Description
Kate is an 8-year old female border collie and Hans’ first open dog. She was bred by the very talented Geri Byrne out of Tulelake CA. Hans reports that Kate has “no quit.” Kate and Hans have have developed an amazing relationship over the years. She is his first well bred dog with tons of natural ability. She is also a very forward dog that also wants to work very close to sheep. Her traits combined with Hans being brand new to the sport resulted in power struggles and frustration in the beginning. As time went by, Kate gave a little and became a teammate while Hans improved his timing and understanding of livestock, which set her up for success. Kate was a finalist in the 2023 Trailing of the Sheep Trial in Sun Valley Idaho.
Hans lives in Peoa Utah. Many years ago, he met Mark Peterson, founder of the competition, moving his sheep with a border collie one evening. He was a neighbor so Hans stopped by, inquiring about these skilled dogs. They talked, and Mark handed him tickets to the upcoming Soldier Hollow Classic. Hans attended and immediately started getting involved in the process of getting a border collie and learning what it’s all about. His current trial dogs, Gemma and Kate, have placed top in several trials over the last couple years. Hans is a captain with Delta Airlines, which is what relocated him to Utah many years ago. Early in his career, he worked on the space shuttle and has had the privilege of traveling to every continent but Antarctica! Han’s other hobbies include chasing a toddler around the yard and wrenching on old cars. He is also the current President of the Utah Stockdog Association and is volunteering here at Soldier Hollow.
