|
|
| |  | |
| The Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship is a windfall for the whole community |
|
|
|
|
|
|
For the uninitiated, what happens at a sheepdog trial can only be described as magic. Yes, those beautiful little Border Collies must be stuffed full of it. How else could they possibly do what they do? They can run at the speed of light, follow a dozen commands at the sound of a whistle, direct sheep through gates first this way then that, even cut marked sheep from unmarked sheep as if they were born to do it.
In fact, they were born and bred to do it more than a century ago, improving on one of the oldest livestock traditions in the world—the herding dog. At the 2004 Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials, held annually the first Wednesday after Labor Day in Meeker, Colo., 134 of these bundles of energy competed for $20,000 in prize money. The Meeker Classic, however, is about much more than money. As one of the world’s most prestigious trials, fame can be found here.
Hard work
It’s still not easy. Sheep are brought in from high pastures in the surrounding mountains, and they are virtually wild. Few dogs even come close to finishing the course in the allotted time, and a few more suffer from the luck of the draw.
Heart and soul
“We’ve watched the trials 18 years in a row,” says Yolanda Treude, from Grand Junction, Colo., “and we just fall in love with the dogs. They try so hard. It’s heartbreaking when things go wrong, and thrilling when things go well. There was even a three-legged dog that competed one year, and he was good, too.”
The Meeker Classic is devoted to the dogs, but it’s more than a dog show. It’s an example of what makes rural towns great. The spirit of cooperation and the camaraderie is tangible. “Believe me, this is an effort that involves the whole community,” says Classic manager Ellen Nieslanik. “The Nielsen family has managed the sheep every year. Ten of them are out here 12 hours a day and they keep 700 sheep organized.
“The Port-a-Potties are donated. All of the electrical work is donated. Our people just give and give and give.” The whole town turns out for what amounts to a celebration. There are pancake breakfasts, auctions, handling demonstrations, and bands playing on the courthouse square. There was even a demonstration from a troupe of professional Frisbee-catching dogs.
The Meeker Classic also is an economic windfall for the town. Twelve thousand visitors fill every hotel and restaurant to capacity within miles of Meeker. The Classic trails only the hunting season in terms of sales tax revenue. Still, the dogs are the thing. For the 2005 Classic, they will arrive from South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, and 23 states. Some are already winners. All the rest want to be. Jack Knox, a native Scotsman who now breeds and trains dogs in Butler, Mo., spends much of the year on the road conducting clinics. Knox left home at the age of 16 to be a shepherd, an occupation he says he dreamed about as a boy. Now he tries to help other people train their dogs to be great herders. As a member of the American Border Collie Association Hall of Fame, people listen.
“The most important aspect with any of these dogs is breeding,” he says, “and most people don’t pay enough attention to that. They focus too much on handling.” Of all the attributes that surround these dogs, Knox says he is most amazed by the
genetic knowledge they possess at birth.
Puppy love
“I just love puppies,” he says. “It’s incredible how much they can do on their own. I also like the middle period of training. That’s when the moment comes when the dog decides he wants to please the handler. That’s the crucial point. It just happens one day.” That’s the magic, and it starts at birth. Our privilege, as observers, is watching that magic come alive as these Border Collies do everything they can to succeed, for their handlers and for themselves.
It’s an emotional bond that all dog lovers understand, and at the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship, it’s what makes the show.
|
|
|
|
