Welcome Claudia Dickerson

At the Board Meeting on April 20, six new members were approved. Since we don't get together as a club other than around trials, we will be "introducing" new members over the next month.

In the photo at left, Anna is doing the turn around the handler's cone in one of her HXA runs. Anna has her HXAsd and was about halfway to her HC before Claudia and Anna took a herding hiatus in the process of moving from Nashville to Ariel, WA. Since her first PNW Herding Club trial did not offer advanced A course, Claudia and Anna became C course converts. C course is not available in the Southeast.  Claudia reports that it has been a lot of fun to learn the new skills needed for this style of herding. Once Anna is solid on her C course skillset, they'll probably start working A again in addition, and try to spiff her back up to a competitive level.

Claudia has been in dogs in general and herding in particular since getting her first Belgian, a Belgian Sheepdog, over 20 years ago (yikes, that feels old!). Karma never got any herding titles, because life got in the way of training until she was 12, but at that point Claudia got sheep, and she had the time of her life. Her next two Belgian Sheepdogs were JD (who came at 7 years old as a retired special, and who eventually got his HSAs with a HIT at the nationals) and his daughter Timex (who came at a year old and who is of the sheep-eating persuasion, as was my GSD). Claudia put a started title on a friend's Belgian while she was waiting for Anna to grow up.

Anna also has her CDX and is getting ready for utility, her TD and is getting ready for her TDX, and her MX and MXJ but is retired from agility since she would have been 107 before getting a MACH at the rate she was going. Her most important title is CSP (chief snuggle puppy).