One of the annual competitions held at the Grain Millers Harvest Showdown is the stock dog competition. The working dogs and their handlers demonstrate the working relationship between a dog, his handler and livestock on a farm or ranch.
This year's winner Steven Rosebold, has been working stock dogs about five years. His dog at the event was Whip, a young dog Rosebold trained himself. The competition was the young dog's first, says his proud handler. Rosebold runs a ranch and a feedlot so the dog works everyday.
One of the stock dog competition organizers Angus Patterson, who competed with his dog Chloe, says he is part of a group of handlers who run the event.
Patterson has been working with dogs for over 20 years. He isn't in the business of raising pups but he has trained several working dogs.
Since he no longer has cattle at home anymore, Patterson devotes his time to his current hobby of training stock dogs.
The competition itself is a timed event during which a handler and dog take livestock, sheep this year, through several obstacles and into a pen before time runs out, Patterson explains. "It's points over time if you get all your obstacles," he says.
The sheep this year proved to be a challenge, but the competition showed some very good dog handling, Patterson suggests. "It showed which dogs could handle the tougher sheep, so it was a good trial," he adds.
It was also nice to see competitors from a wide area including western Canada as well as South Dakota and Wyoming, Patterson says. "It was a good trial," he closes.
