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SACRAMENTO, Calif.
— Among hills reminiscent of the English countryside,
the Slaven family has raised sheep in rural
Yolo County, Calif.
, for four generations.
It's a
dying calling: Today, there are about 5.8 million sheep
in the U.S., according to the
American Sheep Industry Association
. That's down from a peak of 56 million in the 1940s.
Yet a
relic from the industry — sheepherding — is growing
in popularity as a sport.
Last
weekend, border collies, people and sheep have gathered
at Slaven Roach for sheepdog trials.
"It
gets more popular every year," said
Francis Raley
, secretary of the
Texas
-based
U.S. Border Collie Handler's Association
.
Ten years
ago, there were about 250 trials in the U.S., and this
year, Raley estimates there will be about 500, up from
444 last year.
Dogs and
their handlers rack up points by herding sheep through
an obstacle course. The pairs with the most points go to
the Association's National Sheepdog Finals, which will
be held this year in
Virginia
.
Saturday
at
Slaven Ranch
near
Zamora, Calif.
, handlers atop a bale of hay whistled commands to
direct their collies through 11 minutes of tasks, which
simulate farm work.
Event
organizer
Terri Pelkey
peered under her cowboy hat at the green hills. About
500 yards away, five sheep were released and a collie
bounded up to meet them, bringing them closer in a move
called "fetching" and then directing them
through two sets of gates on either side of the course
— all as directed by the dog handler.
Next the
dog had to "shed," or split two of the sheep
away from the rest. On the farm, such a move would be
necessary if one of the sheep needed medical attention.
The sheep didn't like it, clinging together as a fluffy
unit. The handler inserted herself at the right moment,
using her staff to separate the sheep without exciting
them.
"Wow,
that was pretty perfect," Pelkey said.
Pelkey's
dog, Dash, qualified for the nationals last year but on
Saturday nipped an ornery sheep, which is against the
rules.
Well-trained
sheepdogs can sell for up to
$15,000
, and their owners describe them as having a human-like
intelligence.
"It's
the smartest dog you'll find," said
Nancy Carranza
of
Marysville, Calif.
Bob Dias
, of
San Diego
, believes his dog,
McCloud
, is superior to any human.
"If
McCloud
were a woman, I would have married him for sure,"
he said.
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