The Country 30/10/25: Mark Copeland talks to Jamie Mackay

We catch up with the New Zealand Dog Trial Test Team captain. The annual Trans-Tasman Sheep Dog Trial Test runs over two days from tomorrow at the Ashburton A&P Show, battling it out to win the prestigious Wayleggo Cup. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's all on for Man and Dog tomorrow in Ashburton.
In fact, tomorrow and Saturday, top dogs go head to
head as New Zealand hosts the Trans Tasman Sheep Dog
Test Series. They'll be competing for the Whalerg Cup. The
captain of the New Zealand dog trialing team is from Well.
He's not a mile away from Ashburton, just living outside

(00:21):
at Mark Copeland. Mark. There's four of you with your
dogs up against four Assi's and their dogs. Talk me
through the competition. Good afternoon by the way.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
Hi Jamie, pleasure to be with you. Your combination is
a dual course with design transchatesment purely for the interaction
between our two countries. A bit of these and a
bit of air rules whereby we head and Paul which
is the same for both parties, and then we turn
at the casting Vegan Kerry Australian style, which initially is

(00:55):
a bit awkward for air, our dogs and handlers. To
get our minds around it, we got to contain the
sheep within a nine meter half radius. Would it be
behind the side we're in front of you carrying on
the right hand side to the first of store and
then it goes to which is a gap and then
it goes to the New Zealand Drive New Zealand style

(01:18):
Multi's cross New Zealand style, second New Zealand Drive, and
then onto the Bridge which is New Zealand style, then
back to the austral And Kerry whereby we end up
at the ten Penning Australian style.

Speaker 1 (01:31):
Yeah, and it's a hybrid model, so it's fair to
both nations. In a traditional dog trialing sense mark we would,
of course in New Zealand here have four events, two
hunter ways and two heading dogs. These this trans Tasment test,
the Whale Goo Cup is only for heading dogs. I'm
right in saying.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
That, correct, absolutely correct. It'd be nice to see a
hunderway thing like this. I don't know how you do
it away from hill country, but possibly could be done.
But they don't have the hundred ways like we do
over there. They have a Kelpie version or whatever.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
But yeah, yeah, I think our hunter Ways would leave
them for dead. Actually, interestingly, I used to commentate the
dog trials at the Rural Games and Palmerston North and
we had our hunter Ways up there doing the job
of a heading dog. It was amazing the control those
guys have over their hunter ways. So in the New
Zealand team, there's you, there's Leo Jacento, Lloyd Smith who

(02:28):
I know he's a legend and dog trialing, and Ben
Miller and the Reserve. Interestingly he's an old rugby made
of mine. Brian Dickison a great great Southland man. So
that's a pretty strong team, we like to think.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
So we we're backing ourselves Jamie. We've done quite a
lot of practice in detail. We gathered a few months
ago at home and worksheep for the weekend and really
sort of got to know one another. But when you're
in a team situation with the dog trials, it's totally

(03:04):
different to be an individual individually competing. We'd like to
think we're backing ourselves to the hill and got every opportunity.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Well, we're looking forward to following it. Just history wise,
we've been competing for this Trans Tasmin and Trans Tasman
Test series since nineteen eighty five. We had the Aussies
by twenty one. We've won twenty one of the thirty
seven contests since nineteen eighty five. Interestingly, I think a
couple of years ago or sadly a couple of years
ago the test was also held in Ashburton at the

(03:34):
show grounds there. It was held in Australia last year,
and our captain from two years ago, tragically is no
longer with us, Neil Evans, just a legend and dog
trialing scene and no doubt you guys will be wanting
to do it.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
For Neil, absolutely absolutely. Our thoughts have long been since
then with Margaret, his wife and their family, and it
goes with that saying we are doing it come and
so forth. But also I'd like to add Lloyd earlier
this year lost his wife Lloyd as Linda, Sorry, and

(04:10):
that's also in the back of our minds. It's been
hard for Lord this year to get back on the
bike and compete at dog tross. But true to himself,
as you said earlier, he's a true legion in every respect.
So with those two people in mind we go forward.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
Good on you, Hey, well, good luck over the next
couple of days as Burton Showgrounds, get along and watch
Mark Copeland, captain of the All Black dog trialing team.
I'll call you that good luck stick it to the Aussies.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
Thank you, Jamie