Herding Instinct Tests - September 17-19, 2016

Have you ever wondered whether your Briard could herd sheep?  The time to find out is fast approaching. Mark your calendars for September 17, 18 & 19.  

The Pacific Northwest Herding Club is hosting Briard-only Herding Instinct Tests at PackLeader Farm in Gig Harbor WA.  Testing will be offered on Saturday and Sunday so that an AKC Certificate can be earned.  The entry fee for this event is $40 per test and must be made in advance. This event is also an all-breed herding trial with supported entries for Briards.  If you want to learn more about herding this is a great event to plan to attend.  

On Monday, September 19, the Briard Club of America (BCA) is hosting Briard-only Herding instinct Tests at Brigands Hideout in Battleground WA.  BCA Certificates will be awarded to those who who pass.  The evaluator is Vickie Swarowski DVM.  The entry fee for this event is $40.

The Herding Instinct Test is the non-competitive (pass/fail) initial test.  The purpose of non-competitive herding tests is to offer owners of herding breeds a standardized gauge by which a dog’s basic instinct and trainability are measured. The dog needs no training before entering this class and may be handled by the judge, owner or designated handler. The judge is looking for the dog’s ability to move and control livestock by fetching or driving.

BCA membership is not required to attend these events.  For more information, contact Gabrielle LaRoche.

Sign up to Help at the 2012 Briard National Specialty, September 14-23 in Pittsburgh, PA.

Please take a moment to sign up to help out at the 2012 Briard National Specialty, September 14-23 in Pittsburgh, PA. It promises to be a good time with good friends and fellow Briarders. For more information about the Specialty, you can go to the BCA National Specialty website by clicking on the following link: 2012 BCA Specialty

To sign up, go to: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0F45A8AB2BAB9-2012

Thank you in advance for your help. Pam Freund Volunteerism Chair

BCA Supported Entry

The Pacific Northwest Herding Club is holding a herding trial on October. The BCA is supporting the entries of Briards on Sunday October 3rd.   Information on the trial can be found here: http://pnwherding.blogspot.com/

Great Weekend

~ Submitted by Carol and DC Tessa   This past weekend I took Tessa north to compete at a herding trial. Boy, what a weekend that wound up being. We compete on C course (boundary/tending style) and this trial not only offered C course on sheep but sheep/cattle and ducks on both A and B courses. A lot going on daily with a trial that filled so much that they needed to add an extra judge each day. Three different judges judged our runs over the three days and all three gave us very similar scores. Tessa was quite consistent and we wound up with scores of 93, 94 and 94 (out of 100.) We needed 9 points to finish our herding championship. Going Reserve High in Trial on Friday we got a four point major, High in Trial on Saturday gave us a 5 point major and not only a new herding championship title but a Dual Champion title as well. The club was offering silver belt buckles for high combined score (highest score total for all three days) so we ran again on Sunday and got an extra 4 point major and the big prize of a silver belt buckle for High Combined on sheep. Not a bad way to finish that championship in two weekends of trials with 3 High in Trials and 1 Reserve High in Trial. Tessa's mother Java was a silver belt buckle winning dual champion as well and I am thrilled to have Tessa following in Java's herding footsteps. Now on to the whelping box for Tessa in the hopes that she will produce a daughter for me to herd with in the future.

Quarterly Update of NW Briard Accomplishments

~ from Gail Oneal Dara got her second leg for her JHD title and Emmy got her first leg and second place towards her HRD title in the Inland Empire Collie Club AHBA trial.

NW News from the 2009 BCA Herding Extravaganza

Click the link to view photos and video clips from the 2009 BCA herding trials.

Herding News from Eastern Washington

Story by Gail Oneal. Nightwind's Double Dog Dare Ewe "Dara" got her PT at the Labor Day Trials here in Spokane under judges Bob Ewing and Dave Viklund. Although she started with a "flair", she did a great job with controlled runs on both days.

Radieux's And The Winner Is HSAs "Emmy" got 2 legs of her intermediate title on A course sheep with second and fourth places in a class of six. She is a bit intense-and it showed the second day when I called time 30 seconds after the run started!! She forgot I was on the planet so we just called it a day and watched the other runs. On to the specialty!

Herding Practice

Here Tessa shows Nash how tending is done with the C-course flock at Brigands Hide Out. Nash didn't do so badly himself... read more

Briard Takes 5th Place at AKC Herding Trial

On Monday May 25, Ch. Bijou All Flash No Cash "Tessa" earned her first leg toward her advanced C-course title under judge Linda Rorem with a 5th place! At the advanced level the distance for the course is between 780 and 880 linear yards and contains 7 elements:

1. Exit from pen
2. Narrow road
3. Bridge
4. Pause/Traffic
5. Wide graze/Narrow graze
6. Placement before the flock
7. Pen.

The AKC C-Course reflects a tending shepherd’s day and, as such, is the preferred course for many Briarders wishing to compete in herding trials. Until now, however, the opportunity to train and trial in the boundary/tending style, has been limited. This was the 1st time C-course was available at a trial held at PackLeader Farm. The All Breed Herding Club of Western Washington is sponsoring another trail at PackLeader in August that will also offer the C-course. Judges: Ron Fischer, Terry Kenney, Carol Lucero, Craig Watson. For those wishing to brush up on their C-course skills before August, the Pacific Northwest Herding Club is sponsoring a match at Brigands Hide Out on Sunday, July 5. Judges: Ron Fischer for Course C and B ducks) and Bridgette Tuerler for HT/PT, Course A sheep & ducks. For more information contact Nancy Ward.

Tessa Gets Ready for a Herding Trial

Above Tessa tends the graze at Brigand's Hide Out, Battle Ground, WA, May 15, 2009. Below Tessa is practacing on the new C-course at Pack Leader Farm, Gig Harbor, WA, May 10, 2009.

Tessa is entered at the AKC herding trial at Pack Leader Farm over Memorial Day Weekend. Nash and Gabrielle will be stock handling for Herding Tested (HT) and Pre-trial Tested (PT). Visting Briarder from Texas, Julie Reconnu, will be scribing for the C-course judges.

Elle Gets Her 1st HCT Leg

Judy Meggitt's Briardale's Camille Lebec "Elle" passes the 1st leg of her AHBA-Herding Capability Test (HCT) on Sunday April 19 at PackLeader Farm. Elle is handled by Barbara Davenport and evaluated by Judge Shelley Fritzke. Shelley is GSD breeder who lives in the BC lower mainland and offers tending instruction and clinics. Since Nash and Gabrielle were stock handling for this event they got to practice with Shelley on the C-course the previous evening.

Nash Is a C-course Virtuoso

Read more .....

2009 Herding Trials, Gig Harbor, WA

Premium Lists and information at All Breed Herding Club Of Western Washington

PackLeader Farm Presents: TENDING CLINIC

Saturday & Sunday, March 7 & 8, 2009, 9 AM to 5 PM. Instructed by PNWBC's Carol Wolfram. Questions or to request a registration form contact Debbi Humble – 425-742-.6922 Barbara Davenport - 253-884-5959

A HERDING EXTRAVAGANZA, Plano Texas Oct.24 - Nov.1

The BCA Nationals Herding Clinic (Oct. 24 & 25) is fast filling!!! If you have any desire to attend, email Mary Weir. The cost is $200.00 for 2 days of C course herding with PNWBC's own Carol Wolfram and Mary Weir as clinicians, over 200 head of sheep and acres of practice courses. Be ready for the trial on Mon and Tues Oct 26 and 27 and have fun with the herders!!!!!! For more information about the National go to the 2009 BCA National page.

Father Daughter Outing

Pictured in the slideshow are Andre (& Sonia) and Nutella, Andre’s 6 month old daughter, as they try out a little sheepherding. Nutella was the star! The farm is a herding training facility and boarding kennel named Canine Country Club owned by Lorri Schubert. It is located in Smokey Point, north of Marysville/Tulalup. Brian Ricard is the trainer. Brain works primarily with Border collies and is a USBCHA judge. The dogs are working in a 50-ft round pen. There are also small & large fields for training. Nutella is a natural, very instinctual. Andre works and works, really hard, to succeed, and Brian says he is very talented, but not with the instant instinct that Nutella showed.

This was Nutella's first ever experience. She was was very keen on it and quite happy about the whole outing. Including what she did when she returned home, to the cat’s sheepskin bed... Nutella was very pleased with herself. Nano, the cat, was not. Photos and story submitted by Barbara Stolz and Sonia Thompson.

New C-course Opportunites in Western Washington!

On Sunday I had the opportunity to observe two seasoned handlers work their German Shepherds in the boundary/tending style, while working out the details for a new AKC regulation C-course. Briards are used in boundary/tending situations, and are quick learners of this technique. In France, patrolling is part of the farm dog's training if the dog will be working the narrow graze strips between crops. This was a trait selected by French shepherds, thus the ease of Briards to learn this maneuver. The AKC C-Course reflects a tending shepherd’s day and, as such, is the preferred course for many Briarders wishing to compete in herding trials. Until now, however, the opportunity to train and trial in the boundary/tending style, has been limited.

On the C-course, sheep must be allowed to graze peacefully, contained within specified unfenced areas, and safely guided on the roads between those areas. The dog patrols to guard against sheep trespassing onto the adjoining field, while the sheep graze and are moved along roads. The shepherd and dog are responsible for the safety and good health of the sheep, in addition to protection of all adjoining lands from the sheep. Only through a harmonious effort among the shepherd, the flock and the dog can optimal success be attained in this type of grazing flock management.

Only sheep are used on Course C. Although the minimum number of sheep allowed are 20, larger flocks give the best opportunity for success. The handler walks with the flock to lead or guide them along the roads and into graze areas. The Judge and Secretary also walk the course at a discreet distance from the handler, dog and stock. Spectators are not allowed on the course during the competition. Course C covers a minimum distance of 440 linear yards and a maximum distance of 880 linear yards, depending on the level of competition. The entry-level, or started course contains "exit from the pen", "narrow road", "bridge", "pause/traffic", "wide graze" and "pen".

The All Breed Herding Club of Western Washington is considering offering a C-course herding workshop next spring, geared for folks just getting started and the entry level competitor. The workshop would be held at PackLeader Farm in Gig Harbor Washington. If you would be interested in such a workshop, please email Gabrielle with the dates in March or April that would be best for you.

Elle Meets Sheep for the 1st Time!

Briardale's Camille Lebec - "Elle", Judy and Dallas Meggitt's 15-month-old Briard, met sheep for the 1st time at PackLeader Farm in Gig Harbor WA. Here Elle is gaining confidence with the sheep in the 50' round pen. Later that afternoon she graduated to the 100' arena. Trainer Barbara Davenport, who is handling Elle in this video, remarked that Elle is a very nice working dog and that she works with equal comfort on the "go by" (clockwise) and on the "away to me" (counterclockwise).

Judy remarked that she had never seen Elle carry her tail that way. Judy and Dallas' grand-daughter Marrissa can be heard giggling in the backgorund. A good time was had by all!

To see photos of Elle in the 100' arena and other Briards currently herding in the northwest - Andre, Emmy, Tessa and Nash - scroll to the slideshow at the bottom of the page.

New Herding Title!

by Gail ONeal
Emmy (Radieux's And The Winner Is PT) got a leg with second place on August 30 and a leg with third place on Sept. 1 in the started sheep classes (8 entries) at the Spokane Labor Day Herding Trials. She now has her herding started title on A course in sheep. She received a rousing cheer from the crowd both days as one of the few "token" breeds (2 corgis, 2 belgians, 1 aussie) in a mostly collie-sheltie-border collie trial that had 40 entries each day. Of course, her "enthusiasm" helped propel the sheep around the course at a rather quick rate!

Alaska Herding Group Trial, Wasilla

On Saturday September 6, 2008 Carol Wolfram judged A-course trials, herding tested and pre-trial tested on sheep and ducks. No Briards were entered.
Photo courtesy of Gabrielle LaRoche

The trial was held at Sunset Acres Farm, 50 miles northeast of Anchorage, Alaska's largest city. Although Carol did not meet the GOP candidate for Vice-president, she was excited to be only a few miles from the historic Iditarod sled dog trail.

Carol has been judging AKC herding trials and tests since 1998. In her more than 25 assignments she has traveled from Washington to Oregon, Ohio, California, Nevada and Texas, but this was her 1st assignment in Alaska.

Carol will be judging the tests and trials sponsored by the German Shepherd Dog Club of America in Ferris Texas, November 2 & 3, 2008. These trials will be on sheep and will include A, B and C courses.

Carol did find time for a glacier tour in Prince William Sound. She reports "What a blast that was!"
Slideshow photos courtesy of Carol Wolfram