CJK

Robin's analogy was "i.e. we're shooting ourselves in the foot as AKC stabs us in the back". I think that's a good one. We might have to remove a toe -- if we are as you said "shooting ourselves in the foot" -- but we will bleed to death if as again you said "AKC keeps stabbing us in the back". I think what the proposals accomplish is to take the loss of a toe but keep the body alive. What I said was, in essence, we are closing their books for them. If you breed an ABCA registered dog A to bitch B and have litter C. They are all registered with ABCA -- but then if you want to breed litter C (after said date) you have to pick either ABCA or AKC. So, in essence, we are stating "take your choice" -- NOT telling people who to register with -- just take your choice. Which is exactly what AKC will be doing if they close their books - They say register now because after "such and such" a date you can't register with us anymore. What's the difference? I wonder if you could ask the people that you are referring to what they would say or do if AKC decided to close their books at the end of this year. I would really like to know and haven't heard anyone address the issue as to why AKC goes "on and on" about "closing" their books and no one says anything (at least from what I hear). I haven't heard the comments that ABCA is telling people what to do with their pups. I would assume from those comments these are people that are breeding AKC registered dogs (since even if the ban takes place, you can still sell ABCA pups to AKC people they just can't breed them and then re-register them with ABCA). Does that answer any of your questions or have I just "muddied" the water more? Candy

Which would not be an issue if AKC had closed their books as they have said (many a time) they were going to. Again, I ask what's the difference between AKC closing their books - or us saying if they aren't going to - then we "in essence" will? Candy

Robin said: Now we have to qualify that with "and not AKC registered", even though that piece of paper doesn't mean a thing to the dogs or the livestock or on the trial field or in the barn. It feels hypocritical and politically motivated to me and not purely in the best interests of the dogs/breed. BUT - we've always done that with any registry that doesn't use work as their criteria for breeding. We don't accept the British registry (can't remember the name) that shows conformation. Candy

Again ... I come back to a question ... What is the difference between AKC "closing their stud books" and the ABCA saying that it will not accept puppies registered with the AKC? Why don't people see it as "telling them what to do" when AKC does something - but see it that way when ABCA says "in essence" does the same thing? Candy

I?m curious as to why anyone that is a top breeder would want to register with AKC for ?business reasons?. If they register all their dogs with AKC and then AKC closes its books ? that would mean from then on they would not be able to breed to anything with ISDS or ABCA bloodlines. Anyone that is trying to breed top quality working dogs is not going to want to eliminate those two registers from their breeding program. I think anyone that runs in USBCHA trials knows the only way to do well is to have the best dogs they can buy or breed. The only reason AKC has good bloodlines now is because of ISDS and ABCA - they don?t have any of their own. How many top dogs do you see with a 5 generation AKC pedigree running in trials? I just don?t see it as a good business decision and I?ve made my living working dogs for the last 20+ years. The reason I?m in favor of the ?ban? that says if you register a dog with AKC then the pups (out of a AKC dog) can?t be registered with ABCA is that it doesn?t hurt people that have great working dogs but are selling to agility homes. I understand ?those? dogs have to be registered with AKC to run in their agility classes but unless ?those? dogs are trained to herd (and I don?t mean AKC herding) then, as far as I?m concerned, they don?t need to be bred. But if the people that own them decide to breed them without knowing if or how they can actually work - then is ABCA really losing much? I also understand that a lot of dogs bred and registered with ABCA don?t ?work? but at the same time ?those? people aren?t a registry that is trying to ?take over? ABCA. Candy Kennedy [This message has been edited by CJK (edited 10-22-2002).]

History was made both on the field and off at the First Annual North American Sheepdog Championship (NASC) in Lebec, CA. Organized by Ted Thompson Ondrak and Janna Duncan Ondrak under their Drummond Ranch banner, the NASC held its inaugural trial June 7-10, 2001, at the landmark Tejon Ranch, drawing nearly 2,000 competitors, participants and spectators to the Southern California venue. The event's spectacular success has quickly established the NASC as a must-go-to, must-see annual trial. On the field, Judge Alasdair MacRae said, "This was top quality competition at a top quality venue. The sheep were tough, but the dogs and handlers were expert." MacRae was especially effusive about Grand Champion Candy Kennedy and her dog Moss, whose performance in the Finals scored 133 points out of a possible 170, which included a double lift and international shed. Said MacRae, "Candy was a worthy winner indeed. You will not see better shedding anywhere in the world than that. I've been judging this sort of competition nearly 20 years and I can count on one hand the number of times I've given a perfect score on an international shed--and Candy's was one of them." In fact, Kennedy/Moss was the only team to complete the difficult course within the allotted 25 minutes. After two 400-yard outruns for the double lift, the fetch around the post, drive to the panels and cross-drive, competitors faced a shed of five marked sheep from the flock of 20. Though many were agonizingly close to succeeding, this so-called Circle of Pain stymied nearly every participant, with time called on 13 of them. Kennedy's shed and final penning of the five received a much deserved standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience. Reserve Grand Champion was awarded to Terry Parrish and Driftin, the only other team to finish the shed. Third place was taken by Mike Canaday and Smut, and fourth by George Grist and Roy. In the Elimination Rounds, Grist and Roy were also winners of the Dakota Spirit Award for High Combined Score as well as awards for first place on Friday and Saturday, and High Scoring Dog from California. Mike Canaday, president of the United States Border Collie Handlers Association (USBCHA) through which the event was sanctioned, came in first on the Elimination Rounds on Thursday. The Elimination Rounds took place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with between 57 and 60 dogs each day competing for the 15 spots in the Sunday Finals. Staged in conjunction with the NASC, which was presented in association with Sweet Iron Quarter Horses (Terry and Sonya Blomberg), was the Wild West Cow Dog Classic, sanctioned by the USBCHA and Western Cow Dog Association. The three-day competition in an adjacent indoor arena saw each handler on horseback herding cattle with their dog, and the bleachers filled with spectators illustrated that event's popularity. Off the field, the NASC was an enormously entertaining place to be too. Starring on the main stage were Celtic favorites The Browne Sisters & George Cavanaugh, who debuted "A Silent Field," a song about the effects the foot-and-mouth epidemic has had on U.K. farmers. (Proceeds from the NASC are set to be donated to S.H.E.E.P., Sheepdog Handlers Emergency Economic Program.) Entertainment was also provided by the well received Nicholson Pipes & Drums bagpipe band, solo bagpiper John McLean Allan, singer Sara Grey, and dance troupe Celtic Fire. A Scottish Festival featured athletic demonstrations and numerous vendors. Scotland met the American West at the NASC. And it also met the peculiarities of Southern California as the NASC made history as well by being the first such competition with a masseuse providing complimentary neck and back massages to the competitors courtesy of Drummond Ranch. Both on the field and off, next year's NASC is sure to reach a greater following and will no doubt make history once again. Sunday Finals - Double Lift/International Shed 1. Candy Kennedy Moss 133 2. Terry Parrish Driftin 126 3. Mike Canaday Smut 122 4. George Grist Roy 108 5. Terry Parrish Jane 105 6. Mike Canaday May 105 7. Loren Holmes Puzzle 100 8. Ablion Urdank Maeve 93 9. Albion Urdank Bruin 83 10. Jan Canaday Tess 76 11. Joy Thayer Jess 75 12. Judy Loflin Gail 73 13. Robin Penland Pat 69 14. Terri Pelkey Ben 67 15. Mike Canaday Ben RT