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FEATURE DOG
Skeet came to us at a year of age from
Orin Barnes in Texas. He soon became a valuable asset on the ranch, helping us manage the herd and also do day work occasionally
on the side. He worked many hours alongside Bo, our original cattle dog, and they worked as a team together to flush
and fetch cattle out of the heavy brush and canyons here in western Oklahoma.
Skeet has multiple High in Trials on both cattle and sheep, and has competed successfully
as well in USBCHA Open sheep and cattle classes.
In both 2001 and 2002, Skeet won the High Scoring Advanced Champion belt buckle at the Border
Collie Society of America's National Specialty. He is the sire to both a High in Trial and Reserve High in Trial BCSA
Nationals winner in 2001 (XP Trap and Ch. XP Cheese), and a High in Trial and Reserve High in Trial BCSA Nationals
winner in 2003 (XP Strait).
Skeet is a wonderful companion as well as a terrific working dog, with a great temperament
and perfect personality. He is always willing to meet and greet both friends and family, unless of course there are livestock
around, and then he is on the clock and thinking only of working. If on the sidelines, he is always watching the activity
in the arena or on the field and constantly evaluating the quality of the work. When working as a setout dog at our trial
one day, he laid quietly, watching several runs diligently until one of the competing dogs drove the cattle on the outside
of the first drive panels (missing the obstacle). Skeet got up and went and laid back behind the stock trailer, as if to say,
"I can't watch this anymore."
In 1999, our daughter Lacey (then age 16) began showing Skeet. He quickly became one
of her 'Professors' in Herding 101, and taught her volumes about training, handling, and reading livestock. Though Lacey
had been handling both dogs and stock most of her life, the partnership she found with Skeet quickly brought her up from the
novice handler ranks to a level where she could compete successfully in trials at the upper levels.
A few years ago, Kelli approached us with a proposal that she show Skeet in conformation, as
she felt he deserved to be a conformation champion, and therefore a dual champion. We were very skeptical at first, as he
is not at all what was winning in the show ring at the time. But Kelli was very persistent, so we sent her on the
road with him. To our surprise, she and Skeet came home with five majors and a reserve in six shows! Needless to say,
he finished quickly and Kelli proved her point.
Skeet is still working at the age of thirteen, and we look forward to many more years with
him.
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| USBCHA Open Cattle Trial - Springer, New Mexico |
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| Moving sheep at home |
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| When he's not working, he's watching (c; |
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| DC Skeet |
DC Skeet
Date of Birth: February 16,1994
Sire: James Waters' Bob
Dam: Robert Millers'
Freckles (Ann)
Breeder: Robert Miller, Tuttle, OK
Owner: Kent
and Lori Herbel,
Lacey Herbel and
Carolyn Herbel
Putnam, OK
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| Skeet and Kent |
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