylesford and Ballarat loves its colourful annual kite festival that transforms the recreation reserve while raising dollars for good community deeds.

The Dean Kite Festival happens Sunday, September 1, Fathers Day, and it’s a great family day out, says Dean Recreation Reserve Committee president Brian Maher.

“It’s been going for 11 years now and we have Jo Baker of Kites 4 Kids who brings her entourage. Jo and her husband are from Melbourne and they travel around the world doing this,” Brian says.

Jo has the enviable job description of kite educator, kite flier, kite builder and 2005 world kite flying champion.

She started Kites 4 Kids in November 1995 and has since been running kite-making workshops in schools, school holiday programs, after-school activities, community events and internationally in places like Guam (USA), Kuwait, Thailand, Bali, China and India.

“We don’t have a gate fee for the festival, but for $10 kids do their own kite design and then Jo supplies all the materials and they turn the design into a kite that the kids can then get to fly,” Brian says.

“People also bring their own kites with them and we get some very large kites in all types of designs. We had 300 to 400 people last year.”

Brian reckons it’s pretty much the perfect affordable family day out, with an all-day barbecqe, tea, coffee and home-made cakes available for purchase, and raffle prizes to win.

The kite festival is one of two major fundraising community events held on the Dean Recreation Reserve annually with the other being the Dean and District Sheepdog Trials, also known as the Old Sniff Classic.

Set for Sunday, October 13 this year, the Old Sniff Classic has become a firm favourites on the calendar of competitors and spectators alike, attracting many top dogs to the pretty little reserve oval.

As with the kite festival, there’s no gate admission fee for the Old Sniff, but Brian says donations are gratefully accepted and all go to great community causes.

Words: Eve Lamb | Images: Contributed 

Words: Eve Lamb. Image: Supplied.

For champion sheepdog trainer John Tuddenham, training winning woofers is a bit like educating smart children.

“You don’t give them too much too early. You’ve got to let ‘em grow up a little,” says the renowned local sheepdog trainer.

John, from Ross Creek, is among the many sheepdog trainers who’ll be heading to compete at the upcoming annual Dean and District Sheepdog trials set for Sunday October 8.

“It’s a bit like teaching a young child,” says John whose dogs have come away with the silverware at many top competitions in Victoria and interstate.

“You’ve got to form a bond with the dog.”

John trains border collies, and at next month’s famed Dean trials it tends to mainly be the collie breed that competes.

Conducted under the rules of the Victorian Working Sheepdog Association, the annual trials have become a real favourite in the diaries of many of the state’s top trainers and draws many of the very best dogs from across Victoria.

They take place at the Dean Recreation Reserve and date back to 2013, says Recreation Reserve president Brian Maher who is keenly anticipating the day’s competition.

“The dogs work three sheep at a time and we’ll have up to 40 dogs competing for the day. Each dog gets 15 minutes,” he says.

“We get competitors from all over the state and in the past we’ve had entries from Tasmania and from South Australia.”

The trials missed a couple of years during the pandemic lockdowns but have since made a very successful comeback.

Funds raised through entry donations at the gate, many raffle prize draws that are held, and onsite refreshment sales all go to support important local causes and charities.

Brian says that this year funds raised will be benefiting Creswick Anglicare.

The day offers a great chance for people who have never watched sheep dog trials before to learn a lot.

Brian says he particularly likes to introduce newbies, first-time visitors, to a trainer so they can ask questions and learn about how point-scoring works during competition.

With some loyal sponsors backing them, the trials offer some great prizes and trophies for the winners and the event has become renowned for its country hospitality and good ol’ fashioned vibe.

Homemade baked goodies and refreshments on site are all part of the atmosphere, as is the vintage engine display.

And, just quietly, those who get along can also expect to be treated to a bit of live country bush verse as well.

By way of demonstration, while chatting to The Local about the upcoming trials, Brian recited the lyrics to a favourite Slim Dusty number – word for word.

“I call this event the Old Sniff Classic,” he says. “That’s a name I came up with ten years ago. It’s the name of a Slim Dusty song,” continues Brian, reeling off a few verses, a process which serves as useful practice before hitting the crowd with a bit more of the same over the trials PA system on the day.

“We are a small committee but we are very proactive,” says Brian, who is clearly a man who enjoys his work

Brian likes to be present on the day, to personally circulate and make new visitors and competitors feel welcome. But he is quick to credit veteran trainer and competitor John Tuddenham with being “instrumental” in getting the event off the ground from the outset.

“It’s a great event,” says John, himself. “And what Brian does is unbelievable in running it. The competitors just love it because of the atmosphere. It’s a very friendly event.” John and his dogs have been competing at the Dean and District Trials ever since they first took place, and this year he’s bringing Tintagel Peta and Mia – both border collies – to take on the competition.

John and Tintagel Peta were overall winners at last year’s trials so many will be watching them particularly closely this time ‘round.

“It takes you probably 12 months to train a dog to be able to do competition,” says the master trainer.

John has also bred winning working dogs at his Ross Creek property in the past, and has competed with dogs he has trained all over Victoria

and interstate, representing Victoria four times in the Australian Supreme Sheepdog Trials.

He is a life member of the Victorian Working Sheep Dog Association and has also judged the Australian Supreme Sheep Dog Trials on five occasions.

John and his wife Mary are also busy getting ready to host a sheepdog training school at their property, Belmonte over October 21-22.

“I’ve got nothing against kelpies at all,” says John. “But border collies are a little bit more steady and tend to get on with working just three sheep a little bit better because they are so calm.”

In the past the Dean and District Sheepdog Trials have benefited a wide range of local charities ranging from the local fire brigade to Shannon’s Bridge which helps terminally ill people to pass over peacefully in their own homes.

Brian says that when people donate $5 to get in the gate at next month’s trials, they’ll receive three raffle tickets into the bargain, with some great raffle prizes to be won.

The trials happen at Dean Recreation Reserve on the Daylesford – Ballarat Road, Sunday, October 8 from 7 am.