SHEEPDOG NATIONAL FINALS CREW
Find Information on 2023 Judges, Set Out Crew, & Trial Committee
JUDGES
The judges for the 2023 National Sheepdog Finals
Peg Anderson (USA)
Peg lives and works on a sheep farm in Northern Michigan with her husband, Jim. She has been sharing her days with sheep and border collies for the last 21 years. Peg has been competing in sheepdog trials since 2003. She has participated in numerous USBCHA National Finals since 2007, finishing in the top 17 on two occasions. Peg has also represented the US at the World Sheepdog Trial in 2011 and 2014. Judging sheepdog trials in different areas of the country, spending those days focused on the sheep, the clever dogs, and their hardworking handlers has been an enjoyable and enriching experience. Peg has judged the USBCHA Finals, the Bluegrass, the Vashon Sheepdog Classic, along with many open trials around the country.
Hefin Jones (Wales)
Hefin Jones: a very well-respected and experienced judge. He judged The Bluegrass in 2010 and 2011, and the USBCHA Finals in 2014. Hefin has judged the International 3 times as well as the Welsh National twice.
Peter Gonnet (Canada)
Peter was raised on a farm in Alberta Canada where he grew up with border collies. Peter and his wife Pam recently retired from managing a large grazing reserve looking after 1350 cow-calf pairs and have a flock of North Country Cheviots of their own. Peter got his first border collie 40 years ago to help him with his work, his dogs are used every day as well as for trailing. He has won the Canadian championship and has been reserve CBCA champion, Western Canadian driving, WCC nursery champion, and nine times SSDA open Champion, he has judged the USBCHA sheepdog finals Blue grass North Carolina state championships Ettrick Kennels plus many more.
Ed Hawkins (England)
Ed has been training and trialing working sheepdogs for over 20 years now, last year being undoubtedly his best to date, qualifying to run in the international supreme championship and the final at the international. He has competed in national and international trials for several years now and in previous world trials. At home, he farms around 400 ewes in the East of England area of Suffolk, alongside which he trains and sells dogs and offers handling tuition under the title of ‘Gipping Valley sheepdogs.‘ "I am very fortunate that these wonderful working dogs, that we all share our love for, have not only given me a lifelong hobby but have allowed me to develop a successful business doing what I love. Having not originated from a farming background at all, I feel even more passionate about promoting working sheepdogs in any way possible."
Alternates: Jamie Spring (USA) and Gordon Watt (USA)
SET OUT CREW
Mark Henderson and Sean Casey headed up our set-out crew for the 2011, 2014, 2016, and 2019 Finals and have been setting sheep together for quite some time. This year they will be joined by Mike Lupow and Terry Leplatt. Their standard for consistent sets is unparalleled as they are THE premier set-out crew in the country, especially for these often difficult range ewes. They’re up before the sun and don’t unsaddle until the last sheep is safe and fed for the night. There’s never any shortage of laughs to get them through the long days.
TRIAL COMMITTEE
Bridget Strang
I spent several years competing and working in the show horse and racehorse industry on the East Coast. For the past couple of decades, I have been managing the horse business at the ranch. I teach riding lessons, train and show young horses, and host numerous Hunter Jumper shows and clinics throughout the year.
I came to sheepdog trialing through the influence of my cousin, Ellen Nieslanik, who managed The Meeker Classic for many years. My first dog Lucy was a tremendous help moving cattle in the brush, but she did not work anything like the dogs I watched at Meeker. I got a puppy from Jim Swift and at 3 months Rose and I went to see about moving the sheep. I said "Look SHEEP!" and she ran out in a perfect pear-shaped outrun, brought the sheep to my feet, lay down, and looked to me for further instruction. I was hooked!!
Terry Murray
Terry Murray grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Madison. She and her husband, Mike Lupow, were stationed all over the country - from Cape Cod to Kodiak Island - during his 26-year Coast Guard career. She got her first Border Collie in 2005, moved to Colorado in 2009, and now runs Flying M Lamb, a custom operation supplying all-natural, pasture-raised lamb on the Front Range.