AN AUSSIE AT A BORDER COLLIE TRIAL IN DENMARK

A photo essay by Milene Hansen

These photos show our CHip (Herd.T.CHip ATDs OTDdc) competing with the top ten herding dogs in Denmark at a level one Border Collie trial. He was the only Aussie against twenty-five Border Collies. He came in sixth on Saturday (September 23rd 2006) and together with Sunday’s score he's now ranked ninth in The Danish Mastership!

He had a great outrun (thanks to Jan Wesen, Larry Painter, and to my BC trainers Helle Marcuslund and Collin Seabourne), nice lift and fetch, driving, some trouble with the straight lines and the long distance between the obstacles, but he managed the course. We didn't pen the sheep at the end, but we came in sixth and ninth.

About half of the Border Collies were disqualified for losing the sheep—heavy Texels who were not going near the handler—or they were chasing and trying to bite when the sheep ran on the crossdrive going for the big take pen.

We are so proud of him! CHip is bred by JJ Ranch in the Netherlands from Pincie Creek lines. He's just turned four years old, heading for level two in the Border Collie trials later this year. No problem with the 150 meters outrun and driving the course, but I have to learn to whistle if I go for level three (outrun over 300 meters) because he can’t hear my commands if the wind are blowing.