Sheepdog Competition
Our 2027 Judge
We are excited to welcome Peter Gonnet as our 2027 Judge. Peter Gonnet was born and raised in Alberta, Canada, and has worked with Border Collies for 44 years. He spent his career managing a 20,000-acre crown grazing lease for cattle, where his dogs worked both sheep and cattle daily. He and his wife, Pam, also raised a purebred flock of North Country Cheviots. Peter has competed and judged extensively throughout North America. His titles include Canadian Sheepdog Champion, Canadian Reserve Nursery Sheepdog Champion, 13-time Canadian Cattle Dog Champion, two-time SSDA Open Sheepdog Champion, and Ultimate Stock Dog Champion. He has judged the USBCHA Finals, the Kentucky Bluegrass Classic, the Meeker Classic, Ettrick Kennels, the Missouri State Championships, the North Carolina State Championships, and numerous other trials across Canada and the United States.
Our 2027 Set-Out Crew
Chris Jobe and Liz Stenning return again in 2027 as our amazing set-out team, bringing a wealth of experience to the job. Chris is the owner and trainer of Canine Solutions, which specializes in training, trialing and breeding working border collies in southern Albertas. She has recently returned from the 2026 World Trial where she was on the Canadian team! Liz is from Usk, WA and is a “sheep farmer sheepdog and obsessed nature lover.” She raise sheep for meat and fiber — Border Leicester and Romeldale. She loves farm life; not fond of cities. She likes to stay at home and “cuddle her cats.” Liz trains dogs and actively trials and helps set out at numerous trials.
The trial course is set to test the dog’s ability to maneuver sheep in a clam, controlled manner. There are six scored parts to a course run, each designated to test a skill that working dogs need to help a shepherd with the daily management of sheep. While the layout of the course may vary slightly from trial to trial, depending on terrain, this trial, follows this general layout as all approved trials.
On the left, is a typical scoresheet for the preliminary runs. The United States Border Collie Association (USBCHA) has adopted Judging Guidelines which are followed at all USBCHA sanctioned as well as here at Soldier Hollow.
For a description of each element of the course and the how it is scored, tap or click the button.
To see how the trial course relates to farm work, check out the video from the American Border Collie Association: “How Sheepdog Trials Relate to Practical Work,” found here.