Description
Kate is a 9-year old female border collie and Hans’ first open dog. Kate and Hans have developed an amazing relationship over the years. She was his first well bred dog with tons of natural ability. She is also a very forward dog that wants to work very close to sheep. Hans claims that her traits combined with him being new to the sport resulted in power struggles and frustration in the beginning. As time went by, she gave a little and became a teammate while she improved my timing and understanding of livestock, which set them 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. 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! His other hobbies include chasing his two young boys around the yard and wrenching on old cars. Early in his career, he worked in aerospace engineering and I’ve had the privilege of traveling to every continent but Antarctica! Hans is also the current President of the Utah Stockdog Association and is volunteering here at Soldier Hollow.
