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Where dogs chase cattle Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming From Bonanza, Shane Harley�s border collie, Willie, herds cattle through an obstacle course during Sunday cow dog trials at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Medford. Willie competed with other dogs, earning 106 points out of a possible 116 on this trial. Border collies bark out orders at Fairgrounds By Jessica Smith Racing down the arena toward three cattle, the little black border collie stops short. Slowly, silently, Trapper creeps up behind the cattle. One of the brown beasts strolls toward the center of the arena, the other cattle following closely behind. Listening for the short blasts from his handler�s whistle, Trapper works the cattle around the arena. Within four minutes, he�s herded the animals through four of the five obstacles in the course. After a few near-misses, he ushers them into a pen at the south end of the arena. Perfect. One of about 30 dogs who competed Friday and Saturday in the first Southern Oregon Cow Dog Challenge, Trapper�s five-minute run in the final trial shows the audience just what a good cow dog can do. "It looks simple in the doing," said Eileen McKay, who�s judging the trial. "But it gets quite complex. There are three species out there. When you get that kind of mix, anything can happen." One handler throws her hands up when her collie has trouble moving the cattle out of a corner in the north end of the Islom Arena at the Jackson County Fairgrounds. A brown bull tests another collie by staring the dog in the eye before moseying away from one of the obstacles. All the dogs and their handlers are trying to nab points to help them in the U.S. Border Collie Handlers Association�s rating. Collies, Australian shepherds and kelpies are the most common breeds of cow dogs. The handlers� association holds competitions to give dogs and their owners a chance to show off their skills. The dogs are judged on speed, how they work the cattle around the arena and how many animals they can steer through a given obstacle. Tim Wheeler, from British Columbia, won $85 when his collie, Bill, successfully herded a pair of ducks through the obstacles in the Intergalactic Duck Dog Challenge. "We compete to win," says Wheeler. "God gave me a good critter and it worked out." Though the cash prizes are nice, that�s not why most handlers start competing, says Mike Canaday, president of the handlers association. The largest cash prize, given to the national champion, is about $1,000. "We do it because it�s a lot of fun," says Canaday, of Coalinga, Calif. His collie, May, is ranked fifth in the association�s western division. "No one gets rich at it. If you break even, you think you�ve done real good." Reach reporter Jessica Smith at 776-4481, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.