|
The
Lone Star Cattle Dog Futurity has come to a close again this year.
Many thanks to those behind the panels, who helped turn cattle
out for every run. They were great, always on the ready. To those
that were helping exhaust cattle, set up panels, sort and feed, and
to those doing the book work, leg work and announcing.
It
was a busy weekend, full of visiting, setting up panels, measuring,
and trying to think like a cow, a dog, and a handler, all at the
same time. The first day needs to be fairly
simple, not too many obstacles, trying not to set anything up along
the fences, so it won't become a driving contest, and setting things
just wide enough out in the middle where it won't turn into a
professional handlers contest. The second day we try to tighten
things up a bit, keeping in mind these are young dogs with only a
foggy idea of what is expected of them. The finals course is the
show case and should be tougher. These dogs are supposed to be
cattle dogs aren't they?
Once
again the Futurity served as a proving ground, showing all the
breeders (with an open mind) where their program needs improving and
rewarding them when the dogs they bred showed the world their strong
points, whether they were in the finals or not. In the years to come
the Futurity should serve as a landmark and leader In new testing innovations,
in different thinking when setting up trial courses for cattle dogs,
in helping people pull together to produce whole litters of dogs that people working cattle can use, in encouraging breeders to
put aside prejudices as to breed or bloodline and just think Cattle
Dog. Whether you are a cattle dog breeder or a breed fancier, IT'S
THE WAY TO GO.
|
