My First Herding Trial
by Tom Eldredge, age 6

On October 3, 1999, my sister, my Mom and I went to an ASCA duck trial. The trial was in Cambridge, New York put on by WASCUNY (Working Australian Shepherd Club of Upstate New York). It was a sunny day. I was nervous because it was my first time and I thought the ducks would trample me!

My sister Kate let me run her Pembroke Welsh corgi Flash in the Juniors Class. We were running Course A and I got a group of 5 Call Ducks. They were grey and white in color except one who looked like a miniature Mallard. They were cute little ducks.

Flash went into the take pen and got the ducks out. Flash and I herded the ducks through the first panel. It was not easy to get to the second panel. I had to have Flash lie down a bunch of times. I tried to use all the herding words - come by, away to me, etc. We tried to get the ducks in the pen in the middle, but time ran out. Then we repenned the ducks.

I called Flash with “That will do, come” and petted her. I was very lucky to be First place and High Scoring Junior. I won a rosette and a painted slate.

“Go out! That’ll do!”

(For Ranch Dog Trainer)