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Letter from the President and Vice President
(March 2009)
Dear Members:
We had our first board meeting for the New Year which produced several exciting events and ideas. In response to membership comments pertaining to training activates we have been successful in securing several clinicians to hold different training clinics for various levels of dogs and their handlers.
Billy Pickel will be holding an Arena Clinic for Novice and Pro Novice Handlers. This clinic is specifically designed to assist the handler in recognizing and developing tactics for dealing with the added pressure of a smaller working environment. Due to illness the previous clinic date is to be rescheduled. Watch the web site for the new date.
Keith Fassbender Driving Clinic. April 18th and possibly the 19th if interest warrants. This clinic is designed for those handlers and dogs that are getting ready to move up to pro-novice or for pro novice handlers wanting to gain some insight into the art of driving.
Mark Henderson Set Out Clinic & Novice Trial. This will be an exciting addition to the above clinics. Mark will instruct handlers in the proper way to set out livestock at a trial or practice event. After the clinic he will host a novice only trial. The date for this event is to be determined
Beverly Lambert International Shedding Clinic. Tuesday May 26th at the Colorado Horse Park. We are especially excited about this presentation as it is the first time Beverly Lambert has held a clinic in our area. This clinic is specifically targeted for open handlers and their dogs.
Jack Knox Three Day Sheep Dog Camp. MTH Farms in Franktown. Handlers will be segregated into their specific levels of expertise and will be given instruction on becoming more proficient at that level and the next upper level. This is geared to moving the novice handlers up to pro-novice and the pro-novice handlers into the open category. Open handlers will be given proficiency guidance in becoming a better open handler and dog team. All attendees will be required to be there with the same dog for all three days. June 19, 20 and 21.
Faansie Basson Three Day Sheep Dog Camp in beautiful Steamboat Springs. This camp will be very different from the June Sheep Dog Camp in that it will focus on actual hands on livestock ranch work. Attendees will be engaged in the actual movement of 200 range ewes through pens, chutes and open pastures enhancing each person’s ability to learn about livestock and how they react to both the handler and the dogs. August 22, 23 and 24.
The Stockdog Journal now offers MPBCA Members a discount along with Quick Feeds in Franktown. We will continue to talk to different suppliers to encourage them to offer discounts to our membership. If there is a particular supplier you would like us to contact please e-mail their contact information to Debbie at mthsheep@msn.com.
The board is currently working on updating the By-Laws and developing a set of guidelines for MPBCA approved trials. The purpose of these guidelines is to help organizers in the management of their trials and to help handlers know which dogs and handlers can enter which divisions. We want to thank everyone who previously took the time to answer questions regarding these guidelines. We want all of the association members to know that we value everyone’s input.
Trial season is at hand and we would like to encourage all members to contact organizers and offer their services as volunteers. It takes months of work to put on a trial and everyone’s help is greatly needed. As a novice handler you can learn a lot by volunteering your time and watching other handlers and their dogs.
We would also ask that all trial organizers offer a discount on their entries to MPBCA members. Some of the organizers are already doing this proving there is value in your membership.
In the future watch for these letters on a quarterly basis, we encourage everyone to contact either of us with any questions or ideas.
Happy Trialing
Deb Terry President
Victoria Long Vice President
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