Veteran sheepdog trials official stands down
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The vice-president of Sutherland Sheepdog Trials Association is standing down after a 37-year connection with the organisation.
Bob Tait (78), of Helmsdale, intends to officially step down following the group’s trials at Clynelish Farm, Brora, on Saturday, August 31.
His decision to quit comes after he underwent a lung operation, from which he has now recovered.
“I’m not fit now to do the work and I do not like to be a lame dog,” he said. “I want to stand down and let the young ones take over but I have enjoyed it.”
His wife Jan, who has served as trials secretary for the past seven years, is also leaving and will be replaced by Victoria Ballantyne of Clynelish Farm.
Astonishingly, there has only been three secretaries in the history of the trials, which date back well over a century. Bert Macleod was the first secretary followed by Doris Murray and then Mrs Tait.
Retired farmer Mr Tait, who ran Navidale Farm, was invited to join the trials management committee in 1982, although he himself has never competed.
When he joined, the event was held at Review Park, Dunrobin, Golspie, but switched venues to Clynelish Farm during the Foot and Mouth crisis because of the ban on sheep movement.
“We had to take sheep into Dunrobin but could not do that because of the ban,” he said. “But there was already stock at Clynelish so it was easier to go there.
“We then decided to remain at Clynelish - Review Park was okay but it was near the road and there was a fence in the middle.”
The group now has a permanent storage container at Clynelish Farm for its equipment
During the last few years Mr Tait has spent considerable time sorting out and cataloguing a treasure trove of archive pictures relating to trials prizegivings and also annual, themed dinner dances which the group used to hold.
“I went through boxes of stuff left in a shed and found scores of pictures of dances and prizegivings going back 60 or 70 years,” said Mr Tait. “I sorted them all out and will leave them in our container.”
Between 60 and 80 dogs are expected to compete in the August 31 trials with their owners coming from as far afield as Aberdeenshire, Skye and Shetland.
Many of the competitors are on the sheepdog trials circuit, with events held during the same week at Nethy Bridge, Watten, Mey and Fort Augustus.
Top prize at the Sutherland event is the Wilson Shield but there is an array of silverware to aim for in a variety of classes such as Best Fetch and Best Out Run.
The group is considering establishing a nursery trials.
