terrecar Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Does anyone know if there will be sheepdog/herding demonstrations at the Maryland Wool and Sheep Festival in 2012? I'm planning to go, and it would be great to see a demonstration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrecar Posted December 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Oh and more importantly, if the answer is yes, will they be "real" working Border Collies or the AKC dogs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 I thought it was Nancy Cox Starkey and Co. that did that last year, but I might be confusing that with another festival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Hi terrecar, The Working Sheepdog Demonstrations at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival will be at 11:00, 1:00, and 3:00 both days of the festival (May 5th and 6th, 2012). The dogs that are used in the demos are definitely "real" working Border Collies. Here's the link to the festival website page with information about the demos: MD S&W Festival Demos Please stop by and say "hi"! Regards, nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Went to the website - it's Mark Soper and Nancy Cox Starkey (I think they did it last year). Definitely not AKC. It's the real thing. From the website: The Working Sheepdog Demonstrations at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival are always a crowd favorite. Festival audiences are continually amazed by the talent, skill, and ability of the handlers and their dogs. Come watch as they demonstrate their skills working in partnership with their dogs to maneuver the sheep through the obstacles and around the arena. Again this year, Mark Soper of Woodbine, Maryland will be featured working his dogs in our sheepdog demonstrations. Mark has had Border Collies most of his life and began training them for sheep work twenty years ago. Mark manages a large flock of Katahdin sheep, and he has also been a successful competitor in sheepdog trials in years past. Additionally, he and his dogs have been hired to “set sheep” at trials throughout the area. Mark is a full-time farrier and is also very successful in cutting horse competitions. For many years, Nancy Cox Starkey of Mt. Airy, Maryland, provided the commentary for the Working Sheepdog Demonstrations at the festival. But again this year, she will be a featured performer working with her dogs in the demonstrations. Nancy has had Border Collies for almost forty years, and she began training them for sheep work twenty years ago. With the help of her dogs, Nancy manages flocks of Bluefaced Leicester sheep and Katahdin sheep. Nancy competes regularly with her dogs in sheepdog trials, and she and Mark often team up to perform working sheepdog demonstrations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Oops, Nancy and I were hitting the keyboards at about the same time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Oops, Nancy and I were hitting the keyboards at about the same time! No problem, Sue! It's nice to have you are my "PR" person! nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 I can attest to the fact that Mark and Nancy put on a great demo! I haven't been in a couple of years--may be time to plan a trip to MD this spring! J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted December 22, 2011 Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Julie, if you come to the festival in 2012, you are welcome to stay here! Your dogs are welcome, too!!! nancy PS: Thanks for the kind words, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrecar Posted December 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2011 Fantastic. Thank you. I'll be there, barring any unforseen difficulties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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