Total Course Time: HRD I & HRDII, 25 min, HRDIII, 30 minutes
Throughout the course, the emphasis should be on smooth, calm, practical work. The sheep should move steadily and quietly, without rushing, lagging or weaving. Unless restricted in the course description, the handler may assume any position. Gates are to be negotiated in as effortless a manner as possible, limiting stock from charging through them or pushing against them. Great emphasis should be placed on the dog maintaining contact with and control over stock throughout the course. Handlers who allow stock to fade out of the dog’s control by, say, holding the dog back as the stock move to the next gate, will not receive as high a score as handlers who allow their dog to remain in contact with the stock. Unless otherwise noted, all gates should be closed after stock are moved through them. Eight sheep will be used in each run.
Exercise |
Dimensions and Construction |
Begins / Ends |
Points |
||
|
1 |
Take Pen
|
Holding pens are 8 x 8. Fencing: solid wood. Alleyway is solid wood across from pens and cattle panels in all other areas. Alleyway is 10 foot wide across from hold pens, and 18 foot wide south of holding pens. There will be stock in pens. |
Begins when Hold Pen Gate is opened. Ends when stock have been moved through Gate 1 and Gate is shut. |
10 |
|
|
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Handler and dog enter Alley Gate. Stock are taken from one of the five hold pens (A-E), designated by the judge. Stock will probably exit the hold pen without assistance from the dog, so positioning the dog to cover stock after they exit hold pen is advisable. Move stock to and through Gate 1. LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: HRD I: Dog may be kept on leash until arriving at hold pen area. Handler may enter pen and assist dog. HRD II: Dog must be taken off lead immediately inside Alley Gate. Handler may step inside hold pen gate, but may not further assist dog in gathering sheep. HRD III: Dog must be taken off lead immediately inside Gate S. Handler is to remain outside of pen. |
|||||
|
2 |
Hold & Mark (ribbon) |
Pen #1 is 50’x50’. Fencing is 54’ cattle panels, east side of pen #1 is solid wood. Bucket with surveyor tape ribbons will be located near Gate 2. |
Begins when Gate #1 is closed. Ends when stock, dog & handler exit gate #3. |
15 |
|
|
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Move stock to Gate 2. Survey Tape ribbons will be found in bucket near Gate 2. Attach ribbon(s) around sheep’s neck(s). Handler and dog move through Gate 2 and close gate, leaving sheep in Pen 1, momentarily. Handler opens Gate 2 and sends dog into pen to gather stock and move them quietly through Gate 2. Move sheep to and through Gate 3. LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: HRD I: Handler to attach a ribbon on one sheep while dog holds stock calmly. Handler may re-enter Pen 2 to assist in gather. HRD II: Handler to attach ribbons on two sheep while dog holds stock calmly. Handler may re-renter Pen 2 to help in gather, but must remain at gate. HRD III: Handler to attach ribbons on three sheep while dog holds stock calmly. |
|||||
|
3 |
Gate sortHRD III ONLY |
Pen 1 is previously described.
|
Begins after third ribbon has been placed on sheep. Ends when stock, dog & handler exit gate #3. |
10 |
|
|
Gate sort the three marked head of stock into Pen 2. Dog and handler move into Pen 2, dog is not to rile either group of stock. Close gate. Open Gate and send dog to gather stock remaining in Pen 1. Handler may not re-enter Pen 2. Move stock to and through Gate 3. |
|||||
|
4 |
Drive to Graze, Call-Off |
Middle is 200x300’, HT woven wire and cattle panel fencing. The graze zone is comprised of the northwest corner of the middle field and will be marked with signs on the fence (75 feet x 125 feet). |
Begins when Gate#3 is closed. Ends when stock, handler and dog have moved to handler’s post. |
10 |
|
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Move stock north into graze zone. Call off dog. Dog and handler to move to the handler’s post. LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: HRDI: Dog fetch/wears or drives throughout. HRD II: Dog fetches/wears or drives up to HRDII handler’s marker. Handler may not pass north of the marker. Dog drives the stock into the graze area, is called off and handler and dog move to HRDII handler’s post. HRD III: Handler remains at Gate # 3 while dog drives stock into graze area. Once stock have past the HRDII handler’s marker, the handler may begin walking eastwards toward the handler’s post while dog continues to drive stock into the graze. Once stock are in the graze, the dog is called off and dog and handler meet at the HRDIII handler’s post. |
|
5 |
Gather |
Middle field is previously described. HTAD field is 100x200 woven wire and cattle panel fencing. |
Begins when dog is sent on the gather. Ends when Handler, dog and stock exit Gate #5. |
15 |
|
|
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Dog is sent either direction to gather stock. Following outrun, lift and fetch up to the handler, stock are moved to and through Gate 4, then through HTAD field along southern fence, to and through Gate 5. Prior to gather, sheep may move position within the graze, but they must be in the graze zone when dog is sent (resetting stock to achieve this may be required. If dog/handler did not cause the stock to shift, no points will be taken for resetting stock). Once the dog is sent, the lift is to be judged at the point of pick-up, regardless of whether the stock have drifted from their original position. LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: HRDI: Dog is left at the HRD I post. Handler may move to within 15 feet of stock before sending dog to gather stock. Dog may fetch/wear or drive to gate 4. HRDII: Dog is left at the HRD II/III post. Handler may move ½ the distance to the stock before sending dog to gather stock. Dog may fetch/wear or drive to gate 4. HRDIII: Handler and dog remain at HRD II/III post. Dog may fetch/wear or drive to Gate 4. |
|||||
|
6 |
Panel Obstacles & HRD III Hold |
Sham’s Paddock is a 4 acre field made of HT woven wire. Drive panels (8-10 foot wide set 12 foot apart) are positioned about 40 feet northeast of Gate #6. |
Begins when gate #5 is closed. Ends when Handler, dog and stock have moved through Gate #6 |
10 |
|
|
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Move stock from Gate #5 southeast to and through Drive Panels. Move stock to and through Gate 6. LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: HRDI: Dog may fetch/wear or drive throughout exercise. Handler may not walk through the panels. HRDII: Handler may walk anywhere along western fence-line while dog drives stock to and through panels. Handler must remain within 5 feet of fence. HRDIII: Handler remains at Gate 5 while dog drives stock to and through panels, then to gate 6. Once stock move through panels, handler may begin to move towards Gate 6. Dog is to HOLD stock near Gate 6 until handler arrives. |
|||||
|
7 |
Chutes |
Arena One is 100x200 HT woven wire. Z chute is centered on the eastern fence. Center chute is 1/3 distance from western fence line. |
Begins when Gate #6 is closed. Ends when Gate 7 is closed. |
10 |
|
|
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Move stock from Gate 6 to and through Z chute. Turn stock westward to and through the center chute (from north to south). Move stock diagonally towards Gate 7. Put stock through Gate 7. LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: HRD I: Handler may assume any position, dog can fetch / wear or drive. Handler may not enter obstacles. HRD II: Handler may walk up to but may not pass the entrance of the Z chute. The stock must be driven through the Z chute. Once stock have exited the Z Chute, the handler may assume any position and the dog may fetch / wear or drive. Handler may not enter any obstacles. HRD III: Handler must remain at Gate 6 while the dog drives sheep to and through the Z Chute. There after, the handler may assume any position. |
|||||
|
8 |
Sorting / Ribbon Pull |
Pen 3 is 50x50. Fencing is 54” cattle panels. There is a bucket for spent ribbons near Gate 4. |
Begins when Gate #7 is closed. Ends when final ribbon is placed in bucket. |
10 |
|
|
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Move stock to and through Gate 8 into Pen 3. Gather stock near Gate and remove ribbons that were attached in exercise 2. Place ribbons in bucket. Do not manhandle stock. LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: HRDI: Handler may assume any position. The dog should hold sheep calmly while the handler removes the 1 ribbon. HRDII: Handler may assume any position. The dog should hold sheep calmly while the handler removes the 2 ribbons. HRDIII: Handler may assume any position. The dog should hold sheep calmly while the handler removes the 3 ribbons. |
|||||
|
9 |
RePen |
Pens previously described.
|
Begins when ribbon is placed in bucket. Ends when hold pen gate is closed. |
10 |
|
|
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Gather stock from Pen 3 and move back to and put into the original Holding Pen from which stock were initially taken. LEVEL REQUIREMENTS: HRD I, II, III: Handler may assume any position. |
|||||
Ties within classes will be broken on: 1st, highest score on Exercise 5 “Gather”, 2nd, highest score on Exercise 2 “Hold, Mark, Sort”, 3rd, best time.
All dimensions are approximate. All gates are 8 or 10 foot wide, steel tube construction. The land is primarily flat and grass covered. Alleyway where stock pens are located is gravel covered.