THE best sheepdogs and handlers are heading to Northam this week for the Supreme Australian Sheepdog Championship that gets underway on Saturday.
First held in Deloraine, Tasmania, in 1990 and won by Henry Homan working Onawinna Tina, the competition will run until September 16.
The championship rotates between six Australian States and the judges each year are selected from a national pool.
The competition has never been won by a woman and the only West Australian to win it was Doug Connop, who was successful in 1995 with Glenview Feesha.
Two other West Australians, Grant Cooke and Ivan Solomon, have been runners up and both will be looking to go one better this year.
One of the most successful Supreme competitors in the 26-year history of the competition is Greg Prince, NSW, who has won the title nine times.
He will be in Northam this week, his first trip to WA to compete in the Supreme since 2004 when he won with Princes Zoe.
Also from NSW is defending champion Mick Hudson who not only won the championship but the Novice and Improver titles in an outstanding effort last year.
The first set of rules for the Supreme Championship were only decided upon in 1996 and since then the event has undergone many changes.
In 1998 it was agreed that the host State would use its own course, but this was reversed in 2004 when the Supreme course was adopted and has been used ever since.
The top 20 scores are taken from the field for an initial run off and then the dogs with the top 10 aggregate scores go into a final run off on the last day of the competition.
In addition to the Supreme Championship the week also includes an interstate challenge.
As well as the intense rivalry between the States the interstate competition is important because the top four competitors go on to represent Australia in the annual test against New Zealand the following year.
The Trans-Tasman Test has been part of the Supreme week since 1990 and will be held in Northam next week.
More than 200 competitors are expected in town and entry is free.
