End of the road for Rogart Sheepdog trials with 'lack of more youthful people' to carry it forward
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A DECISION has been taken to call time on the long-running Rogart Sheepdog Trials.
Organisers say an ageing committee and a dearth of sheep are behind the decision, which was made at a meeting last Thursday. The move follows the end of Rogart’s nursery sheep dog trials a few years ago.
Secretary Charlotte Gibson said: “It is sad to see the end of the sheepdog trials here in Rogart, but it is inevitable given the lack of more youthful people to take the event forward into the future.”
First held in 1969, the Rogart Nursery Sheep Dog Trials proved so popular they soon became a twice-yearly event - in January and November.
The events raised more than £18,000 for charity over almost 40 years. Organisations to benefit included the Archie Foundation, Marie Curie, Red Cross and Guide Dogs for the Blind, as well as local organisations such as the Cambusave Unit, Rogart Primary School and Pittentrail Hall.
For many years the late Brian Gibson, West Kinnauld, and his wife Charlotte ran the event, which put many young dogs through their paces. It gave dog and handler a good grounding on the trials field before graduating to the competitive levels achieved by the more mature collie.
The annual Rogart trial for more experienced dogs began in the 1950s and was also an incredibly popular event, being almost at the end of the International Sheepdog Trials Society calendar in the Highlands.
There has been world-class competitors and it was also a lively social event, bringing folk together from all over the north.
Grateful thanks are given to the stalwarts who made these competitions so successful.
Treasurer, Sandy Mackenzie, Morness, kept the financial side in order and Chairman Derek Murray, West Langwell, organised the considerable hands-on work, and supplied the sheep.
Over the years committee members included the late George Ross, Muie; Jasmine and and the late Donnie Ross, Acheilach; Morag Murray; and Monica Maclean.
Derek said “We are naturally disappointed, but feel proud to have run an excellent event for so many years. It couldn’t have been done without the numerous volunteers who ensured the day went smoothly, or the landholders who provided us with a field for the day; and generous sponsors who donated prizes. Thanks go to them all.”
