Sue R Posted April 9, 2018 Report Share Posted April 9, 2018 t's late but it's not too late for you to choose to place an ad in the program or sponsor a class for the 2018 Bluegrass Classic SDT. The Bluegrass is one of North America's largest, oldest, and most prestigious stockdog trials, with four Nursery classes, two Novice classes, two Pro-Nov classes, two Ranch classes, and two two-day Open classes that culminate in Sunday's Double-lift International Shed Finals featuring the Top Twenty Combined Open Score teams. It is held at beautiful Masterson Station Park in lovely Lexington KY, is free, has vendors, is right next to a large dog park, and is open to the public from Wednesday May 16th to Sunday May 20th. Open starts as soon as light permits (usually about 6:45 am) and runs until dusk each day; the other classes start about 7 am and run until dusk or done each day. Teams include everyone from Novices to USBCHA National Sheepdog Finals Champions, Canadian Champions, and sometimes even International Supreme and World Trial competitors. This year's judges on the Open field are Mark Elliot and Mike Northwood, both International Supreme and England National competitors and/or judges themselves! A trial of this quality and magnitude takes a great deal of support - volunteers (and, yes, you can volunteer even if you have little to no experience - there are jobs for all levels of experience) and donors (who may choose to sponsor a class; place an ad, memorial, or "best wishes" in our program; or offer their wares at a vendor site). Please consider helping out in one way or another. Our sponsorship/ad form can be found at https://bluegrasscla...orm-bg-2018.pdf and we need to have responses by April 20th (I know, it's my fault, I am so late!) in order to set aside program space and/or recognition. Email me at susan dot rayburn at gmail dot com with any questions or to reserve ad space or sponsor. If you would like a vendor space, you can find the forms here https://bluegrasscla...ss.com/vendors/ And, if nothing else, if you can, come out and see some of the best working dogs and handlers in North American compete, pitting their wits against our healthy, consistent, wily Montana sheep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted April 9, 2018 Report Share Posted April 9, 2018 Thanks for all the work you do to promote and help fund this important event, Sue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted April 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2018 It takes an army! I do some long-distance work and I do some on-site work, but there are people who work hard on this virtually all year round. The trial fields are built from scratch (mostly, the Nursery/Novice field has mainly permanent fencing) including holding pens, exhaust pens, etc. People put on benefit trials. Issues and ideas are discussed and worked out over the year. Arrangements are made for our wonderful sheep and their transport, care, and feeding. Judges are found, travel arrangements made, housing arranged, and transportation locally provided. Volunteers are found, organized, assigned, trained, and looked after. Set out crews are arranged. Vendors are dealt with and one or more concessions arranged. Food for staff and judges is decided on, ordered, picked up, distributed. Porta-johns are booked and set up and maintained, along with camper water and septic service. Entries are dealt with, run orders produced and printed, programs designed and printed. Bleachers and tents are booked and erected, and chairs and tables, as well. Individuals solicit sponsors and awards and prizes. The hospitality is arranged, food picked up, and set up and broken down daily. The silent auction if a huge undertaking that brings in good funds, but takes a lot of work. The FB auction as well involved time and effort. There are tee-shirts and caps to design, get produced, and sell. The list goes on and on. If I was to list the people I know that play a huge role in this, I would be sure to inadvertently leave someone out but I will say that some I have worked with over the years and know put their hearts and efforts into this grand old trial are Marianna Schreeder; Paul and Leigh Anne Tucker; Eleanor Peavy; Bob and Bobbie Washer; Laura and Mike Hanley; Connie Brannen; Jim Valley; Rusty Kreider; Leslie Scruggs; Joan MacDonald; Mary Whitmore; Beth Mitchell; and others that are too numerous to name. I am proud to be a part of something so grand, and something so meaningful to the past, present, and future of the working stock dog in North America. And thank you for your kind words! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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