The Old Sheepdog Trialer Poem by Francis Duggan

His arthritic knees to him a source of pain
And he walks rather slowly with the aid of a cane
The old sheepdog trialer his better days long gone
But like a true warrior he keeps on keeping on

The border collies he owns and trains are among Australia's best
And are never found to be lacking when put to the test
He breeds trains and owns them and he trials them as well
A biography on his life thousands of copies would sell

He walks stiff and slowly his hair silvery gray
Last August he celebrated his eighty first birthday
But at sheepdog trials with his border collies always hard to beat
Always joyous in victory and gracious in defeat

At sheepdog trials all around the big Country with his aged wife
Trialing their border collies with them still a huge part of life
Not the man he once was in a bygone day
Still for him there is many a loud hooray.