NOMINATED JUDGES
SHEEP
Sharon Northrup: Nominated by Sharon Northrup
Bill Berhow: Bill has been a “big hat” for many years and is well known to the sport. He has judged many, many trials at the highest levels, and really hardly needs an introduction. Nominated by Albion Urdank
Gordon Watt: Gordon has been competing at sheepdog trials since he was in his early teens. He judged overseas from almost that time as well. He has competed at the highest level, winning the world trial in 2005 with York, and making it to the Supreme as well. His first year to compete at out finals in 2016, he was the reserve champion. Gordon immigrated to the United States seven years ago, and has supported trials while establishing a growing business to help handlers get the most from their dogs. Prior to immigrating, Gordon was brought to the North American to judge several prestigious trials like Portage, the Missouri championship, the Western Canadian’s Hilltop and overseas; ‘Deerplay championship, Longshaw, and others. He was supposed to judge Soldier Hollow until COVID hit. He will be a fair and consistent judge Nominated by Marilyn Terpstra
Kelvin Broad: Kelvin has been trialling for 17 years and represented New Zealand at the 2008 World Sheepdog Trials in Llandeilo, Wales, with his first dog, Blade.
Since that time Kelvin has represented Wales on 5 occasions..
– 2016: Kinloch Levi, Reserve Welsh National Champion. In their first International at Tywyn, he was 5th overall in qualification and went on to finish 7th in the Supreme.
– 2017: Kinloch Levi, Captained the Welsh team at the 2017 World Sheep Dog Trials in the Netherlands.
– 2019: Kinloch Cade represented Wales at the 2019 International in Scotland.
– 2021 Kinloch Levi at the International in Wales
– 2022 Kinloch Ciaran at the Internatioal in England
Kelvin is a regular judge in trials throughout Wales. He has judged many nursery and open trials.Internationally Kelvin has judged trials in Sweden and in the United States where he judged the Brenham Sheepdog trial, including two days of open trials, the nursery component and the Double gather final Nominated by Maci McGraw
Jennifer Clark-Ewers: Herding and working border collies have been a major part of my life for the past 28 years. During that time, I have gained respect throughout the US as a handler, judge and trainer. I have judged The Bluegrass Classic, The National Finals, Soldier Hollow, Kingston Trial, Zamora Hills, Tabletop trial, The Texas Finals and many other local smaller trials. My husband and I have a 90 acre training facility in Plainview Arkansas, where we run 50 head of rambouillet breeding ewes. I keep 9 dogs in my kennel. Most of which have come off my personal breeding line of dogs. I am well qualified and look forward to judging the National Final Nominated by Gail Hromadka
Neil McVicar: Benmore Home Farm has been in Neils family for well over 100 years + Where they raise 1200 Black face sheep, who are a perfect fit into this very rugged, hill terrain farm, and 200 + cross ewes. Beinn Mhor is the highest mountain on the Cowal peninsula west of loch Eck in Argyll and Bute,Scotland.Neil has qualified for the SCOTTISH NATIONAL TEAM 11 times. Five times placed in the top 10. Pipped at the post to take Second place in 2016. Qualified for the SUPREME seven times. Placed 15 x twice. 12th 8th, 4th , 3rd place. And the supreme accolade of winning in 20005, with Spot. Neil has judged many trials, throughout Scotland, over his career. Judging, both the Scottish National and International. Judging worldwide : Cape Town, Zimbabwe, Canada, Brussels, Norway, Italy , and Sweden in the Autumn. Nominated by Mich Ferraro
Werner Reitboeck: I am a semi-retired sheep farmer in the Winchester, Ontario area (about 50 km south of Ottawa). My reduced size flock of mostly North Country Cheviot crosses consists now of 35 ewes – just enough to train my dogs and offset some of the costs with lamb sales. In 1987 I started a part-time sheep operation, my flock stabilizing at about 160 ewes after a few years. The idea was that I would be able to look after our first child, born that year, and keep myself busy with some part-time work: sheep-farmer and office manager at a small medical clinic. Having spent much of my free time while growing up on my aunt’s mixed dairy farm I had some idea about farming but not with sheep. Managing sheep by myself was not as easy as I first thought, so I quickly enlisted some help in the form of a border collie (going back to Richard Tipton’s dogs and luckily for me a quite talented and natural pup). Two years later I watched my first sheepdog trial near here and entered the Novice class on the second day. Aside from Kip, my dog, trying to mount Amanda’s set out dog, Bart, everything seemed to go quite well and I was hooked. Since then I have competed quite successfully all over the NorthEastern States and Ontario, with some longer trips to Virginia and Michigan, and some of the Western Provinces of Canada. For the last 10+ years I have also judged most trials in this area at least once, including several double lift trials. Some of the bigger trials I judged include the NEBCA Fall Foliage, Western Canadian Championships, Old Chatham, Fetchgate, Sonoma, Shepherd’s Crook, Pipedream Farm, 7Up Ranch… Except for one dog, Jan, that I imported as a started dog at 14 months from Great Britain, I trained all of my dogs from puppyhood. At present I am running two six year olds in Open that are doing quite well and have a 7 months pup who is eager to show off in a few months. In 1992 my wife, Kate, and I hosted our first Nation Valley Sheepdog Trial which quickly grew to a very well know trial. We hosted this trial for the next 17 years on the weekend before Kingston. As Kingston needed more days we switched to an October date but unfortunately the weather did not cooperate as our field was flooded the first two years, when we decided that perhaps 17 years was enough. Nominated by Sue Schoen
Ed Hawkins: I am delighted to have had my name ‘thrown into the hat’ to be considered as one of the judges for the finals, should I be chosen this would be my second experience judging in Canada and a great honor! I have been training and trialling working sheepdogs for over 20 years now , last year being undoubtedly my best to date, qualifying to run in the international supreme championship, the final at the international, a major milestone in my career and a childhood dream! We have competed in national and international trials for several years now and in previous world trials, with this year’s world trial just around the corner, I’m looking forward to traveling to Ireland in September to have another crack! At home I farm around 400 ewes in the the East of England area of Suffolk, alongside which I train and sell dogs and offer handling tuition under the title of ‘Gipping valley sheepdogs ‘. This summer we also embark on launching a demonstration team which will help showcase our dogs and educate the public. I am very fortunate that these wonderful working dogs, that we all share our love for, have not only given me a lifelong hobby but have allowed me to develop a successful business doing what I love . Having not originated from a farming background at all, I feel even more passionate about promoting working sheepdogs in any way possible. I look for to meeting more like minded people on my travels.
Some of the trials that I’ve judged: Dutch open, twice, Including the final, 2 days in Canada, Berwyn qualifier north Wales, EASS trials many times, Mid shires opens. Husbands bosworth, Cropredy trial. Pennine interclub nursery championship. Nominated by Scott Glen
Peter Gonnet: Peter was raised on a farm in Alberta Canada where he grew up with border collies. Peter and his wife Pam recently retired from managing a large grazing reserve looking after 1350 cow calf pairs and have a flock of North Country Cheviots of their own. Peter got his first border collie 40 years ago to help him with his work , his dogs are used everyday as well as for trailing. He has won the Canadian championship and has been reserve CBCA champion, Western Canadian driving and WCC nursery champion, nine times SSDA open Champion, he has judged the USBCHA sheep dog finals Blue grass North Carolina state championships Ettrick kennels plus many more Nominated by Scott Glen
Peg Anderson: Peg lives and works on a sheep farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, Jim. She has been sharing her days with sheep and border collies for the last 21 years. Peg has been competing in sheepdog trials since 2003. She has participated in numerous USBCHA National Finals since 2007, finishing in the top 17 on two occasions. Peg has also represented the US at the World Sheepdog Trial in 2011 and 2014. Judging sheepdog trials in different areas of the country, spending those days focused on the sheep, the clever dogs, and their hardworking handlers has been an enjoyable and enriching experience. Peg has judged the USBCHA Finals, the Bluegrass, the Vashon Sheepdog Classic, along with many open trials around the country. Nominated by Mike Neary
Brendon Smith: Born and breed in Shetland Uk most northerly island. Brought up on his 4 generation family farm and spent alot of time with his Grandfather which is some of the best times in his life. Got his first dog at the age of 14 and has been training and selling dogs for the last 30 years. Got his own land at the age of 16 and has built up a good running hill farm from there buying 350 additional aces 2023. Where we run around 850 pure Shetland ewes and 150 cross Shetland Cheviot ewes. The cross ewes are breed with the Suffolk tup to give us a cracking commercial lamb to sell. started trialing 2017 and loved it from the start. Run in three Scottish National’s made the Scottish team 2021 with his bitch Lass. Came 13 in Scotland then went on to run in the international coming 6th and qualifying for the supreme.Judged both on Shetland and Scotland Nominated by Tierney Graham
Jamie Spring: Nominated by Thad Fleming
Milton Scott: Milt was 4th at our Nat’l Finals last year and has been training and trialing sheep and cow dogs since 1979. He is experienced judging double lift trials and has won more than 15. Milt has been Western Canadian Champion 3 times, has previously judged our finals, been Canadian Cow Dog champ twice. Additionally, he has won Calgary Stampede twice and won the Alberta Finals. Milt has spent his life working in agriculture. He has bred, raised and trained many successful Border Collies over the years. Nominated by Amelia Smith
Keith Preston: began trialing in 1975. He has represented England 6-times in the International as well as the World Trial. Keith also lived in Scotland for 5 years, and he represented Scotland during that time. Keith is an experienced judge. Besides numerous local trials, Keith judged the English National in 1998, the International in 2002, and the Continental Championships in 2018 Nominated by Marianna Schreeder
CATTLE
Rachel Ritland: Nominated by Wyatt Fleming
Ty Barrett: Ty Barrett is a University of Oklahoma alum and a history teacher/coach from Sapulpa, Oklahoma that has been around stock dogs his entire life. At 22 Ty qualified his nursery dog Kara for both the USBCHA sheep and cattle dog nationals. The next year he qualified and competed in both those events in Open with Kara. Ty has also competed in sheep and cattle trials all across the country in states such as Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee, Iowa, Virginia, and Maine. Ty has also been an integral part of the Oklahoma Stock Dog Association,serving as Vice-President since 2019. Ty was also the OSDA 2022 Hines Cup Recipient for Open handler of the year. Nominated by Justin Barrett
John Wentz: John has been around livestock for most of his life. He has raised cattle and sheep for decades and worked both with dogs. He has hosted cattle dog trials in the past and continues to host several sheepdog trials every year in addition to training sheepdogs and giving lessons to handlers. John has experience judging and would be a fair judge with a wealth of experience around livestock informing his judging. Nominated by Pearse Ward
Justin Barrett: Justin Barrett is a member of the Oklahoma Stock Dog Association and has served as president since 2019. He has been working dogs on sheep and cattle since he was young. He first competed with his dogs at the Tulsa State Fair trial at 12 years old. He has trialed throughout Texas, oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois. He works at a mixed animal veterinary hospital in Sapulpa. He and his wife have been raising small herd of sheep ever since they got married in 2016. Nominated by Ty Barrett
Mike Goracke: My wife, Stephanie, and I live in Brashear, Texas, where we raise, train and trial dogs for both the public and ourselves. I got into working dogs in 1989 after I took a job training horses in SE Oklahoma for Jack Holden. Jack trained a few dogs to help with his horse training operation. The first time I saw him use his dog, Slide, I was hooked. I bought my first trained dog in 1990 and attended my first cow dog trial in 1993. We used dogs to fetch and load roping cattle. After Stephanie decided that she wanted to trial, I followed a couple years later and have never looked backed. It’s a great honor to be nominated to judge the 2023 USBCHA cattle dog finals! Nominated by Marianna Schreeder