Jim Dodge with his 3-year-old Border Collie “Slim”. PICTURE: JUSTIN WHITELOCK
WHEN the siren at Eureka Stadium sounds for Luke Harris today he wants to be completely focused.
The 14-year-old said it was most important that he was relaxed for his dogs to do their job in the Ballarat Sheepdog Trials.
Trialling in the four-day event started 7.30am yesterday.
Mr Harris, from Mount Eccles in Gippsland, said Ballarat was one of the biggest competitions in the state and drew tough competitors.
“I’ll just try and bend the sheep through the course and don’t worry too much about the pressure,” Mr Harris said.
“I try not to take too much notice about the time. If you can get a good roll on then the dogs relax a little.”
Mr Harris has been trialling for 12 months in novice division and will run three dogs through novice and improver division in Ballarat.
Competitors have travelled as far as Tasmania for the Ballarat meet.
The trials finish on Saturday with the open division final.
