The Collie Club of America held its Eastern Regional Herding Tests and Trials in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania on September 14-15. It’s the twelfth year for the parent club’s annual marquee herding event, which includes the Herding Instinct Test, Herding Test, Pre-trial Test, and Started, Intermediate and Advanced trials with sheep and ducks.

Saturday's winning contender a Topper!

On Saturday, Karen Trimble was the judge for the Herding Instinct Test (sheep), Herding Test (sheep), Pre-trial Test (sheep), Started, Intermediate, and Advanced trials (sheep and ducks), A and B courses at the Eastern Herding Regional. She had an entry of 39 collies, which produced 33 qualifiers.

High In Trial came from the Course A classes in the form of CH Riverrun Galatean Wyndhams Top Contender, HSAsd and owner-handler, Michelle Shoemaker, with a score of 96 in the Started competition, featuring ducks. "Topper," a rough, sable and white male, also earned a first place finish in Intermediate A (sheep) and a second place in Started B (ducks)

Although Skydancer's Diamond In The Rough, "Gemma" pushed the competition and ended the day with Reserve High in Trial from the Course B, Started (ducks) class for owner-handler Sandy Getz with a score of 95, the best was yet to come for the rough, blue merle female in Sunday's competition.

The other first-place qualifiers from the Course A trials were Millknock-Kelso's Written In The Stars and owner-handler Sandy Getz, with a score of 92.5 in Started (sheep), Marchello's Captain Kid and owner-handler Mary Kimball, with a score of 92 in Intermediate (ducks), Ability's Time Traveler HIAs, HSBsd, HXAsd and owner-handler Christine Carilli, with a score of 86.5 in Advanced (sheep), and another winner owner-handled by Sandy Getz, HC Blu Ridge Justified, with a score of 92 in Advanced (ducks).

The other first-place qualifiers from the Course B trials were Ability's Time Traveler HIAs, HSBsd, HXAsd and owner-handler Christine Carilli, with a score of 89.5 in Started (sheep) and 92.5 in Intermediate (ducks), and HC Blu Ridge Justified and owner-handler Sandy Getz, with a score of 94 in Advanced (ducks).

An impressive eight out of nine collies entered in the Herding Instinct Test earned Qs. Those qualifiers were Special Eye On The Big Red Dog, CH Trumpeter's He Wears It Well, Avalon's When Stars Align, CH SugarNSpice It's Five O Clock Somewhere, Littleton's Pollyanna, Avalon's Treasure From Heaven, Chief Abenakis Pemigewasset River, and Whitemoor's Repeat Performance.

The Herding Test featured sheep and produced one qualifier as Mary Benedict's CH Long Acre Best Of Intentions proved worthy of the Q. The Pre-trial test also featured sheep for its one Q -- GCH Heatherfield Nine Bridges Blumatra.

Gemma, Vinnie and Raylan sparkle in talented Sunday field

Louis Thompson was the judge for all of Sunday’s activities at the Eastern Herding Regional. She had an entry of 38 collies, which produced 28 qualifiers.

This was a Sunday that Sandy Getz will not soon forget.

Her Skydancer's Diamond In The Rough turned Saturday's RHIT into High In Trial on Sunday, with a score of 95 on the Started B course, featuring ducks. "Gemma" also earned a third place with a score of 83 on the Advanced A (ducks) course.

Her Millknock-Kelso's Written In The Stars earned Reserve High In Trial with a score of 94 in Started A (sheep). "Vinnie" added a first place in Started A (ducks) with a score of 87 and second place in Started B (ducks) with a score of 94.

Capping off the Sunday festivities, her HC Blu Ridge Justified earned High Combined to take home the Collie Club of America Loving Cup. "Raylan" kept the livestock busy, taking third in Advanced A (sheep) with a score of 75.5, fourth in Advanced A (ducks) with a score of 81 and first in Advanced B (ducks) with a score of 91.

The balance of classes were won by two dogs: Ability's Time Traveler HIAs, HSBsd, HXAsd and owner-handler Christine Carilli, won Started B (sheep) with a score of 89, Intermediate B (ducks) with a score of 92.5 and Advanced A (ducks) with a score of 86.5, and Marchello's Captain Kid and owner-handler Mary Kimball, won Intermediate A (sheep) with a score of 76, Intermediate A (ducks) with a score of 91 and Advanced A (sheep) with a score of 88.5.

Judge Thompson awarded Qs to all eight collies entered in the Herding Instinct Test, featuring sheep: Avalon's Treasure From Heaven, CH SugarNSpice It's Five O Clock Somewhere,Chief Abenakis Pemigewasset River, Avalon's When Stars Align, CH Trumpeter's He Wears It Well, Special Eye On The Big Red Dog, Littleton's Pollyanna, and Whitemoor's Repeat Performance.

Mary Benedict's CH Long Acre Best Of Intentions made it two for two in Qs in Herding Tested (sheep), repeating as the sole qualifier on Sunday.

See all the results