From pub to paddock, Caragabal's first yard dog trial

There will be plenty of opportunities to see some of the region's best working dogs, and those coming through the ranks, in action with yard dog trials coming up in Caragabal and Grenfell. The inaugural Caragabal Yard Dog Trial will be held at the Royal Hotel Caragabal on Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August with organiser Brooke Yates hoping the new event will become an annual fixture. The idea for the trial began with a casual conversation between Brooke, her husband and friends at the Caragabal pub, where hotel owner Tanya suggested using the pub’s backyard as the venue. “We sort of all looked at each other and we're like, that's not a bad idea having a dog trial at a pub,” Brooke said. Affiliated with the NSW Yard Dog Association, the trial will cater for competitors across a range of experience levels, with Open, Maiden/Novice, Encourage and Local classes. The Local class, for competitors within a 70-kilometre radius, and the Encourage class are particularly aimed at giving farmers and newcomers an opportunity to have a go. “We really want local farmers to hopefully get involved,” Brooke said. “You can still trial under the rules, but if you want to move to help your dog you're more than able to get around and it won't be judged as hard as what the high class will.” The weekend will also have a strong social focus with competitors encouraged to stay overnight and make use of the town’s hospitality. Brooke said the trial was about more than competition with the organisers hoping it would bring visitors to Caragabal and provide a boost for the local community. “We really just want it to be a real fun, social event,” she said. “It is a competition at the end of the day, but we want it to be fun on the day.” Competitions will begin from 7am on both days, with spectators welcome. Camping will be available at the showground for those wanting to stay, with donations supporting the facility. The new event has already attracted strong support from local and regional businesses, while entries have begun flowing in. Brooke said there were already around 30 Maiden/Novice dogs entered, along with about 10 Open competitors and several competitors in the Encourage class. Entries will remain open until 25 August. Competitors are also travelling from as far as Victoria highlighting the potential for the trial to attract visitors from outside the local area. Brooke and her husband will be among the competitors with Brooke planning to enter her two Open dogs. Her partner will also compete with an Open dog and a Maiden/Novice dog. The Caragabal event will be held before the annual Grenfell Yard Dog Trial which will again be held as part of the Grenfell Show on Saturday 5 September. Brooke has been involved with the Grenfell trial for about three years, initially helping the previous organiser before taking on the running of the event. The Grenfell trial traditionally attracts handlers from across the region, including Cowra, the Riverina, Canberra, Young, Canowindra, Cootamundra and surrounding areas. Around 40 handlers with multiple dogs have attended in previous years, despite the event competing with other yard dog trials on the NSW calendar. The Grenfell trial also begin at 7am with Maiden, Novice and Open classes. Entries will close on 2 September. The trial will be run under NSW Yard Dog Association rules, with the Open prize sponsored by the family of the late Scott Eppelstun. For Brooke, both events are a chance to showcase the skill of working dogs while bringing people together. And for those who have never tried yard dog trialling before, Caragabal could be the perfect place to start. As Brooke put it, spectators can watch the dogs from the rail, enjoy the atmosphere and when they are ready, “throw a dog in” and have a crack themselves.