Sheepdog TV from NZ

New Zealand has had more sheep than people since the early XIXth Century. There are around 25-30 million sheep in NZ today, and a human population of only 5 million. Most sheep are crossbreeds from English (Romney) and Spanish (Merino) stocks. The majority of them being the NZ Romney, who has begot the Coopworth, the Drysdale, the Elliotdale, the Perendale and the Tukidale.

By 111 Emergency from New Zealand – Animal life on Matiu / Somes Island, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17702509

The NZ ovine culture has spawned a host of sheep-related and husbandry sports. The New Zealand Rural Games organisation and its fine YouTube channel lets you discover these fascinating competitions. On the program are Cowpat Throw, Egg Throw & Catch, Gumboot Throwing, Coal Shoveling, Speed Tree Climbing, Golden Loader, Speed Shearing and Speed Fence Building. But the star show is the dog show, the Sheepdog competition. The Sheepdog is one of the wonders of the World.

This wonderful 1981 TV show from NZ is a fantastic 1/2 hour of sheep and dog.

Here’s a few short videos to discover Speed Shearing, Golden Loader and Speed Fencing (the other Fencing).

More videos at NZ Rural Games on YouTub

By LBM1948 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69438405

By Ilya Grigorik – Imported from 500px (archived version) by the Archive Team. (detail page), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73794461