30/01/2026
Mark and Jill would like to say a big thank-you to all the wonderful locals, triallers and others that volunteered to help with the Dog Trials this year.
The trials were a great success, the biggest we have ever run, with 39 competitors and around 150 dogs competing. We think we had at least 600 spectators over the weekend.
The trials are a wonderful showcase for Deans Marsh, bringing people from all over Australia to our little town, it provides income for local businesses, fundraisers for local groups, adds to our Market and puts our place on the map. It encompasses all age groups and is a cheap and assessable event and entertainment over the three days.
The weather was kind, and we ran from 7am to 7pm each day!
We had a lovely contingent of 5 triallers and their partners come all the way from Western Australia, they congratulated us on a very well-run trial and were amazed at the number of spectators.
A big thank you to our following sponsors we couldn’t run the trial without you!
Bendigo Bank for the Open prize
Outback Trading for the Improver
Otway Greening for the Novice
Wheadons stock cartage for bring the sheep and taking them back to Cressy
Steve Turner for lending us the sheep
Ken Harrison for the use of his paddocks
Gannon family (sheep yards)
Birregurra General Store (catering)
The Store Deans Marsh (raffle hamper)
Deans Marsh Cricket Club
Deans Marsh Community Cottage
SPARK Deans Marsh (Trophy tops)
Billies Blackwood (Blackwood Trophy bases)
Brendan & Louise Brown (signs)
The Co-op Colac (prizes)
Hypro Plus for sponsorship of the dog food
Thank you so much to our local Spark pottery group for making the outstanding trophies! The pottery sheep were fantastic and the triallers were really vying to win one! They don’t get trophies like that anywhere else. Thanks also to Will Butler for making the beautiful blackwood bases. Will has taken on the succession of this task from Bryan Poynton who made the bases for us for 14 years.
Dale and Jane from the Store went all out and whipped up a scrumptious BBQ dinner for the triallers on Saturday night, plus providing a yummy hamper prize for the raffle. Thanks Guys!
Thank you to Noah Fagan for setting up and maintaining the all-important PA for the weekend, also for helping to set up along with our stalwarts Tom Reid, Mike Robinson Koss, Stakka, Isaac, Andrew and Brendan, plus our lovely Wwoofer from Ireland Tom.
We have a crew of people who help over the three days at the let-out pen where each group of three sheep are let out to be trialled around the course, this is a very important job and needs to be done very carefully so the sheep are nice and calm to be picked up by each dog. Our team managed this beautifully, so a big thank you to Jess McLeod and Robin Elliot who were the main stock managers throughout the 3 days. We also need a dog that brings back each lot of sheep after they have been trialled, that’s around 170 times! Jills dog Banjo did a sterling job until around lunch time of Sunday, when he was relieved, (because he had had enough! ) so he was pretty tuckered out at the end, but did get spoilt in sharing lunches and treats with the let out crew!
Lets not forget those wily sheep and the wonderful dogs that provide lots of entertainment, test our patience and showcase the wonderful skills of our working sheepdogs around Australia.
A big thank-you to all our triallers that come from far and wide to attend our trials, we cant have a trial without you! Especially to those who travelled a long way.
