One of Australia’s top dog trainers, Laurie Slater, dominated the Commonwealth Sheepdog Championship at Port Fairy, Victoria on February 15.
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Laurie’s dog ‘Wondara Drift’ won the Australian Dog of the Year; ‘Wondara Banjo’, ‘Wondara Axel’ and ‘Wondara Penne’ placed first, second and third in the Novice Trials; and ‘Wondara Axel’ came second in the Improver Trials. It meant he missed the trifecta by one point.
Laurie Slater said yard dog trialling is a bit like being a doctor.
“It is a difficult skill, you have to be able to understand the land, the dog and the cattle,” the retired Murrumbateman farmer said.
Laurie entered nine dogs in the Commonwealth Sheepdog Championship in Victoria earlier this month, and he's proud of each of them. But it's Wandara Drift that has stolen the show, after it walked away with the 2015 Australian Dog of the Year.
In the Open Trial it scored a 93 in the first run, a 94 in his second and 87 in the third, giving him a total of 264.
There were over 180 dogs that participated in the trials and he said he and his wife Linda were over the moon with the result.
His passion for trialling is one that has been built into him.
“I grew up on the land and have been into it all my life. I have worked big mobs of cattle and sheep and learnt how to train these dogs the right way. You just can't make mistakes, because each time you do it takes more time.”
The award-winning Wondara Drift is seven-years-old and, according to Laurie, is a result of quality breeding.
“I had a real good dog that he was bred from. It's so important to keep the bloodlines good and I have had this bloodline since 1984. That's what sets him apart.
“He has great temperament and treats the sheep kindly. I like to call him the sheep whisperer. He answers every question I ask him and is on the job all the time; like a chook picking wheat.”
Although Laurie wears the ribbons, his wife Linda is the silent achiever looking after the rest of life's many chores; the 'support worker' as she puts it.
“She does everything, except feed the dogs and train them, but everything else,” Laurie said.
“She keeps all the tablets up and keeps me alive.”
Linda explains that she is extremely proud of his achievements, saying that it isn’t easy to beat all the other dogs in Australia.
“However, no army does well without the support staff,” she adds.
They will be heading to Canberra in a fortnight for the trials which they won last year. Although he is not confident about being a shoe in for the NSW Championships.
“I just have to keep pushing, keep getting up early of a morning and training with them.”
“Nothing is certain and you never know what will happen on the day, you just have to keep moving forward.”
