STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK
They befuddled the dogs and enchanted the spectators.
And, in the end, it looked as if the sheep involved in Friday’s National Qualifying Championship Sheepdog Trials at the Trailing of the Sheep Festival wanted to be the stars.
Eighty border collies were ready to follow the rules, lifting and peeling the sheep enroute to trying to pen them. But the sheep, fresh out of the mountains where they had spent all summer away from people, had no intentions of minding their Ps and Qs.
A couple ewes ran across the field and bashed into the fencing separating them from the spectators to the wonderment—and delight—of the audience. One from another grouping bashed into the fence so hard she knocked down the speaker on the other side of the fencing before dancing through the crowd, finally findings its way back to the field.
One simply stopped at the fencing, as if deciding to preen for photos.
One balked at the beginning, refusing to get involved in the "game." Another decided at one point it had had enough and tore out of the pasture, running past the scorekeeper, announcer and others.
“If the sheep looks at you, turn away so it doesn’t see your eyes and think you’re a predator,” cautioned the announcer.
The Festival dog trials are always popular with onlookers, in particular because Idaho has some of the last bands that are fed on the range where they are rarely, if ever, handled. Consequently, they’re feisty little boogers that could care less what the dogs want them to do.
“I love to see how well the dogs are trained, the way they divide the sheep,” said Susan Passovoy, who sponsored a sheepdog at this year’s Trailing of the Sheep Festival.
The breed that takes part in the U.S. Border Collie Handlers Association trials, originated on the Scottish-English border--hence the name “border.” And, while it’s uncertain where the word “collie” fits in, it’s certain the dogs have had centuries of breeding giving them the instinct to herd sheep beyond compare.
In fact, they have to fight the instinct to herd sheep away from the handler as they’re asked to do during the trials. But, no matter, they live for this work and are ecstatic to begin running in a long arc downfield to lift the sheep.
Dogs are given 10.5 minutes to lift the sheep and take them to their handler while performing other maneuvers, as well. One dog looked to be on the brink of penning the sheep—a rarity at the Trailing of the Sheep Festival—before running out of time.
No matter how they perform, they’re rewarded with a soak in a small tub.
Border collies can live up to 18 years. Those eight and older are up for the Grey Muzzle Award.
Sheep don’t feel as comfortable in a grouping of four as they do in a flock of 300—hence they often five he dogs a runaround.
Dogs in this particular competition will get points toward competing in nationals next September in California. This year’s national are being held right now in Virginia.
While the dogs in Scotland have 1,400-foot hills and gullies to contend with, these dogs just have to contend with wild sheep not used to being handled who think the dogs might be a wolf or coyote.
But today’s another chance. Maybe the dogs will be lucky. Maybe the sheep will be worn down by running all over the field yesterday. Maybe someone will slip some Xanax into the ewes’ drinking water.
You can find out for yourself when the dog trials continue from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 2 pm. Sunday, Oct. 6, in a pasture along Buttercup Road between the Valley Club and Indian Creek Road. Cost is $10 for bikers and pedestrians today and $5 on Sunday. Vehicles with single occupancy are $10; two-plus passengers, $20.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Basques developed Australian shepherds which, contrary to their name, originated in the United States.