Full Meeker Gallery

[Denise Wall]

Here's the gallery of pics I've worked up so far from Meeker:

 

Meeker 05 web page

 

And here's one of my favorite shots depicting the dog-eating range ewes looking for their next meal:

 

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Oh, yeah, I forgot a big one in my list of characteristics - COURAGE.

[Pipedream Farm]

Very Nice.

 

Mark

[sandra s.]

Amazing photography!!! Thanks for sharing!

 

Newbie question: Why are some of the sheep wearing red collars? Is this a sign for the dog, or for the handler?

[Denise Wall]

Hi Sandra,

 

In phases of the work like the shed, they sometimes used collars to mark the sheep you have to shed or not shed. For course descriptions, etc., that will explain further, go to:

 

http://www.meekersheepdog.com/event.htm

[workindogs]

I think this picture is another representation of Meeker "dog eaters". Actually, the sheep weren't all that aggressive this year....my dogs have experienced alot worse.

 

[sandra s.]

Originally posted by Denise Wall:

Hi Sandra,

 

In phases of the work like the shed, they sometimes used collars to mark the sheep you have to shed or not shed. For course descriptions, etc., that will explain further, go to:

 

http://www.meekersheepdog.com/event.htm

Ok, thanks!

Wow, this is complicated! Why can't humans ever do anything without making up a hundred thousand rules?! We've got a lot to learn from our four-legged companions.

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

Well, normally when we sort stock there's not a judge watching to make sure we don't touch them and are on the correct side and the correct team member is "making the cut".

 

But these are tests of breeding stock, so when you look at these rules, you are basically looking at a breeding standard. Without the trials and the rules, Border collies would be, well, just another dog breed with vague "herding instincts".

[sandra s.]

Ok, so it's up to the sheep to provide the necessary amount of chaos to keep this from being brainless. If these pictures are anything to go by, they are more than capable of that. I'd LOVE to see BCs at work someday!

[juliepoudrier]

Another reason for using marked (collared) stock is that it may more reasonably simulate real work (even if at home we would touch the sheep, etc.). If you are separating ewes from lambs or rams from ewes, or even a few sheep in need of worming or other care you can't just randomly choose to shed a few off--you would need to shed *specific* sheep from the group. So collaring a few sheep and then asking the handler and dog to separate those particular sheep out is in my mind a more "practical" test of that kind of work you'd actually need to do at home (unless of course you've got a nice fancy set up and can run them into a chute and then sort off the ones you want at a sorting gate....). So like Becca says, at home we may do what is most expedient, but at a trial the standard will be set higher, but even so the standard will be based in work that would happen in real life.

 

J.

[emmetteabrakai]

Phenomenal as usual, and such a nice way to spend a day. I have friends who like Golf. This is way better, still on Grass, wide open spaces, and the dog does all the chasing..

 

Plus now I feel sooooo smug cuz now I know what a shed, and international shed are. Thanks to all the patient folks who answer all our newbie questions. Thanks guys for being so kind

Andrea D.

[Denise Wall]

Elizabeth, I agree the sheep at Meeker weren't the worst I saw out West. I just thought it was funny that ewe on the right in the pic above looked mad.

 

Thanks, Andrea