Organizations
and
Events
Resources
Herding
Dogs
Starting
Livestock
Links
Clubs and
Registries
Photos, Articles
and More
Home
|
HERDING
ORGANIZATIONS AND
PROGRAMS IN NORTH AMERICA
United States Border Collie Handlers'
Association, Inc.The trials
sanctioned by the USBCHA follow the
pattern of the trials of Great Britain's International Sheep Dog
Society, the original registry for Border Collies. There are also many
non-USBCHA-sanctioned trials held along these lines, but some of these
may vary according to local organizers. There may be classes for
different levels of training; for instance, in novice classes the
handler may accompany the stock throughout the course, while at the
higher levels the handler remains in a fixed position until moving to
the pen to assist the dog in penning. The higher levels also include
"shedding" or separating designated sheep from the group. Specific
requirements may vary from trial to trial, as may the name of the class.
There are trials for cattle as well as for sheep. Titles are not
given in connection with these trials.
Australian Shepherd Club of
America The ASCA Stockdog Program offers three
levels of arena trials, an open field "post advanced" course, and a
ranch course. There are three arena courses from which the
organizer can choose, each with a standard layout but differing somewhat
from one another. The "A" course requires taking stock from a pen,
guiding them through obstacles and repenning. The "B" course starts with
a small outrun or gather, then the stock are guided through obstacles
and penned in a free-standing pen, followed by a repen. The "C" course
also begins with a gather, but all the obstacles are off of the fence,
whereas on "A" and "B" courses, two of the three obstacles are on the
fence. The titles Started Trial Dog (STD), Open Trial Dog (OTD),
and Advanced Trial Dog (ATD) can be earned on sheep, cattle and ducks --
small initials after the title indicate the type of stock -- with each
title requiring two legs. The Working Trial Championship (WTCh.)
is earned when the Advanced title on all three types of stock has been
achieved. The Post-Advanced class (PATD) is held in a large
field. The Ranch Trial courses (RTD) take place in a ranch setting
and vary from location to location. There is also a Ranch Dog (RD)
certification earned by a dog being judged on proficiency in its regular
work at home. ASCA is a registry for the Australian Shepherd, but
its trials are open to all approved herding breeds. Approved clubs
may apply to hold ASCA events.
American Herding
Breed AssociationThe AHBA program offers four types
of trial classes, each with three levels, and also includes a test
program. The Herding Trial Dog program, with levels HTD I, II and III,
takes place on a standard course with outrun, lift, fetch, wear and/or
drive and pen. The Herding Ranch Dog program, with levels HRD I, II and
III, takes place on ranch/farm courses which vary in detail while
including specified requirements. The Ranch Large Flock program, with
levels RLF I, II and III, is similar to the HRD program, but requires
larger groups of stock. The Herding Trial Arena Dog Program, with
levels HTAD I, II and III, takes place in arenas with set minimum and
maximum sizes; there are four basic courses to choose from, each of
which includes an alternative of either a gather or a take-pen, three
obstacles of various types, a drive section at levels II and III, and a
sort of varying kinds. All AHBA titles require two qualifying scores
under two different judges. Progression of difficulty in the trial
classes echoes the progression in the training of a versatile herding
dog. Titles may be earned on sheep, goats, ducks, geese, turkeys, or
cattle, with a small initial after the title indicating the type of
stock on which the title was earned (ducks are used only on the HTD and
HTAD courses). A herding trial championship is earned by obtaining
additional qualifying scores after any Level III title is earned. Test
levels include the Herding Capability Test (HCT) and the Junior Herding
Dog Test (JHD), both of which are run on a pass/fail basis and require
two passing runs under different judges. These events are open to all
herding breeds and herding breed mixes. Clubs or individuals may apply
to hold tests/trials sanctioned by the AHBA.
Australian
Shepherd Trial Association ASTA
courses vary according to what
the event organizers determine best suits their location, livestock and
personal preferences. Trials use only point/time or time only
scoring, rather than a judged system. The stock used are sheep and
cattle. Awards and placements are given but not titles.
While focused on Australian Shepherds, other breeds may enter as
well.
Kennel
Club Programs
The American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club offer test and
trial classes with titles for dogs registered with them. Rules can
be obtained by contacting those organizations. A United Kennel Club
Herding Yahoo list has been established to revise a
previously-written herding program, with the goal of obtaining approval
for a UKC herding program; the list is at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ukcherding/
In
contrast to the more common trial courses that have a specified,
unvarying design, ranch/farm
courses allow variations in layout so as to reflect and accommodate
the characteristics of the particular ranch or farm where the trial
takes place, with a sequence of tasks that likewise may vary, but within
a framework of overall requirements, and the option of using larger
numbers of animals; in the U.S., ASCA and AHBA hold these kinds of
trials.
In
addition to the events held by the above organizations, many events are
held by local organizations according to local rules. There are also
informal events, work days, fun days, as well as organized "herding instinct
tests"
Herding trials also have long been held in Europe, Australia and
New Zealand.
Trials in Great
Britain generally follow the pattern set out by the International Sheep Dog Society. The
trials are held in large fields, with the handler remaining in a fixed
location through most of the trial, until the sheep are ready to be
penned. At these trials, the dog gathers a small group of sheep set out
at a distance, brings the group to the handler, moves them away from the
handler and through two sets of panels, then brings them to a small
free-standing pen, after which the sheep are taken from the pen for the
"shed," or separating designated sheep from the group. ISDS Course
Description and Guidelines for Judges
Trials in Australia follow several patterns. There are yard
trials which emphasize working a group of 18 or more sheep in pens and
runways, moving them through the course and sorting them. Utility trials
incorporate work in a larger field as well as in the yard. “Three
sheep” trials have obstacles and a free-standing pen in an open field
or arena and, as indicated by the name, the size of the group of sheep
is limited to three. The home page for West Australian Working
Sheep Dog Association provides trial rules and other herding
information. New Zealand has trials for "heading dogs"
which gather the sheep, and "huntaways" which push the sheep
away from the handler, barking.
Traditional
herding trials in France involve
the shepherd and dog conducting a large flock of sheep, up to 80 or more
head, over a "cross-country" course meant to reflect situations found in daily
work. In French trials, one dog is used and judging criteria primarily
relate to accomplishing the tasks in an efficient, calm manner. The
shepherd and dog may take various positions relative to the flock,
according to circumstances. Thus, the dog may be behind or ahead, on one
side of the flock or the other, wherever its presence is needed,
remaining as discreet as possible when all goes well. The dog is
expected to work with a great deal of initiative, the shepherd only
commanding the dog for particular maneuvers. Trials are also held on
cattle.
In Germany
there are trials held by sheepbreeder's organizations and similar trials
held by the German Shepherd breed club, the SV (Schaeferhund Verein).
Two dogs are usually used in HGH (Herdengebrauchshund, or Herding
Utility Dog) trials -- a "main dog" and an "assistant dog." The HGH
trials emphasize boundary work -- the dog patrolling along a field edge
or furrow to contain the sheep as they graze, needed in a situation
where the large flocks being taken out for daily grazing were being
moved through fairly populated and cultivated areas where sheep could
not be allowed to trespass. In practical day-to-day work, however,
herding dogs in Germany often work similarly to farm and ranch dogs of
other countries.
FCI All-Breed Herding Competitions – Traditional-style
Trials
In 2008 the FCI established rules for all-breed herding
competitions for the European herding breeds and other herding breeds
that work similarly (Border Collies and Kelpies being excluded).
The trials are similar to the traditional trials that have long been
held in France. The first
Championship was held on October 19, 2008, at Saint Gervais d’Auvergne,
France. Participants at
Saint Gervais included four Beaucerons, three Pyrenean Shepherds, two
Gos d’Atura Catala (Catalonian Sheepdogs), a German Shepherd, a
Malinois, and a Mudi. Handlers
and dogs came from France, Germany, Hungary, Belgium and
Switzerland. There is also an FCI Herding Working Test (FCI-HWT)
that is a modified version of the trial course; dogs passing the Herding
Working Test are eligible for the conformation championship and may take
part in a working class at conformation shows. Similar
trials are being held in Hungary and other countries.
In addition to the traditional trials, ISDS-type trials are being held on the continent, as Border Collies are increasingly being used there.
In addition to the Traditional-style trials mentioned above, the FCI also holds separate trials for
Border Collies and Kelpies using a course similar to the ISDS
course, along with a modified version for the Herding Working Test (FCI-HWT)
for that course type.
ASCA trials and AHBA trials are now being held in Europe as
well.
Calendars of Events for Herding
Trials
Organizations
/
Resources / Herding Dogs / Getting
Started
Photos, Articles and More / Clubs and Registries / Livestock Links / Home
Herding
on the Web
|