Cow dog trials

[WAARHEID]

Anyone with experience judging or writing rules for cow-dog trials?

[Rockin-P-Ranch]

I would like to think that I was a pretty good judge of a good cowdog.But as far as being a set of rules I dont know.But I assume there could be a set of rules writen up for competion.    Give me a pm would like to help on this!!!!

[grittydog]

WAARHEID,
Look at the post below. Maybe one of those guys can help you out.JT

http://www.easttexashogdoggers.com/forum/index.php?topic=9497.msg90917#msg90917

[Rockin-P-Ranch]

Went and looked at the tread.But it seems to me like a pretty long drive.I think he was asking if there might be able to have somthing like it here in Texas.Some where in the middle of the state.Where it may be a little easyer to get to.I think!

[lonewolf]

What kind of trial are you talking about?

[Rockin-P-Ranch]

Working cowdogs trails I assume that is what he was asking about or about the judgeing and rules for one?

[skoalbandett]

I know of nothing being held in Texas like the one mentioned in the other post.. That trial was for Cur dogs,, head and lead dogs. I think that was the 27th annual trial for these type of dogs. Far as I am concerned the best of the best are there, it is an event to show  real working dogs that work like a cur dog is suppose to work.
Contact Dr. Charles Long, He may be of some  help to you. I know he had judged some events over the years at different places and usually makes it every year to the trials at Smithville. 
Charles Long, Ph.D.
Professor & Resident Director, Animal Breeding & Genetics
Overton, Texas
http://animalscience.tamu.edu/facultystaff/faculty/long.htm


Bo Nutting from just outside Dallasas judged Saturday at the event in smithville this year, he may be another contact for you.

[Tusk Hog]

   Contact Phil Phillips in Mena, Arkansas. His e-mail is philphillips39@peoplepc.com. He raises and trains lots of cowdogs, and is also active in cowdog trails. I'd bet he will give you lots of help. He also has an ad on baydogonline. I purchased a really nice cowdog from him a few years back. It was certainly worth the drive I made.

[Wmwendler]

I like the idea of that one in OK.  Two dogs and 5 head of cattle

One of these days I am gonna have a Stock dog Trial on our Place North of Caldwell.  It will be two events cow penning and hog penning.  I'm thinking the the cow penning will be the first event and top 25% advances to the Hog penning.

On our place We have two big square open blocks in the front of the place each is 50 acres which will be used for the cow penning.  The course will use both blocks with two mock gates to drive through in each block and ofcourse the gate between the blocks, and the gate entering the lot (6 total gates).  This will be a timed event with the time starting when the first cow is driven through the first gate, or after 1 (or so) minute, which ever comes first.  During that initial cushion of one or so minutes the contestant can choose to settle his cattle for up to 5 minutes which will not count against his time.  To be settled, the cattle must be stationary, meaning they cannot drift farther than a set distance.  Time will start again if cattle drift farther than said distance or contestant signals he is thorugh settling his cattle.  All cattle and horse/rider must pass through each gate,  dogs to not have to pass through the gate.  ie they can go around or under the fence next to it.  The third gate which will be the gate  between the two pastures.  At this gate time will be paused for 1 min (or so) after the last cow passes through the gate. During that time the Horse/Riders cannot pass through the gate untill the 1 min is up and dogs must control the cattle on thier own with only verbal commands/help from the contestants.  After that the cattle must be driven down the fence line arund a post then through the two remaining gates and into the lot.  Time stops when the last cows tail head passed through the lot gate.  The course will cover a good bit of 100 acres.

Dogs will be judged on control of the cattle with no penalties or preference for being soft or hard on the cattle with the exception of being hard at an inappropriate time.... ie when cattle are allready doing right(this will be a penalty)

Other penalties:
    Taking attention away from cattle for more than a moment.  This is not a lookout like in a hog baying but rather things like urine marking or crapping or obvious innatention to the cattle.
    Not turning a break away cow back to the group after 45 seconds or so, or rider having to help turn the cow back.  However In this instance if the cow is not being turned by the dogs after 45 second and the rider goes to hep bring her back it will only count as one penalty.
    There is a good probabilty of other penalties yet to be determined

A penalty will add time of some ammount.  Fastest time wins.   Dogs will be judged the whole time.  Penalties will apply even when cattle are being settled and the third gate pause.  Dogs must be working cattle from turn out(of dogs) untill the end.  WITH the exception of a pre determined space before each gate.  This is because allot of guys call thier dogs off the cattle while manuvering gates, which makes it easier to drive them through expecially when talking about the lot gate.

Hopefully I can get this going in the next 5 years.  I Have to work on a hog pasture first and figure out how to get some wild hogs that will drive decent.

Waylon

[richardl]

call jimbo dunnigan in nome, texas he use to have kelpie cow dog trails when i was working on a ranch over there.

[Rockin-P-Ranch]

Sounds like a dang good idea to me.I know of some people that would love to go to something like that.And it is not that far at all. If you would like some help. pm me

[WAARHEID]

Thanks guys, give me a day or two to follow-up on each message privately... but I will do it.

I can't say too much publicly at this point, but to answer a few of the questions that have come up so far: I am on a field trial committee that is formulating rules/regs and judging guidelines for a field trial system that would be open to at least four breeds of cur dogs. The trial system will include hunting trials, as well as wagon work and stock work. We've got a pretty good handle on the hunting part of the trials, but we're pretty thin on cow dog experience (I think I'm the only one on the committee that's actually worked my dogs on cows, and I've only done a little a bit) so it is important to get some outside expert feedback for that portion of the trial system.

As it's currently drafted, the stock work portion has two parts, a 2 head qualifier (basically an instinct test for green dogs) and a 5 head trial (for experienced dogs to compete for title points).

To answer the other question, yes... they trials will be held in different parts of the country, but I would expect that there would be at least two stock qualifiers/trials per year in Texas alone.

If anyone else can knows of any other experts in that field, please let me know and I'll contact them.

Also anyone that regularly runs their dog(s) along with a (horse, pony or mule drawn) wagon or carriage, drop me a PM as well.

Again, thanks for all the help fellas.

[WAARHEID]

   Contact Phil Phillips in Mena, Arkansas. His e-mail is philphillips39@peoplepc.com. He raises and trains lots of cowdogs, and is also active in cowdog trails. I'd bet he will give you lots of help. He also has an ad on baydogonline. I purchased a really nice cowdog from him a few years back. It was certainly worth the drive I made.

I tried the email address you gave and it bounced. Is there a better contact info for Mr Phillips?

[Tusk Hog]

   Go to baydogonline.com, look in the section marked Several Dogs in Ad. All of Mr. Phillips info is listed there.