{"id":64162,"date":"2023-06-01T11:06:52","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T23:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/?p=64162"},"modified":"2023-06-01T11:06:53","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T23:06:53","slug":"hometown-heroes-hard-road-to-dog-trials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/people\/hometown-heroes-hard-road-to-dog-trials\/","title":{"rendered":"Hometown heroes\u2019 hard road to dog trials"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

There were arguably no more deserving winners at the New Zealand Sheep Dog Trial Championships<\/a><\/strong> than South Otago\u2019s Paul Collins and Sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pair claimed a hometown victory in the long head section of the championships, with the Warepa course  \u201cjust over the fence\u201d from where Collins farms a 1200 sheep and beef property. But had the cards fallen differently, neither Collins nor Sky would have been around to contest the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About three years ago Collins was diagnosed with stomach cancer and given between five months and two years to live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he was lucky enough to meet the criteria for surgery, a 12-hour operation that was carried out in Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collins had half his stomach removed, with about 4.5kg of tumours and stomach taken out during the operation. He required further surgery after a brief relapse in\u00a0August last year but said he is now on the road to recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to make the most of every day and you certainly appreciate every day more. You hope like hell it doesn\u2019t come back but you just never know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not long after Collins\u2019  illness, Sky was seriously injured when she got between two fighting bulls while herding cattle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The now six-year-old \u201csmashed her shoulder\u201d. After a lengthy recuperation, Sky was on the road to recovery only to get hit by a motorcycle and dislocate a shoulder. Months later, while still recuperating, she ate rat poison and, again, almost died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s bloody lucky to be here.  I didn\u2019t know if she\u2019d be able to work again after the accidents but we had some very good vets. This might be her last competition but we\u2019ll see how she goes through winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs far as me getting sick  and the dog having all her injuries, it\u2019s pretty remarkable that we got the result we did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collins said he was thrilled to pick up his first national title, after 23 years of trying. It was all the more special that family and friends were there to watch and support him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHome field advantage helped. It wasn\u2019t the first time she had run on that course. There was definitely luck involved but you make your own luck as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Collins first got into trialling through mustering stock and reasoned \u201cif you\u2019ve got dogs you might as well have good ones\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the future, Collins said he is going to take things as they come but would love to pick up another title. He reckons dog trialling is a bit like life and you have to celebrate the successes and positives when they come along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a big week of celebrations because you see guys from around the country that you don\u2019t see very often. The beers certainly tasted very good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cI\u2019m enjoying the win but it\u2019s a great leveller, the old dog trials. The next time you can go along and get nothing. You can go from hero to zero pretty quick.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"South Otago\u2019s Paul Collins and Sky overcome serious illness and injury to compete \u2013 and win.\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":64018,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"Both Paul Collins and Sky, of South Otago, battled serious illness and injury to claim the long head national title. Photo: Kayla McKenzie Photography","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[89],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t