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Sue R

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  • Gender
    Female
  • Location
    Bruceton Mills WV
  • Interests
    Stockdogs, horses, chocolate

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  1. I love listening to the sounds that mothers make to their newborns, whether they are sheep, cattle, horses, dogs. They have special voices for the babies. Thank you for sharing, and for the reminder that it is the work that has refined these dogs over the centuries.
  2. D'Elle - Whenever Dan was at his most trying (of my patience or skills), we'd say, "But at least he's handsome!" Funny how a dog that I struggled with so much for so long, became so dear to me in his later years.
  3. Thanks, old friends - I knew you'd understand.
  4. What can I say about Dan? He was such a difficult dog for me to understand that I really never did him justice until his old age, when he slowed down, mellowed, and became very dear to me in ways that I'd never imagined when I struggled to connect to him because we seemed often to be on different wavelengths. And now that he's gone, I realize just how great a gift he was, and I know he passed on feeling loved and cared for. He was brave - brave enough to face down a line-up of half-a-dozen mother cows. He was foolhardy, finding it hard to learn certain lessons that would protect his body. He had strong instincts. He loved his creature comforts, like a cat in dog's clothing. He was always ready for the next exciting moment in life, and content to sleep like an old hound dog until that moment came along. He was independent and yet always wanting to be "right", just wanting to be right "his way". He was a paradox for me. I still see his eyes on me when he was too tired to get up, and feel his soft fur, and treasure how deep our connection grew as he grew old and slow. That'll do, Dan! Well done, good boy! (Some of you might remember Dan's and my journeys to SoCal to train with his breeder, Anna Adams Guthrie. This photo was taken there by Danielle Shank.)
  5. I was sorry to hear about Gibbs, Ruth. I know you always had his best interests in mind. They certainly leave an enormous hole in our hearts, don't they? As a dear friend said, "We do this for them because we love them that much." Good boy, Gibbs.
  6. The Bluegrass Classic SDT will be held on May 17-21 2023 at beautiful Masterson Station Park in Lexington KY. One hundred and thirty Open teams will compete in two Open trials over four days. Nursery teams will compete in four classes over four days. Open Ranch, Pro-Novice, and Novice levels will each have two classes over two days. Then on the fifth and final day, the 21 Open teams with the top seven scores from Open I; the top seven scores from Open II (which did not quality from Open I); and the top seven combined scores (which did not quality in either Open I or Open II) will participate in a Double-lift, International Shed Final on the Open Field. This will replace the previous method which was that the top combined scores from Open I and Open II would advance to the Final. This is one of North America's premiere sheep dog trials. The Open, Nursery, and Final classes at the Bluegrass are on a par with what you would see at a National Finals. One UK judge even said that the Bluegrass provided a competition that was the equivalent of one of their National Finals. High praise, indeed! You can attend any and all days for free - there is no admission cost. Well-mannered dogs (on leash) are welcome (there is a spacious dog park adjacent). The Kentucky Fiber Festival is also held that Saturday and Sunday at Masterson Station Park (there is a small admission fee for that lovely event). Tents and chairs are provided, and you can bring your own seating or blankets to sit on the ground to watch. Volunteers are always welcome! You can also support this trial by sponsoring a class, purchasing a program ad, participating in our silent auction, or contributing any amount you'd like. More information and forms for volunteering, sponsoring a class or purchasing an ad, or reserving a vendor spot, can be found at our website (address below). If you are interested in joining in a group honoring the late Eleanor Hume O'Rear Peavy, a long-time Bluegrass supporter and volunteer, through sponsoring a class and/or a program ad, please contact me at susan dot rayburn at gmail.com or reply below. http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/
  7. The Bluegrass Classic SDT will be held on May 17-21 2023 at beautiful Masterson Station Park in Lexington KY. One hundred and thirty Open teams will compete in two Open trials over four days. Nursery teams will compete in four classes over four days. Open Ranch, Pro-Novice, and Novice levels will each have two classes over two days. Then on the fifth and final day, the 21 Open teams with the top seven scores from Open I; the top seven scores from Open II (which did not quality from Open I); and the top seven combined scores (which did not quality in either Open I or Open II) will participate in a Double-lift, International Shed Final on the Open Field. This will replace the previous method which was that the top combined scores from Open I and Open II would advance to the Final. This is one of North America's premiere sheep dog trials. The Open, Nursery, and Final classes at the Bluegrass are on a par with what you would see at a National Finals. One UK judge even said that the Bluegrass provided a competition that was the equivalent of one of their National Finals. High praise, indeed! You can attend any and all days for free - there is no admission cost. Well-mannered dogs (on leash) are welcome (there is a spacious dog park adjacent). The Kentucky Fiber Festival is also held that Saturday and Sunday at Masterson Station Park (there is a small admission fee for that lovely event). Tents and chairs are provided, and you can bring your own seating or blankets to sit on the ground to watch. Volunteers are always welcome! You can also support this trial by sponsoring a class, purchasing a program ad, participating in our silent auction, or contributing any amount you'd like. More information and forms for volunteering, sponsoring a class or purchasing an ad, or reserving a vendor spot, can be found at our website (address below). If you are interested in joining in a group honoring the late Eleanor Hume O'Rear Peavy, a long-time Bluegrass supporter and volunteer, through sponsoring a class and/or a program ad, please contact me at susan dot rayburn at gmail.com or reply below. http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/
  8. All that said, there are conscientious breeders who have no problem selling to a sport or pet home as long as they feel the prospective home will be a good one for the pup and that the pup will not be bred from unless it has proven itself a quality stockworking dog. But you may have to widen your search area significantly to find the right breeder.
  9. One problem I can see is that most reputable breeders usually have people waiting for litters from their dogs/bitches. They don't need to advertise and pups are spoken for when it gets out by word of mouth that a breeding is planned. One thing that I would suggest to anyone who is serious about getting a well-bred, working-bred pup is to get training yourself so you will be prepared to work with your pup; make connections by meeting people, and a great way to do that is to volunteer at USBCHA trials where you can help out, learn while you help, and meet handlers; and be patient while you build your "credentials" so that a reputable breeder is going to be willing to put one of his/her pups in your hands. The best breeders do not produce many pups and they want to make the best breeding decisions they can - and then place those pups in the hands of people where they will thrive and have the opportunity to live up to their potential. This accomplishes two things - the pups get good, knowledgeable homes and the breeder gets the opportunity to get feedback on how that particular pairing of dog and bitch produced. This does often make it hard for a newcomer to find and purchase a well-bred pup, but it is worth it in the long run to learn; meet people and make connections; help out; and get yourself into a position to know of and be considered for a nicely-bred pup. Generally, if it's too easy to buy a pup, it's not going to be the best kind of breeder.
  10. You are getting a lot of terrific advice from everyone who has already replied.
  11. Jack is an outstanding trainer and clinician, and Debbie offers a very nice venue for training.
  12. What Journey said! In the meantime, volunteer yourself at trials where you can learn a lot, meet people and make connections, and help out trial hosts who are generally looking for dedicated volunteers for the many jobs a trial entails. If you live anywhere near Lexington KY, the Bluegrass Classic SDT will be held May 18-22 and they are looking for volunteers at all levels of experience.
  13. All I can say is, "Wow!" And more power to them!
  14. It's that time of year once again and things are gearing up for the 61st annual Bluegrass Classic Sheep Dog Trial, held at beautiful Masterson Station Park in Lexington KY! This is one of the most venerable and prestigious sheep dog trials in North America, carrying on a grand tradition that started at Walnut Hall, continued at the Kentucky Horse Park, and is now held on Ruffian Field at Masterson Station Park in a lovely, convenient, welcoming public venue. A trial of this quality and magnitude requires a lot - a committee that works year-round to plan and prepare; volunteers by the dozens to help set up, keep the trial running smoothly, and break down; and people who show their support financially by sponsoring the event and/or classes, purchasing ad space in our program, purchasing our merchandise, or otherwise making a financial contribution. We need volunteers and you don't have to have experience to fill a vital role in helping this trial run like a well-oiled machine - there are jobs ranging from people who are Open handlers to those who have never even run a dog (and don't intend to). Your help will be most appreciated and you will receive any necessary training. You can access the volunteer information and form at this webpage - http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/volunteer/ You can also show support with a financial contribution. There are multiple levels of sponsorship as well as being able to purchase a half-page or full-page ad in our program (if you want to remain anonymous, we can do that, too). Sponsoring a class is a wonderful way to support the trial. Purchasing an ad is a great way to get your product or service out to a lot of handlers as well as the general public in the Lexington area as the trial is free and open to the public, located next to a large and popular dog park, and draws lots of dog-friendly spectators and families. An ad is also a great way to recognize a mentor, a special person, or a beloved dog, or just to wish "good luck" to the competitors or a favorite dog/handler team. The sponsor/program ad form is found at this webpage - http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Sponsorship-Form.pdf If you have a service or line of products and would like to book a vendor space at the Bluegrass, you can do that, too! Both handlers and spectators enjoy checking out the goods and services that our vendors offer. This webpage provides the form to request a vendor space - http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Vendor-Form.pdf Bluegrass Classic SDT merchandise will be available to order shortly and I will post here when that happens. It will feature our famous logo on fun-color tees, caps, etc. More on that soon! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at susan.rayburn@gmail.com and I will be glad to try and help you. We do need to prepare our program soon so if you wish to place an ad or sponsor a class, we need that information promptly (and, yes, I am remiss at getting this out so late). General information about the trial can be found at our website, http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/
  15. It's that time of year once again and things are gearing up for the 61st annual Bluegrass Classic Sheep Dog Trial, held at beautiful Masterson Station Park in Lexington KY! This is one of the most venerable and prestigious sheep dog trials in North America, carrying on a grand tradition that started at Walnut Hall, continued at the Kentucky Horse Park, and is now held on Ruffian Field at Masterson Station Park in a lovely, convenient, welcoming public venue. A trial of this quality and magnitude requires a lot - a committee that works year-round to plan and prepare; volunteers by the dozens to help set up, keep the trial running smoothly, and break down; and people who show their support financially by sponsoring the event and/or classes, purchasing ad space in our program, purchasing our merchandise, or otherwise making a financial contribution. We need volunteers and you don't have to have experience to fill a vital role in helping this trial run like a well-oiled machine - there are jobs ranging from people who are Open handlers to those who have never even run a dog (and don't intend to). Your help will be most appreciated and you will receive any necessary training. You can access the volunteer information and form at this webpage - http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/volunteer/ You can also show support with a financial contribution. There are multiple levels of sponsorship as well as being able to purchase a half-page or full-page ad in our program (if you want to remain anonymous, we can do that, too). Sponsoring a class is a wonderful way to support the trial. Purchasing an ad is a great way to get your product or service out to a lot of handlers as well as the general public in the Lexington area as the trial is free and open to the public, located next to a large and popular dog park, and draws lots of dog-friendly spectators and families. An ad is also a great way to recognize a mentor, a special person, or a beloved dog, or just to wish "good luck" to the competitors or a favorite dog/handler team. The sponsor/program ad form is found at this webpage - http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Sponsorship-Form.pdf If you have a service or line of products and would like to book a vendor space at the Bluegrass, you can do that, too! Both handlers and spectators enjoy checking out the goods and services that our vendors offer. This webpage provides the form to request a vendor space - http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-Vendor-Form.pdf Bluegrass Classic SDT merchandise will be available to order shortly and I will post here when that happens. It will feature our famous logo on fun-color tees, caps, etc. More on that soon! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at susan.rayburn@gmail.com and I will be glad to try and help you. We do need to prepare our program soon so if you wish to place an ad or sponsor a class, we need that information promptly (and, yes, I am remiss at getting this out so late). General information about the trial can be found at our website, http://www.bluegrassclassicsdt.org/
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