Marionvale Working Dogs

31/10/2024

Even champions like a bit of play time. Marionvale Di.

31/10/2024

Good looks are important aren’t they Chopper? 🙄

31/10/2024

9 week old Olboa Gin get some help from kipper. Gins first look at sheep and shows some promise. A confident young Kipper keeps getting better.

31/10/2024

Out of the Last litter by Marionvale Chip. Jillaroo Cilla still showing plenty of promise and style.

28/10/2024

Action photos from the WA State Yard and Utility trial at Kondinin. Marionvale Woody in the Open Yard. Woody placed 4th in the Open Yard and 3rd in the Open Utility behind Marionvale Di 1st.
Photos by Nan Lloyd.

28/10/2024

Another trial weekend and another amazing performance by the team but particularly Marionvale Di. This time the Western Australian State Yard and Utility trial at Kondinin. Warm windy conditions working huge merino sheep that loved to jump fences and could run like they were fleeing the scene of a crime. Lost sheep was a common result as they consistently outran the dogs or loped over a fence. Tara with Marionvale Morton and Tess managed to work them and placed second and fourth respectively in the state novice utility final. Modifications to the yards prevented some jumping and more scores were posted in the state utility open. Di and Woody made the open utility 6 dog final with Di working them superbly in the final to get the only pen of the trial out of both events and win the state open championship. Woody placed third with some of the toughest sheep I’ve worked. Even the judge commented as I left the yard to try and manage them in the field part of the trial. ‘Good luck you’ve got a ton of time left😳’ thanks Ken….
The open Yard saw Jack, Di and Woody all make the final with Woody finishing fourth. Di came out limping after her first round so I rested her and scratched her from the final. Di’s performance and her efforts through the year won her Utility Dog of the Year and I picked up Breeder of the Utility Dog of the Year. Incredible result considering she missed two championship events and picked up no points. Yarrabee Jack ran third in utility dog of the year after winning two Open Utility championships this year giving my team four open utility championship wins this year. Di will rest up and recover as we head to Albany in a fortnight for the final official trial for the year. Di is leading the arena dog of the year and will pick up the prize making it two of the three
Major dog of the year trophies on offer going to Di. Certainly a season to remember.

27/10/2024

Sheepdog training this week Monday Wednesday 430
Saturday 830

24/10/2024

Effie with radar and Emma with Harry, daughter like mother.

22/10/2024

Not the best colour for staying clean. Di’s granddaughter Olboa Gin at 9 weeks.

20/10/2024

Got some help from 7 week old Olboa Gin at the Margaret river show sheepdog demonstration. Pups are always a big hit even if it’s just the pats.

15/10/2024

The Marionvale crew had a weekend to remember, featuring in the places in most events at the Wagin Gala Trial. The trial ran three sheep, Utility and yard championships, with the opportunity to run in all events. Des with Marionvale Lulu and Simon Wallace with Marionvale Caddy set the pace, penning and placing in the Improver three sheep and also making the open final. Then Anna with Marionvale Sonny won the encourage yard. Not to be outdone Marionvale Di pitched in to win the open three sheep arena championship and then followed it up winning the open utility championship a combination of the yard and arena. Marionvale Pete placed third in the open three sheep and Marionvale Andy placed 8th making it five Marionvale dogs in the open three sheep final.
The sheep sorted plenty of dogs as they were challenging and liked to run and single so to feature in the places and manage them so well was a great achievement by all.

Photos by Simon Wallace and Nan Lloyd.

11/10/2024

Podcast from an interview I did at the Geelong Supreme. Press the play button on the bar at the top of the page to listen.

An Australian competition shows off dog herding skills

05/10/2024

Warning contains unsavoury language directed at dogs!!!!

Whenever I travel there always seem to be adventures and of course stories 😳.
My recent visit to Geelong didn’t let me down.
Casterton is a place I was keen to swing by. Kelpie history, beautiful country side and it wasn’t out of the way on the drive home west.
Heading into town, driving from Edenhope, I found a lookout high on a hill so took the opportunity to stop and grab some pics. The hill was high. High enough to see the surrounding countryside and the town below. The vista was stunning as I scanned the distance. I took a moment to let the dogs out for a quick p*e while I grabbed some photos.
The lookout was adjacent a paddock and being Casterton, the home of the kelpie, the paddock was full of sheep and half grown lambs. The fence seemed good so I wasn’t concerned and as we pulled up the sheep headed down the steep hill away from us. Unfortunately my very own Fenton moment was about to commence.
Di and Andy, my two border collies, spotted the sheep and were just far enough away from me to not hear my recall. The wind was blowing directly at me and road noise was loud due to trucks preparing for the steep road decent into town. Egged on by each other’s enthusiasm I watched, caught like a deer in headlights, as Di and Andy cast magnificently down the steep rolling green pasture to gather a group of about 600 plus ewes and lambs.
‘That’ll doooooooo’ was my Fenton call !! But the distance was great and the lambs were barring…. ‘That’ll doooooooo’
‘Faaaaaaark’
Di was fetching Andy was blocking. ‘Faaaaaaaark’

I Looked to get through the fence to them but the fence was barbed wire strands so I was stuck outside. I started running down the hill on the road side through the scrub blackberry and god knows what else.

‘That’ll doooooooo’
Di had now manoeuvred the whole mob through a gate and Andy had recast to collect a small splinter group at the farthest part of the huge paddock.

‘That’ll doooooooo’
The big mob was rolling through the gate and a pause in the wind got Di’s attention but in the distance I could see a farm Ute kicking up Dust heading my way….

Faaaaark!

‘That’ll doooooooo’
Di responded and came back quite pleased with herself. She had done a good job!
Andy ‘That’ll doooooooo’ i yelled as he was still Gathering. I was considering leaving him….. he was busy and ignoring me. ‘Aaaannnnnndyyyyyyy,’ Nothing.

‘Aaaaaandy you caaaaaaarntt .’ Andy stopped and looked up. Now he responds😳 I do have a love hate relationship with that dog. He loves me…..
He’s talented that’s for sure but if there’s mischief from the dogs it’s usually him. He ran through a sliding glass door shattering it once….. Needless to say I think he recognised his name.

The farmer had arrived but he was up the hill at the abandoned car. A speck in the distance as I grabbed the dog’s collars to start the track back through the brambles. Faaaark.
Troopsing through the scrub my voice now somewhat croaky I fronted the farmer. ‘Sorry mate, they are sheepdogs and they decided to gather your mob.’ I croaked sounding more like Rod Stewart.
‘I thought my nieghbour was in trouble I heard the yelling’ the farmer expressed
Not your nieghbour mate but there was trouble!
‘Could have done with them on the weekend, we were drenching’ the farmer smirked realising the track Down and back up the hill had taken its toll on Me…..
Faaaaark!

Fortunately my Fenton moment wasn’t filmed so it will remain a secret between just you and me…….

Simon Leaning
Marionvale Working Dogs.

03/10/2024

17 week old border collie pup Kipper. Lovely shape, heading and feel for his sheep. Seems like an old soul.

01/10/2024

Worth a repeat.

28/09/2024

The Perth Royal Agricultural Show is one of those events, that as a kid, I would go to and watch in awe those working sheepdogs being worked by magic and controlled by magicians. Its seemed an impossible task, controlling a dog and sheep and all with a whistle or command. To later be invited to compete at the show was a dream, to win it amazing, but to win both the arena and yard trials with the same dog in the same week was simply beyond belief. Marionvale Di did that this week scoring 90 in the main arena on three sheep on Wednesday then following that up today with a 94 in the yard under judge David Motley from NSW winning both events.
She’s brave and clever and a dream to work. Her resilience shone through having been travelling across Australia only last week. The crowds, the noise, her lack of fitness, were all hindrances that made no difference. She took it all In her stride and got the job done and I’m delighted.

26/09/2024

16 week old border collie pup Kipper had his first appearance at the Perth Royal Show on Wednesday.
Yarrabee Jack managed an 86 in the yard trial and Di Recovered well from the eastern states trip to post an impressive 90 out in the arena. We head back on Saturday for another show.

24/09/2024

What?!?

23/09/2024

The ever handsome Chopper.

19/09/2024

3 weeks travelling and cooped up in the Ute is coming to an end.

19/09/2024

Heading home across the Nullarbor evening and the great Australian bight early morning.

18/09/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/ovMnBVtxwzXwJTUw/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Here’s a sample of the supreme sheepdog trialling at Geelong Victoria. Top 5 in the improver final. I was invited to do the commentary for the live feeds for the Test series and Finals.

11/09/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/3Mzhec3Zs1RcfCpn/?mibextid=WC7FNe

08/09/2024

Day two
In Geelong and despite my wish for good sheep and better weather not coming true, we still had a good day. Di ran third in the morning and was amazing again penning and posting a decent score of 77.75. Ken was on a great run only for a sheep to split off at the pen and cost him dearly visiting all parts of the ground. Grant and bluey worked very well and he placed second overall making the Australian Team.
My first attempt at a trans Tasman course and repping for WA got me to 9th overall. WA got pipped for second by 1/2 a point placing third.
The supreme open and improver has started and the weather has turned wild along with the sheep. The supreme has a huge field of over 200 dogs so it’s a fair wait between runs. The novice will kick off tomorrow using sheep already used on the open ground.
New day tomorrow and we wish again for sunshine, no wind and cooperative sheep.