Big Sky Memorial Dog Trial Tests The Best

By Stacie Ostendorf

This year for the Big Sky Memorial Dog Trial there were 29 dogs competing in the arena, with their goal of penning the sheep in the pen Rockin' H Welding provides each year. Gardner Ranch Services and Mike and Connie Capra transported 89 sheep for the trials this year. Each competitor gets the chance to have 3 fresh sheep for their course. It all comes down to the luck of the draw and some sheep are a little more obstinate than others on the course. The class courses are each different with the scoring being based on points for each sheep through an obstacle, and then time. We tried something different this year to entice the competitors a little more with not only a payout per class (Open, Nursery, Open Ranch, and Novice) but also prizes that were provided by Broadus Vet Clinic, Yellowstone Bank and Broadus Boot & Tack. The top 3 scores of each class were asked to come back and have their chance in the Top Dog Trial and a chance to win a custom Trophy Buckle cup from GLoW. Throughout the day it was a little toasty, to say the least.

I recalled judging from the crows nest and seeing heat waves roll across the arena like a desert. I asked the handlers if they wanted to take a break, but they wanted to keep going or the sheep and their dogs were just going to give up entirely.

John Olson and Kelly Ostendorf worked in the back chutes all day to provide the sheep with adequate water and to keep the dust down. We had to dip into our funds from previous and this year's donations by Calvert Backhoe, Draine Ranch and Mommas House LLC BnB, in order to make sure we had enough water tanks for all the animals in this cruel hot weather. BSMDT doesn't charge for admission for performances so we're solely running on donations which humans, sheep and dogs alike are so very grateful for.

Trial Result winners for Open Class: open handler and open dog

Charles Jarrard with Queen 1st Place $231.00

Dottie Packard with Smoke 2nd Place $138.60

Cheryl Barker with Boomer 3rd Place $92.40

Trial Result winners for Nursery Class: open experienced handler and dog is eligible if its 3rd birthday falls on or after July 1, 2020.

Cheryl Barker with Buddy 1st Place $63.00

Trial Result winner for Open Ranch Class: beginner handler with slight experience. Open Ranch handler can run an open experienced dog. No open handlers.

Chris Hepp with Boyd 1st Place $215.60

Blaine Morgan with Rex 2nd Place $92.40

Trial Result winner for Novice Class: beginner handler

Shayne Ellenwood with Ike 1st Place $74.00

TOP DOG - all against all

Cheryl Barker with Boomer $100