THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 13, 1995 TAG: 9510110167
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER C. O'DONNELL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Border collies from as far away as New Jersey and Pennsylvania will compete in Chesapeake this weekend at the Tidewater Classic Sheep Dog Trial at Gum Tree Farm. The trial is the first of its kind in Chesapeake and will pit some 60 dogs and their handlers against each other in competition.
Tom Lacy, one of the trial's organizers, said spectators shouldn't confuse a dog trial with a dog show.
``In a trial, the dog works,'' he said. ``He's not being evaluated on the color of his fur but on how well he and the handler maneuver the sheep.''
The judge for this year's competition is Jim Varnon, a 1981 national champion and author of the book ``Because of Eve,'' a tribute to his family's first border collie. Varnon will evaluate the performance of each dog and deduct points for anything short of a perfect run.
Points are deducted should a dog bark while moving the sheep or upset the flock during the course of the run. Dogs can also be disqualified for failing to complete the run in the allotted time or by biting a sheep when unprovoked.
``We want the dog to work in a very professional manner,'' said Varnon.
The courses will vary according to the level of difficulty, but basically the runs will go like this: Three to four sheep will be placed at one end of a field while the dog handler commands the dog at the other end. The border collie will sit between the two and once the command is given, the dog will arch around the sheep and come up from behind them, maneuvering the flock through a series of gates and finally into a holding pen.
``Sheep aren't as easy to intimidate as you would think. They have minds of their own,'' said Lacy.
Once in the pen, the collies will be asked to separate one or two sheep from the flock.
``Separating sheep is a task the collies would have to perform under normal working conditions,'' Varnon said. ``Sometimes a sheep will need medical attention and must be separated from the flock to be treated. But the flock mentality makes it difficult for the dog. It's a real challenge. They don't want to be isolated.''
Lacy added that the collies take only voice commands or whistle commands from their handlers.
``Hand signals wouldn't work because the dogs won't take their eyes off the flock. It's called `hypnotic eye' and that's how they get their message across to the sheep,'' he said.
The dogs and their handlers will compete in four classes from novice to advanced depending on the dog and the handler's experience.
The border collie originated in the borderlands of England and Scotland and are the descendants of the Arctic Wolf, said Lacy.
The sheep dog trial is part of the fall open house at Gum Tree Farm. Robin and Tom Freeman, owners of the farm, decided to organize the trial because of their work with their own border collies.
The open house will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Weekend events include demonstrations on sheep shearing, weaving and spinning, basket weaving and candle making. Other activities include hay rides, dulcimer music and a petting zoo with sheep, donkeys, horses, cows, goats, pigs and ducks. Home-baked foods and refreshments will benefit the Chesapeake Public School Nurses Association Scholarship.
Admission to the open house is free but spectators will have to pay $2 per adult to watch the Tidewater Classic Sheep Dog Trial. All proceeds from the trial will benefit Equi-Kids, a therapeutic riding program for children with disabilities.
Gum Tree Farm is located at 1900 Pocaty Road. Call 421-9700 for more information. by CNB