Lev Beebe, First RESDA Champion

Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association (RESDA) Celebrates 65 Years Tom Trent, 2012 RESDA Vice President

1947—AMERICA WAS emerging into an era of peace and prosperity after surviving the Great Depression and fighting World War II. Here on the North Coast of California, the economy was driven by timber and agriculture.

Hops, prunes, and apples were the major crops. And hundreds of thousands of sheep, producing meat and wool, grazed the hills. Sheep producers here relied upon working dogs in their day-to-day operations. These dogs could do the work of several hired hands when it came time to move sheep from pasture to pasture or gather them for

shearing, vaccinations, hoof trimming, and shipping lambs to market.

Most of these dogs were descended from the ones developed over the centuries by shepherds on the border between Scotland and England—hence the name, Border Collie. The McNab dogs were also originally brought here by immigrants from Scotland. And a few Australian Kelpies rounded out the mix of working stockdogs.

1947—A group of sheep ranchers and their families would get together occasion-ally for a day of relaxation with a barbecue and a competition among their working

dogs. They developed a unique obstacle course to simulate the daily work done on the ranches. It is different from the kind used elsewhere, but its purpose is the same: to find out whose dog works the sheep best that day. The goal is to move the sheep around the course quietly and calmly, without a lot of chasing or running.

This year, the Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association is celebrating its 65th year of continuous activity, presenting its mem-bers’ dogs for your entertainment.

List of All RESDA ChampionsBYLAWS OF the Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association (RESDA) state “the dog earning the highest number of points at designated points trials will be declared champion for the year.” All dogs and handlers who have earned this title in the 65-year history of the association are listed here. See page 4 for the rest of the list as well as current standings in the 2012 competition.

1948 LEV Beebe and Spot1949 LEONARD Batt and Happy1950 WHIT Newland and Nelly1951 C.L. Ledford and Gay1952 NICK Beebe and Watt1953 C.L. Ledford and Nelly1954 C.L. Ledford and Nelly1955 ED Mauritson and Lace1956 JOHN Stansberry and Tack1957 JOHN Stansberry and Tack1958 CHUB Johnson and Pat1959 JOHN Stansberry1960 LES Bruhn and Queen1961 LES Bruhn and Queen1962 LES Bruhn and Pat1963 FRANK Ledford and Nellie1964 LES Bruhn and Queen1965 LES Bruhn and Queen1966 LES Bruhn and Queen1967 LES Bruhn and Boy1968 FRANK Ledford and Nellie1969 LES Bruhn and Boy1970 LES Bruhn and Boy1971 LES Bruhn and Boy1972 LES Bruhn and Boy1973 SI Francis and Lace1974 CURTIS Beebe and Webber1975 CURTIS Beebe and Webber1976 BRUCE Campbell and Archie1977 SI Francis and Trim1978 CURTIS Beebe and Dottie1979 BRUCE Hagemann and Ben

LEV BEEBE AND FRIENDS. See page 3 for more about Lev from the May, 1954 issue of Redwood Rancher.

1996 MENDOCINO COUNTY FAIR first place buckle made by Harold Sorensen of Sebastopol, CA

MENDOCINO COUNTY FAIR AND APPLE SHOW SHEEP DOG TRIAL Eight Finalists Compete For Silver Buckle and Cash Prizes ACCORDING TO the fair office, a sheep dog trial has been part of the Mendocino County Fair for “at least 40 years.” As far as we know, this trial has always been orga-nized by the Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association (www.resda.com.)

Before this year’s fair, an elimination trial was held at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 18, 2012. Based on the results of the elimination trial, eight high-scoring teams and two alter-nates were selected to compete in the finals, which will be held Sunday, Septem-ber 16, 2012 in the Mendocino County Fair-grounds arena. The contest is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM. Information about each team scheduled to compete in the finals can be found on page 2. See page 3 for an explanation of the trial course and scoring methods.

This year’s scheduled trial judge is Karen Kollgaard of Santa Rosa, CA. Karen is a longtime RESDA member and former winner of the Mendocino County Fair Sheep Dog Trial. RESDA Vice President, Tom Trent of Duncans Mills, CA, is the sched-uled announcer. Henriette Amade of Potter Valley, CA, and Ron Stark of Albion, CA, will serve as trial clerks. Tom Russell of Philo, CA will serve as timekeeper.

Sheep used in both the elimination trial and the finals will be provided by Gary and Wanda Johnson of Boonville, CA.

In previous years, the silver belt buckle awarded to the finals winner was hand-crafted by Harold Sorensen of Sebastopol, CA. Mr. Sorensen has finally retired, so this year the first prize buckle will be wrought by a new craftsman.

» continued, PG. 4

SEPTEMBER, 2012 REDWOOD EMPIRES H E E P D O G A S S O C I AT I O Nw w w. R E S D A . c o m C E L E B R AT I N G 6 5 Y E A R S

MENDO. CO. FAIR EDITION

2012 TRIAL SCHEDULE

TWELVE EVENTS IN RANCH AND FAIR VENUES. SEE PAGE 4 FOR DETAILS.

OFFICERS (STARRED OFFICER POSITIONS ARE ALSO BOARD MEMBERS)

COLLEEN DUNCAN ....PRESIDENT* DUNCANDC@EARTHLINK.NETTOM TRENT ..... VICE PRESIDENT* LORIN DEWEES ........ SECRETARY* LDEWEES@SONIC.NETJACK MATHIESON .... TREASURER* JACKMATHIESON@MAC.COMGEORGE POWELL ........ HISTORIAN MICHAEL HILLS .......... PUBLICITY MICHAELHILLS@HILLSCONSULTING.COM

OTHER BOARD MEMBERS

BILL SLAVEN....................BOARD GEORGE POWELL .............BOARD KAREN KOLLGAARD ..........BOARD (707) 584-5762 KAREN95407@YAHOO.COMMAUREEN LYONS .............BOARD SHARON HERINGER ..........BOARD SHERINGER@INTENTIONALDESIGN.COMNEWS SUBMISSIONS ...................... SHERINGER@INTENTIONALDESIGN.COM

2012 RESDA OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS

2 REDWOOD EMPIRE SHEEP DOG ASSOCIATION September, 2012

Mendocino County Fair Elimination Trial ScoresAN ELIMINATION trial was held at the Men-docino County Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 18, 2012. The sheep at the elimina-tion trial were unused to dogs and proved difficult to move. As a result, many teams timed out before completing the course, and scores were relatively low. Only one team, Colleen Duncan and Hope, com-pleted the entire course, including both chute and pen. (See www.resda.com for complete score details.)

Based on the results of the elimination trial, eight teams and two alternates were selected to compete in the finals, which will be held Sunday, September 16, 2012 in the Mendocino County Fairgrounds arena. The finals trial is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM.

The eight finalists are shown in bold below. The two alternates are italicized. This page provides information about each of these ten teams according to the estab-lished run order for the finals trial.

Mendocino Co. Fair Eliminations

1. COLLEEN Duncan and Hope 37.52. SHARON Heringer and True 283. COLLEEN Duncan and Wyn 254. TERI Tucker and Jasper 175. SUE Gustafson and Glen 156. JACK Mathieson and Jake 147. NANCY Todd and Ace 138. BARB McPherson and Callie 12.59. BARB McPherson and Chip 1010. KEVIN Owens and Bren 511. TOM Radelfinger and Luke 012. TOM Trent and Angus 013. RHONDA Lauritsen and Craig 0 RHONDA LAURITSEN and Holly DQ JACK MATHIESON and Ross DQ BILL SLAVEN DNR BILL SLAVEN DNR SHARON HERINGER and Dylan DNR

By Run Order1. CallieHandler, Barb McPhersonNapa, CA

CALLIE IS a five year old, female Border Collie with a medium length, blue merle coat. She was born in Napa, CA, and now resides in Napa, CA, with her owner, Barb McPherson. Callie’s sire was Rusty, owned by Phyllis Steveley of Caldwell, ID. Her dam was Lola, owned by Chloe Meeks of Napa, CA.

Callie was Barb’s first herding dog. Barb says she caught the herding bug after get-ting Callie as a pup in 2007. Barb and Callie competed in their first trial in 2009 and later won the RESDA 2012 Spring Trial. This is

their first year at the Mendocino County Fair. In addition to competing in herding trials, they are members of Napa, CA-based, Paws for Healing. In this role, they have visited residents at the Yountville, CA, Veter-ans Home since Callie was four months old.

2. JakeHandler, Jack MathiesonSebastopol, CA

JAKE IS a four year old, black and white, male Border Collie owned by Jack Mathie-son of Sebastopol, CA. This is Jake’s first year competing in Open class trials and his first year at the Mendocino County Fair. Jake was born in Bucks Harbor, Maine.

3. AceHandler, Nancy ToddPotter Valley, CA

ACE IS the youngest dog competing in the Mendocino County Fair. He is a two year old, smooth coat, black and white male Border Collie owned by Nancy Todd of Potter Valley, CA. This is Ace’s first year of trial competiton. Ace’s sire was King, and his dam was Linn, both owned by Tom Spencer of Elk Grove, CA.

Nancy has competed in the Mendocino County Fair trial many times and was the judge in 2011. In 1997, Nancy was the first woman to win the RESDA High Points Championship with her dog, Dakota. Since then she has won the Championship three more times, most recently in 2005, working with the late Stan Johnson’s dog, Ellie.

4. GlenHandler, Sue GustafsonSebastopol, CA

GLEN IS an eight year old male Border Collie with a smooth, black and white coat. He was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland, and cur-rently lives at Sebastopol-area Four Oak Farms with owner Sue Gustafson. Glen’s sire was Chavy and his dam was Fly, both owned by Alan Wilkie in Scotland.

When Glen was two years old, Sue went to Scotland and saw him run in the Scottish nursery finals. She brought him home to California after that trial. Glen holds a dual registration with the International Sheep

Dog Society and the American Border Collie Association.

Sue and Glen compete regularly in both RESDA and drive-style trials. Sue is also a distinguished breeder of Bluefaced Leices-ter sheep and was awarded 2012 Sheep Family of the Year by the Sonoma County Purebred Sheep Breeders Association.

5. HopeHandler, Colleen DuncanDurham, CA

COLLEEN DESCRIBES Hope as a black and white tri-colored Border Collie with a slick coat and prick ears, kinda butch but still a girl. Hope was born in Potter Valley, CA and currently resides in Durham, CA. She is seven years old. Her dam was Ellie, who belonged to the late Stan Johnson and won the High Points Championship in 2002, 2003 and 2005 with handler Nancy Todd. Hope’s sire was Lad, owned by Nancy Neal of Santa Rosa, CA.

Colleen won the RESDA High Points Championship in 2007 and 2008 with her dog Tess. Colleen is a previous winner of the Mendocino County Fair Sheep Dog Trial, but Hope is still looking for her first win at this trial. Colleen and Hope are doing very well together in trial competi-tion this year, having won four of the nine RESDA points trials held to date this season, including the Mendocino Elimination trial. With just two points trials left this season, they currently hold first place in the 2012 High Points Championship. Hope lost one eye due to an infection in 2010, but this disability does not seem to affect her trial performance.

6. BrenHandler, Kevin OwensYorkville, CA

BREN IS a nine year old, female Border Collie owned by Kevin Owens of Yorkville, CA. Bren is the only red and white dog compet-ing in the Mendocino County Fair finals trial. She is a previous RESDA trial winner.

7. TrueHandler, Sharon HeringerNovato, CA

TRUE IS a three year old, male Border Collie. He has a smooth, mostly black and white coat, although with tan highlights on his legs and head he is considered a tri-color. This is Sharon and True’s first year compet-ing in trials together. True’s sire was Pete,

owned by Bill Berhow of Zamora, CA, and True’s dam was Cali, owned by Michael Hills of Novato, CA. Cali was the 2010 RESDA High Points Champion working with han-dler, Karen Kollgaard.

Sharon has been a member of RESDA since 2007, and this is her second year com-peting in sheep dog trials. The Heringer family has farmed in Northern California since 1868, and Sharon enjoys participating in RESDA as a way of continuing her family’s tradition of supporting Northern California agriculture.

8. JasperHandler, Teri TuckerSanta Rosa, CA

JASPER IS a four year old, black and white, male Border Collie owned by Teri Tucker of Santa Rosa, CA. He was born in Davis, CA. Jasper and Teri competed in the Men-docino County Fair Finals trial for the first time last year and have been doing very well in trial competition this year as well. They won the Kevin Owens Trial held in Yorkville, CA, on May 6, 2012, and are cur-rently ranked number three in the annual High Points Championship.

Alternate: LukeHandler, Tom RadelfingerCotati, CA

LUKE IS a three year old male Border Collie. He was born in Selma, OR, and now lives with owner Tom Radelfinger in Cotati, CA.

Luke and Tom entered their first Open Class trial at the Harvest Fair in Santa Rosa, CA, last October. This is their first year at the Mendocino County Fair. They also com-peted in a number of drive trials at the Pro Novice level this year.

Alternate: AngusHandler, Tom TrentDuncans Mills, CA

ANGUS IS a three year old male Border Collie with a medium length, black and white coat. He was born in Indiana and currently resides with owner Tom Trent on a hill ranch in west Sonoma County. Angus’ sire was Kane and his dam was Imported Cloud, both owned by Wendy Frevert.

Angus is competing in Open Class trials for the first time this year, including the Mendocino County Fair. They are doing very well in the High Points competition and are fourth overall. Tom and Angus also competed in the nursery class (for dogs under three years old) at drive trials this spring and placed second at two trials.

COMPETITORSwww.RESDA.com

www.RESDA.com

The Trial Course

SCORINGSCORING OF the course is divided into seven different areas. At most RESDA trials, each team starts with a maximum of 50 points. A key goal is to minimize exertion on the part of the sheep, so sheep should be moved in a direct line through each part of the course. The line followed by the sheep is an important aspect of the scoring, as well as competent completion of each part of the course.

THE OUTRUN, LIFT AND FETCH (UP TO 15 POINTS)AFTER THREE sheep are let out, the dog is released and runs up the right or left side of the arena to complete “the outrun.” At the top of the course, the dog gains control of the sheep in a motion called “the lift,” then brings the sheep down the arena and around the pen in either direction to com-plete “the fetch.” Outruns should be wide. The dog should control the sheep as quietly as possible and bring them down the arena in a straight line. All three sheep must go around the pen in the same direction. The handler must remain fully behind the pen until after all three sheep have passed the back of the pen.

FIRST AND SECOND PANELS (UP TO 5 POINTS EACH)THE SHEEP should remain together and under control. They should be moved at a calm and steady pace. All three sheep must pass through the opening between the panels in the forward direction. The handler must be standing on the base next to the panel when the sheep go through or it doesn’t count. The fewer unsuccess-ful attempts at an obstacle the higher the score.

THE CHUTE (UP TO 10 POINTS)GETTING THE sheep through the chute is one of the most challenging parts of the course and often separates winners from hopefuls. The handler stands on the base next to the chute opening and gives the dog commands to help him or her guide the sheep through the narrow opening. The team must make two attempts at each obstacle (panels and chute) before they can move on to try for the next. Each team must successfully complete two out of the three arena obstacles (panels and chute) before proceeding to the pen.

PEN (UP TO 15 POINTS)THE HANDLER opens the pen and stands on the base while the dog attempts to guide the sheep into the enclosure. The handler cannot close the gate until all three sheep are completely within the pen (no shov-ing with the gate.) Any movements by the sheep past or around the pen will result in a loss of points.

TIME LIMITEACH DOG and handler are allowed a maximum of ten minutes to complete the course. Timing starts when the dog is sent from behind the pen at the beginning of the run.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1. Magazine article about Lev Beebe, his family and sheep operations from the May, 1954 issue of Redwood Rancher. Mr. Beebe was a founding member of the Redwood Empire Sheep Dog Association and first winner of the annual Championship. Used with permission from the Beebe family.

REDWOOD EMPIRE SHEEP DOG ASSOCIATION3 REDWOOD EMPIRE SHEEP DOG ASSOCIATION September, 2012

HANES RANCH INC.PO Box 510

Boonville, CA 95415

REDWOOD DRIVE IN13980 HWY 128

Boonville, CA 95415

RESDA Thanks Our Mendocino County

Trial Sponsors:

4 REDWOOD EMPIRE SHEEP DOG ASSOCIATION September, 2012

List of All RESDA Championscontinued from page 11980 JOHN Hays and Fly1981 BOB Meier and Finn1982 BRUCE Hagemann and Ben1983 BRUCE Hagemann and Ben1984 STEVE Moody and Ruby1985 LONNIE Curtis and Dot1986 LEO Ielmorini and Sis1987 STEVE Moody and Ruby1988 BOB Meier and Pete1989 STEVE Moody and Jo Jo1990 STEVE Moody and Jo Jo1991 LONNIE Curtis and Kate1992 LEO Ielmorini and Badger1993 STEVE Moody and Jo Jo1994 LONNIE Curtis and Kate1995 STEVE Moody and Jo Jo1996 LONNIE Curtis and Kate1997 NANCY Todd and Dakota1998 ED Spencer and Cassie1999 ED Spencer and Cassie2000 BARBARA Spencer and Fly2001 BARBARA Spencer and Fly2002 STANLEY Johnson and Ellie2003 STANLEY Johnson and Ellie2004 KAREN Kollgaard and Lark2005 STANLEY Johnson and Ellie2006 COLLEEN Duncan and Tess2007 COLLEEN Duncan and Tess2008 DARRELL Duncan and Maggie2009 SANDI Andersen and Best2010 KAREN Kollgaard and Cali2011 SANDI Andersen and Liz

High Points Championship | 2012 Year to Date TotalsEACH YEAR the dog and handler team scoring the highest cumulative points across all RESDA trials is awarded the High Points Championship. The yearly total is calculated as the sum of each team’s nine best scores. Each trial counts a maximum of 50 points towards High Points. Each handler has one “no points” trial, shown as NP, or a judging assignment. “ProNov” means the handler and dog competed in the ProNovice class at that trial. Only Open class scores count toward High Points. Open-class, year-to-date scores for the top ten High Points contenders are shown below. The complete roster of teams and standings can be viewed online at www.RESDA.com.COME TO all the RESDA trials to watch your favorites compete for the High Points Championship!

HandlerName

DogName

Points (Year to

Date)

TrialAvg

SpringTrial

SlavenTrial

OwensTrial

7 OaksTrial

Sonoma Marin

Fair

Marin Fair

Beebe John-

son

Sonoma County Fair

Mendo. Fair Elim.

1 Colleen Duncan Hope 255.0 31.9 21 37 DQ 36.3 45 41.5 36.7 Judge 37.52 Karen Kollgaard Cali 231.3 28.9 20 14 26.5 36.3 32 45.5 15 42 Judge3 Teri Tucker Jasper 206.5 25.8 NP 19.5 34 38.3 41 35 21.7 0 174 Tom Trent Angus 187.2 23.4 0 15 Judge 29.6 43 41 17.1 41.5 04 Jack Mathieson Ross 157.2 17.5 0 10.5 34 20 34 38.5 14.2 6 06 Tom Radelfinger Luke 155.7 17.3 19.5 17.5 DQ 21.7 33.5 31.5 12.5 19.5 07 Sharon Heringer True 155.0 31.0 ProNov ProNov ProNov 27.5 33.5 46 20 NP 288 Jack Mathieson Jake 140.8 15.6 16 9.5 RT RT 32.5 34 13.3 21.5 149 Bill Slaven Chance 131.8 18.8 DQ Judge 11 RT 41.5 30 13.3 3610 Colleen Duncan Wyn 130.2 32.6 ProNov ProNov ProNov ProNov 43.5 35 26.7 Judge 25

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REDWOOD EMPIRE SHEEP DOG ASSOCIATION

2012 TRIAL CALENDAR

Date Time Event LocationJudge (Winners for Completed Trials)

APRIL 7 9:00 AM SPRING TRIALOpen, Pro Novice and NoviceRESDA Members Only

Johnson Ranch Yorkville, CA

OPEN WINNERS: BARB MCPHERSON AND CALLIE

APRIL 28 9:00 AM SLAVEN TRIALOpen, Pro Novice and Novice

Slaven Ranch Zamora, CA

OPEN WINNERS: COLLEEN DUNCAN AND HOPE

MAY 6 9:00 AM KEVIN OWENS TRIALOpen, Pro Novice and Novice

Owens Field Yorkville, CA

OPEN WINNERS: TERI TUCKER AND JASPER

JUNE 2 8:30 AM SEVEN OAKS TRIALOpen, Pro Novice and Novice

Seven Oaks Ranch Santa Rosa, CA

OPEN WINNERS: RHONDA LAURITSEN AND CRAIG

JUNE 24 12:00 PM SONOMA-MARIN FAIROpen Only

Petaluma Fairgrounds Petaluma, CA

OPEN WINNERS: COLLEEN DUNCAN AND HOPE

JULY 4 12:00 PM MARIN COUNTY FAIROpen Only

Marin County Fairgrounds San Rafael, CA

OPEN WINNERS: SHARON HERINGER AND TRUE

JULY 15 9:00 AM BEEBE JOHNSON MEMORIAL Open, Pro Novice and Novice

Gary and Wanda Johnson Ranch Boonville, CA

OPEN WINNERS: COLLEEN DUNCAN AND HOPE

AUGUST 4 12:00 PM SONOMA COUNTY FAIROpen Only

Sonoma County Fairgrounds Santa Rosa, CA

OPEN WINNERS: KAREN KOLLGAARD AND CALI

AUGUST 18 10:00 AM MENDOCINO ELIMINATIONSOpen, Pro Novice and Novice

Boonville Fairgrounds Boonville, CA

OPEN WINNERS: COLLEEN DUNCAN AND HOPE

SEPT 16 10:00 AM MENDOCINO FAIRQualifiers Only

Boonville Fairgrounds Boonville, CA

KAREN KOLLGAARD

OCT 7 1:00 PM HARVEST FAIROpen Only

Sonoma County FairgroundsSanta Rosa, CA

JACK MATHIESON

OCT 14 9:00 AM FALL TRIALOpen, Pro Novice and NoviceRESDA Members Only

To Be Determined JOYCE SHEPHARD

NON RESDA ALSO OF NOTE: POSSIBLE RESDA POINTS TRIAL IN 2013

OCT 6 9:00 AM LAMBTOWNOpen and Pro Novicewww.lambtown.com

Dixon FairgroundsDixon, CA

BILL SLAVEN

www.RESDA.com