March 2009 Class Newsletter

Has our weather patterns changed? There is a theory out there that we have started to enter another new mild ice age. I was driven to find out some facts. Why? Because I raise animals and what nature does dictates everything having to do with them; availability of food to mating and how many lambs survive.

Have they been arguing about nothing(?) or about a specific region's climate change(?) that has been recorded many times since our planet was formed and has continued since mankind has been on the planet. Mankind has always wanted to be in control of the weather; some now believe we are. Not me.

 I couldn't help but see that there has been no notable records set since 1998 (hot) and cold (1966). What happened in the 2000's? We where told that the North Pole ice pack was disappearing at an alarming rate. February 25,2009  it was discovered that something called data fatigue had under reported the ice pack by an amount equal to the size of the state of California.<oops!)

ASCA ...Other Breed Trialers!

 In order to have ASCA qualifying legs tracked and to receive ASCA titling certificates, each non-ASCA registered dog will be required to have an ASCA Tracking Number. This is a one-time fee of $10/dog. At the time of applying for the tracking number, the individual owner must also be an ASCA member 
(click to see http://www.asca.org/News/index.htm) . 

Ways you can assist :

Get lights,  hold a sheep while it is being sheared, trim their hoofs, put up a course up or taking it down, put out the sheep feed and water in their pen. Panel Day, Pen Day. Do not miss the opportunity to learn about the care of the animals you are  herding. Without your help class often is delayed; at least don't complain about the waiting.  Well you get the picture; there is a lot more to herding than just working your dog.

At an ASCA trial in Tulare, California on May 5th and 6th ,1990 Stewart's Easy Storm (AKC D410122) UD, PC, HTD-II,  ATD- s,d. OTD-c, earned his Advanced Cattle title (ATD-c) along with High Combined Trials Cattle awards, thus completing the requirements for  ASCA's Working Trial Championship,which was signed February 20, 1991 and delivered a few days later.

Besides confirming that he was the first Shetland Sheepdog to earn this coveted title I was shocked to find that no other AKC registered dog had accomplished this task in the history of their herding program!

He was also the first WTCH to earn AHBA's HTD-III.   I link to this story  here. (After reading about it from my own words you may wish to watch it. If so click here.) Again he distinguished himself, by becoming the first UD titled dog to earn AKC's HX.

If you're a Star Trek fan you know the words "going where no one has gone before". ( At that time, I had no idea that journey would lead to where it had.)