Friday – Sunday, May 23-25
Friday & Saturday trials: All breeds, Malinois preferred (until March 31)
Sunday’s trials: Malinois only
Caisson Farms, 10361 Heddings Road, Catlett, VA 20119
(Approximately 1 1/2 hours NE of Horizons Edge.)
Judges: Susan Sullivan & Julie Degan (photos and bios below)
Ms. Sullivan will judge all C Course Classes, Friday’s Instinct Test, all A Course Sheep & Duck Classes, and Sunday’s Trial 1 HT/PT. Ms. Degan will judge Saturday’s Instinct Test and Sunday’s Trial 2 HT/PT Tests.
Chairs: Rachel Fabrizi and Nina Perry
Scribes, Timers, & Runners Needed
Secretary: Rachael Toren, (443) 253-9404, www.clantyre.net
Herding Premium (includes Tracking) & “Online” Entry
Mailed entries to Rachael Toren, 2023 Wells Manor Avenue, Gwynn Oak, MD 21207
Opens: Friday, March 1, 2024 at 8:00AM Eastern
Closes: Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 12 Noon Eastern
Judging Program
Herding is a Most Versatile Malinois venue, and points are available from either Friday’s C Course Trial or Sunday’s A Course Trial 1. Make sure to indicate either Herding – C Course or Herding – A Course on the MVM Entry Form. Dogs must earn points in at least three of the five venues to be eligible for the Most Versatile Malinois Award. Only the single highest number of points resulting from one class within a venue is counted for that venue’s points. The five venues are I: Conformation/Sweepstakes; II. Herding; III. Obedience/Rally; IV: Tracking/Scent Work; and V. Agility/Preferred Agility.
Limited Entry
Entries are taken in the order received. No priority is given to any one type of entry over another.
• Course C – Limited to 8 runs per day
• Herding Instinct Test (Boundary) – Limited to 10 runs per day
• Course A Sheep/HT/PT – Limited to 15 runs per trial
• Course A Ducks – Limited to 10 runs per trial
Specialty Preference
For Friday and Saturday trials, entries will be accepted for Belgian Malinois only from March 1-31, then accept entries from all other breeds until the entry limit specified is reached (in the order they are received). All entries may be sent to arrive on March 1. Sunday’s trials are Malinois only.
Friday and Saturday:
C Course Sheep & Boundary-Style Instinct Test
All breed, Malinois preferred (until March 31)
See limited entry information above.
Sunday:
Two A Course trials, both with Ducks and Sheep, along with HT and PT Tests
Malinois Only
See limited entry information above.
Accommodations
Hampton Inn Warrenton
501 Blackwell Road
Warrenton, VA 20186
(540) 349-4200
Red Roof Inn Warrenton
6 Broadview Avenue
Warrenton, VA 20186
(887) 843-7663
RVs: There is no RV parking, not even day parking, at the herding venue.
Susan Sullivan started exhibiting German Shepherd dogs in breed and obedience successfully. In 1989 she sold a puppy to Carol Weigand as a herding prospect and Bear became the first AKC herding trial champion by competing on C course. This relationship sparked Susan’s life long passion for tending. She finished her first German Shepherd Dog’s herding championship in 1995. She has since finished 6 more AKC Herding including 3 Dual champions as well as several others to advanced titles. In 1997 Susan competed in the first German Tending Trial in this country, winning first and second place as well as best dog handler. She has also owned sheep and maintained a trial facility for 25 years using her German Shepherd Dogs exclusively for managing the livestock.
While Susan competes with German Shepherd Dogs, many of her students have different tending breeds and she has extensive experience with the unique working and training differences within and across breeds. She focuses on teaching tending skills to her students to help them develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of their dogs and improve the relationship they have with their dogs, the stock, and themselves.
Susan has judged all AKC courses since 2001, and has served on past AKC Herding Advisory Committees. She also competes in AKC conformation, obedience, rally, agility, and tracking with her dogs. Her day job is teaching elementary school students as a math specialist.
Julie Degen has been herding since 1989, her first herding dog did a demo at one of the first AKC herding seminars in November 1989. Since then, Julie has trained and titled dogs of many different breeds to Advanced titles on all four AKC courses, with many High in Trials from all courses and on all types of stock. She has finished AKC Herding Champion titles on 13 dogs (5 different breeds), earning championship points on all 4 courses, all livestock. Julie is an AKC herding judge and has also competed in the HGH, ASCA and USBCHA trials. Besides herding, Julie has been involved in many dog sports over the years but is currently an active competitor in agility, conformation, dock diving, obedience, rally, scentwork and tracking. After moving around the world courtesy of 30 years in the US Army, Julie and her husband EJ settled in northern Virginia on a small farm where they have sheep, ducks, chickens, horses, potbelly pigs, cats, a parrot, German Shepherds, Border Collies, and a token Papillon who rules the farm.