Rock N' Roll Stockdogs

05/01/2025

This weekend's Cache Cattle Challenge Dog Trials was the first in a three trial series that will go on each month this winter in Logan, Utah.

With big payouts, epic prizes and a coveted 3-trial average on the line it's an event that draws a murderer's row of some of the top handlers in North America to take on its challenging courses and, at times, challenging stock. Steve and Sheri from MIll Iron S Ranch also jumped in this year to host a sheep trial at the same venue so now you can also compete on sheep alongside the cattle dog competition.

Hendrix ran in Open Cattle (~52 dogs) and Open Sheep (~62 dogs) while Lennon ran in Open Cattle, Nursery Cattle (~29 dogs), Open Sheep and Nursery Sheep (~29 dogs).

Both dogs had some good showings, though both of Lennon's nursery cattle runs were cowpocalypses (we didn't get our first obstacle by the 2 minute cutoff so the run ended). He is going to need some fine tuning over the next few days to be ready for the Denver National Stock Show next week as he started to look pretty rough around the edges by the end of his 8th run on day 2 (his honey badger dna coming through).

Overall here's the results for my crew from this past weekend:

--DAY 1--

OPEN CATTLE

Hendrix: 24/52
Lennon: 11/52

NURSERY CATTLE:
Lennon: RT

OPEN SHEEP:

Hendrix: 27/62
Lennon: 51/62

NURSERY SHEEP:

Lennon: 10/29

----------------------------------

--DAY 2--

OPEN CATTLE

Hendrix: 2/52
Lennon: 23/52

NURSERY CATTLE:

Lennon: RT

OPEN SHEEP:

Hendrix: 4/61
Lennon: 5/61

NURSERY SHEEP:

Lennon: Around 15th / 29 (his score might be missing but he was around there I think)

Thank you to DJ Anderson, his family and his whole crew for the job they always do putting on these world-class cattle dog trials, and to the the Wight's for adding the Sheep trial this year.

We'll be back in February!

02/01/2025

Shots from a great couple days of trialing under the Arizona sun at the 2024 Arizona National Livestock Show with Hendrix and Lennon.

Big thank you to Steve Carter https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=658142931 for taking these and many other incredible shots.

Visit his website at: https://www.scarter-photography.com/

28/12/2024

Lennon had a good 2024 Arizona National Livestock Show

Open Reserve Champion (cattle)
Nursery Reserve Champion (cattle)
Overall Champion (cattle & sheep combined)

He will be 2.5 years old tomorrow

23/12/2024

15 month old Blaze who has been trained by his dad from puppyhood.

He is out of western Canadian breeding and is his dad’s first stock dog.

He bites both ends and works sheep and cattle.

22/12/2024

Another big, blind and silent gather of three cattle for Lennon.

What I like about work like this is it can’t be faked or covered up with a ton of management by the handler.

What you see is what the dog knows how to do — including all the dozens of decisions it has to make on its own (about its outrun, its lift, its pace and its flanks) to go and find three cattle out of sight, put them together and march them straight and calm right back to you.

The work and training outs itself.

No hiding it, no mistaking it.

20/12/2024

Big blind outrun on three head for the Lennonator. His first time working in this field.

20/12/2024

Lifting some heavy ewes on hilly terrain with a draw to the left.

15/12/2024

He’s won money and buckles in big trials on sheep and cattle, but he’s never one to turn down the small time evening chores either. 🐓

14/12/2024

Heavy sheep in the snow.

Also, left the gate into the next field open just a hair so Lennon got a chance to have to solve that for himself.

Not the easiest 🤷🏻‍♂️

10/12/2024

Big steps on a foggy day for a handler I think will one day be a regular at the top of scoresheets.

This is young Willow (2 years old) and her mom Taia who are part of the future that this stock dog world will be built on down the road.

08/12/2024

This is Eva the mini-Aussie who just turned 2 and her mom Lynn.

They’ve made a believer out of me 🚀

07/12/2024

Our sheep are heavy normally, but then you add snow ❄️ Lennon will be 2 1/2 years old in a few weeks.

06/12/2024

The next generation of handlers deserves better.

From veterans.
From stockdog organizations and their directors.
From all of us.

Newer Handler's Deserve Better From the Sheepdog Community

03/12/2024

Hendrix is 7 years old now but handy as you could ask.

01/12/2024

Sometimes when it’s time to put the chickens away for the night you find them in all kinds of random places.

In those moments it comes in handy to have a stock dog that works whatever the job calls for.