National Cattle Dog Finals Conclude
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The National Cattle Dog finals wrapped up their championship event late Sunday afternoon at the Hoover Angus Farm, located in Shannon City, Iowa.
The event kicked off last Wednesday evening with a open handlers meeting followed by a welcome dinner sponsored by the Iowa Stock Dog Handlers Association. The event continued through the next four days with events that tested both the dogs and their handlers.
The handlers were responsible for directing their dogs to maneuver groups of cows through a series of complex obstacles using only their voices and a specific set of whistles and verbal instruction.
The basic commands include: Away, Come-by, Get back, In here, Look back, stand and steady.
The event showcased the intricate relationship of dog and handlers. Border collies, which made up the vast majority of the breeds present, came from all over the country to compete in this prestigious event. Their skills and eagerness was plain to see for all those in attendance.
The timed trials consisted of a number of groupings including the experienced dogs, or Open Round, as well as a grouping of the younger dogs called the Nursery Round.
Each dog and handler accumulate points throughout the competition eventually leading to crowning the winners in each category.
The winner in the Open 1 category was Tim Gifford with his dog, Cheetah posting a blazing time of 7:51 and 287 points.
The Open 2 category saw Bob Johnson and his dog Taz, score a time of 11:45 and 297 points.
