08/25/2026
I was cleaning out my computer to open up some space and found this interview that I did several years ago. It was a nice trip down memory lane 🙂
Meeker 1999-2018
What were your gut feelings coming to Meeker in 2018? how did Nell seem?
Oh gosh, I was on a rollercoaster before coming to Meeker. Personally I was a bit blindsided right before going to Soldier Hollow so I was dealing with that and trying to be as emotionally and mentally tough as I could have been. Something I don’t really excel at. But one of my good friends who’s become a bit of a mentor and coach to me with keeping a competitive mindset told me that I do my best when I’m being challenged in other ways. So I took that and tried to believe it as best as I could still come out successful even though I was sort of living a personal hell. (All is well now by the way) Nell was just her usual self really. I had been working hard on her fitness and keeping her approach right and when I left Idaho I thought she was doing well. She performed well at Soldier Hollow and so coming to Meeker I felt pretty confident in what we could do. She seemed to have gotten past some issues we were dealing with last year and that made me feel better. But the thing about every great dog I’ve ever known is that no matter what, they’re going to try their best and she has no lack of heart.
At Meeker last year, you had strong runs all the way through - prelims, semi's & final - but the final run stood out as exceptional. Can you put words to the dynamics that day and what/why it seemed to click with you and Nell?
Well, Meeker is Meeker. You might show up on the day feeling like you’re ready to compete at the highest level in the world and then you can get “Meekered” so its never something to take lightly. To top it off, walking to the post, the same post that legends have walked to for decades, is a feeling that I can’t really describe other than to say its an honor to have the chance to stand next to those people, compete with them and call many of them friends. ��All that being said, I do really believe that fortune favors the well prepared. This last year I showed up as prepared as I have ever been. Nell was fit, we were ready for the sheep and we had just had some good runs at Soldier Hollow that helped prepare us for Meeker. But I think the moment for me that set the whole trial apart from other years at Meeker was the shed. At one point the sheep were so scrambled that I wasn’t totally sure that I was going to get it done. But when it all came together and Nell came in for that last cut, I was just completely overwhelmed. I’ve been fortunate enough to be at that point several times before but something just felt different. She’s a special dog all around but I have to say that she is exceptionally special in the shed. ��Another thing that sets Meeker apart for me is how much the handlers respect the final day. People show up dressed to the nines which I think is a dying element of this sport and I hope, desperately, that it finds new life in years to come.
Does Nell feel your nerves or apprehension as you approach a competition? It must be different than daily work with her at home - or do you try to keep things the same and have the same expectations each time you run her?
Oh I think that everyone around me feels my nerves… I’m not exactly a relaxed person lol! But she knows that we’re at competitions. She’s a competitive dog and one of the smartest dogs I’ve ever known. So she gets that we’re at something that means more than a usual day. Luckily she likes competition. But like any sport with animals, you have to learn to master yourself and direct that energy towards something productive. Being nervous isn’t productive, but being excited for the competition is. Its funny because I’ve known people who want to see people fail just so that they can succeed, but, for me, I actually love to see other people excel, and then with enough preparation and luck I might be able to edge ahead of them… that’s a win that makes me feel good. This year there were a few runs that really made me nervous because had one or two things gone differently the results might have been very different. Its nice to be in the company of great competitors.
What is the typical regime for you and Nell while you're at home? I know you also work, so is it difficult to juggle that and fit it all together?
Well I walk my dogs about twelve miles or so a day… So lots of walking, and then she’s my go-to dog for sorting sheep for training other dogs. Right now I’m lambing so she is the one I use to help me if I need any help there. When I’m training her and preparing for big trials she gets worked the most. I’ll haul sheep a lot to the BLM ground around Boise and so I get the chance to work her on a variety of terrain which helps me a lot.
As Nell matures, do you see any changes with her?
The funny thing about her is that she still seems like that puppy I had all those years ago. She still acts like a total clown and entertains me all day and is probably the most loyal dog I’ve ever had. But she has learned patience on sheep and has matured in a way that makes me more and more confident every time I walk to the post.
Going forward, you have young dogs coming up - are they out of Nell or new blood?
I have a female that is out of Nell, but she is very challenging. Much more tough and more determined than Nell but that might all settle down with time. And then I have a young male that is from Tierney Grahm off of Ricky Hutchinson’s International Supreme winner, Jock and out of Tierney’s Silt who is off of Michael Gallegher’s Cap who was a Supreme Champion as well. He’s a bit of a character and seems fairly talented so I’m quite hopeful for him.
You've put yourself at the head of the pack and are a spokesperson for the dogs and for the sport. What are the greatest things you'd like to communicate to the general public about the sport, the dogs and the future?
Well that’s really sweet to say, I don’t really think of myself in that way. I think it's really special for the public to be able to see what they do at trials like Meeker. I think that in a world where social media has developed so much power in the minds of so many, one thing that is important to me to educate people on is that this is no game. These dogs have been bred for hundreds of years to do this job, and it’s still a necessary in the lives of almost every person who is a producer of livestock. Border collies, and other herding breeds are some of the few dogs that are still bred for the purpose of a job, and that job has a huge impact on everyone who utilizes the many gifts that livestock provide for humans. And, like all relationships, our relationship with our dogs can have conflict and challenges. There’s a dance that we’re trying to get through while still having respect for the livestock and ensure that they get through the course in a way that they understand and doesn’t stress them. That’s when its beautiful. And it’s a beautiful thing to me breeding, training, handling and preparation all come together, it's blatantly clear and quite extraordinary. The dog knows its job and the sheep know that the dog is there to do a job. It’s a very unique relationship in the animal world and is specific to these kinds of dogs. Moving forward, I think the time has come for the participants to return to have the respect for that dance like they did in years past. Trials are getting more expensive to put on and sponsors are getting more difficult to get. I’d like to see us walk to the post looking the part of a champion, and when we aren’t on the field we should act the part of a representative of not just the sport, but the event we’re at, especially when the trial has the visibility of a trial like Meeker. I remember in 1997 when I first attended Meeker I was so impressed that every person on the field on Sunday took the time to dress up and respect the importance of the event. Now it's not so common to do that and I think it has a negative impact on the image of the sport. If we want to elevate the sport to something that companies want to put their name on then its time for the handlers to step it up. I also believe, very strongly, that our organizations must recognize that it’t time to upgrade our standards as far as formal education for judges, embracing the notion of implementing a standard at more trials, having the organizations work for national sponsorships that could help trials with their ever increasing costs and challenges and to update computer systems that would allow more services to be available to their membership such as; pedigree research, online registration, the combination of DNA research combined with pedigrees so we might understand more about the lineage and the challenges and strengths that come with them. Along with a better data base, we have to accept that, in the future, we will most likely have to have DNA tests done on future puppies to ensure accountability and parental accuracy.
