By Sorrel Hoskin

Bernard Murphy has been up early mustering. The 80 year-old Kohuratahi farmer and his dogs have been bringing sheep down from the hills in preparation for shearing.

Bernard Murphy with his dogs. Image: Puke Ariki.

Although he's handed the day-to-day running of the farm over to his sons Steve and Dan, working with dogs is something Bernard has done since he was a lad. He's not about to stop just because he recently became an octogenarian. It's in the farmer's blood, as much a part of his make up as the craggy hills that rise above the white homestead lying in a valley off the Forgotten World Highway.

A dog trialing dynasty

Bernard is head of a family that has become a dynasty of New Zealand dog trialing. His sons Steve and Dan are dog trialling greats in their own right. It's common for the Murphy name to pop up on the leader board at trials around the country.

When it comes to dog trialing Bernard has been there done that. He's a life member of the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Association and also its patron.  In his 60 year-plus competing career he has a grand tally of 63 top seven placings at North Island, South Island and national trials, covering all the disciplines: Long Head, short head and yard, zig zag hunt and straight hunt. He's walked away with the top prize at these events seven times.

Bernard has won so many silver trophies that his wife Fay despairs at the amount of polishing needed to keep them all shining. "It used to take me a day of solid work – now it's much longer!" she laughs, shaking her head at the cabinet that covers a wall from floor to ceiling in the lounge.

Good stockmanship

Bernard learnt to handle dogs as a matter of necessity.  He grew up on the family farm at Whangamomona, and, after leaving school in 1942, went to work on leased land at Aotuhia. It was rough, unforgiving country that had seen many farmers walk off in despair. "Dad, my uncle and a chap called Ted Wiley still had their farm, the others just couldn't make it pay financially - the sections were too small, it was too rough, the roads were shot and so forth." The Murphy family and Neil Buchanan took over the running of the abandoned land. They leased it for 40 years.

It was in this country that the 15-year-old Bernard learnt stockmanship. "It was unfenced and very scrubby. It's very easy for stock in that country to get very cunning and if you leave them behind they collect a few mates and a few more mates and so forth!"

From shepherding it was a small step to dog trialling. "Dog trialling is just good shepherding polished up a bit. The same principles apply to mustering rough country as it does to dog trials. You have to learn to read the sheep and how they are travelling. You have to think like a sheep, only quicker!"

Bernard's father was a keen dog trialest as was local man Eric Birch. "Bill Hight - he didn't go to dog trials but was an excellent dog handler and stockman . Working with those guys and watching them I saw how they worked and followed them."

The teenager entered his first competition aged 16, with two dogs Fay and Gleam, and while they didn't place it wasn't long before the duo was up on the leader board. Over the years Bernard has had 15 dogs that have placed in Island and National events - four huntaways and 11 heading dogs, whose names he can rattle off faster than it takes to yell "wallah go." "There's Flame, Flint, Willie, Boy, Spark, Digger, Dream, Lad, Joy, Spook, Ken, Matt , Lucky, Joy II, Swift and Gleam."

Bringing out the good qualities

The key is learning to recognise something special in a dog, explains the farmer, and then helping those qualities show through. "You can tell pretty early whether a dog has got what it takes. By the time they are 12 to 14 months old their qualities will be shining out."

With a huntaway it's a case of either they have what it takes or they don't. "You can't really teach them. A heading dog, provided they are keen to work you can teach most things, cover up their faults."

But a good dog can be ruined by a poor master. "A good competitor with just an ordinary dog will do better than a poor competitor with a great dog. It's about team work you've both got to be on the ball.

A good dog trialist must have mustering experience and stock handling experience to be able to read the stock, know what they are going to do. You've got to be able to think like a sheep and think a bit quicker."

Bernard trains his dogs on the farm, teaching them their sides, stops and returns in general day-to-day work. It's just a matter of getting your dogs fit and having them fit and keen and doing what you want them to he says. "I suppose it's a bit of dog psychology really. Even dogs of the same breed react differently. You've got to learn how to read a dog, find out their temperament and work with that."

He's got young dogs at the moment. Hammer is a dog given to him by his son Steve. Hammer ran at his first champs last year and went around without being placed. But Bernard has great hopes for him. "If I could only have one more crack at the Nationals he would be the dog that I would take."

What's a dog trial?

The aim of trials is to demonstrate a high level of stock handling and dog control.  There are four classes for trials: heading dogs: long head, heading dogs: short head and yarding, huntaways:  zig-zag hunts, and huntaways: straight hunt. But basically dog trialing is about man and dog getting a mob of sheep from point A to point B via various obstacles. Judges deduct points for various infringements.

Trial day is all about remaining cool, calm and collected, says Bernard. Standing waiting for the sheep to be released can be a nerve wracking moment. "I suppose I do get wound up a bit but you've got to make your nerves work for you. When I've got a good dog going well and you are a good team you can stay confident. It's just like anything else. Their reactions vary but you mostly set out to try and read the sheep and stay calm and keep the dog calm. They can tell in your voice."

Occasionally a dog can become 'trial happy' and get a bit carried away. But the competitor can't reprimand them, and swearing will see a team disqualified.

On the day it's down to a mix of luck and skill, says Bernard. But when both man and dog are working as one it can be magic. "When you can read the sheep, the dog does what you want it to do and the sheep cooperate… well that's what it's all about."

Dan, Bernard and Steve Murphy. Image: Taranaki Daily News. Murphys_70986.

But a bad mob of sheep can make for a tricky run. "Some sheep you get in competitions haven't been handled and so are pretty wild. You get a real mix these days. You get a blend of sheep where the progeny are mongrels - not good to work with. Down south they have the merinos that are ok but these days I can't see them so well - the eyesight's going and they tend to blend in with the tussock! I prefer to get Romney sheep to work with compared to other breeds."

Still going strong

Dog trialing is still strong in New Zealand, says Bernard. Young shepherds are coming through from big stations in Hawke's Bay and down south. Though Taranaki is one of the smaller clubs in the country it packs a punch above its weight thanks to a small number of top men who have shared their knowledge over the years. Of the four Murphy boys Steve and Dan have both taken up competitive dog trialing - and they are good at it too. Another local dog triallist, Ken Lobb, is a nephew. "We go to trials and compete," says Bernard. "I've been dragging the chain a bit for a year or two but I hope to be a bit more competitive for the next couple of years anyway!"

Dog trialing season runs from January through to the nationals in June. It can see man and dog travel the country to compete in events. February will see up to 50 competitors and their dogs muster at the 82 year old Whangamomona dog trial club where they will compete on Murphy property. The nationals this year are being held in Taranaki at Mangamingi, near Stratford.

Bernard hopes to have a good run this season and wants that one last chance to have a crack at the nationals with Hammer. As to retirement? "As long as I can still see the course I'll be out there competing!"

Bernard's winning events:

• The New  Zealand zig zag hunt at Tai Taupo in 1966 with Gleam
• The New Zealand long head in 1968 at Delaware Bay  with Flint
• The North island long head in 1980 at Ohaewai with Flame
• The South  Island and New Sealand long head in 1988 at Blenheim with  Dream
• The South Island long head in 1997 at Wanaka with Matt
• The North island long head in 1998 at Taumaranui with Matt