Dogs from across the Prairies put on a show at Canadian Western Agribition with a new cattle dog competition thrown into the mix.
The cattle dog championship had both foot and mounted competitions this year with Caitlyn Mastad being the first mounted winner in Agribition history.
Even when the rider’s attention is split between the dog, the horse and the stock, Mastad said she trusts the partnership she has with her teammates: two-year-old Border Collie, Sage, and 13-year-old gelding, Deets.
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“I feel very confident, so I could trust the two animals that I was working with. I just had to read the stock, and then hopefully my partners go where they need to go.”
The Brandt Centre arena was a giant obstacle course with three different sections configured to create multiple openings and pathways that competitors and their teammates needed to navigate three cattle through in a specific order. Precision was the name of the game, said Mastad.
She had a top finish during the first round with a time of 3:50 against 14 other mounted competitors, with only two completing the first course in the allotted time. The top four saw a change of course with a higher level of difficulty that none of the competitors finished. However, Mastad was extremely close, saying she only needed five more seconds.
Competitors needed to sort cattle through a gate; two out the front with the third being held by the dog to be directed out the back. Sage was holding the third nicely just as the buzzer sounded.
Mastad navigated the obstacles just like she would any other day moving cattle with Sage and Deets, she said.
“If I’ve got a sort, too, I’m probably going take my time, make sure they (the cattle) are not running out of there, because you don’t want to slam the gate on the cattle. Everyone knows the price of these suckers,” she said with a laugh.
Barry Breemersch of Deloraine, Man., won the foot event with his dog, Ranger, with a first round time of 3:13 to earn a top placement against 24 other competitors, and a final time of 3:57.
He tours across Canada and the United States and markets dogs around the world, but Agribition showcases the best of the best and organizers put on an amazing show, he said.
“Agribition, to me, is the most class act of any event that we have in Canada. We work all summer, and we bring what we have out and we showcase it here.”
Wendy Schmaltz, president of the Saskatchewan Stock Dog Association, seconded Breemersch’s Agribition praise, especially with the stock chosen for the event. If cattle aren’t used to being around dogs, that can be bad for both the cattle and the dogs, and Schmaltz appreciates the excellent stock on hand for the event, both as a competitor and an association executive.
“In the end, what we’re trying to show is if you, as a producer, got a good dog, and you’ve trained your stock well, you can get a lot of stuff done. You can move your stock easily and without a bunch of running around.”
Much of Mastad’s land near McCord, Sask., isn’t accessible with all-terrain vehicles or trucks, especially with such dry conditions increasing the risk of wildfires. Dogs are invaluable, she said, and much of the training is just letting them figure it out on their own.
“It’s amazing how quickly they will pick up on things, and they’ll start looking to where you are, where they need to be.… Once you got a dog that works and is handy for you, you don’t know what to do without.”
Many dogs returned the following day for the stock dog event, this time moving three sheep through the obstacle course. Milton Scott and Doc won the event with a final time of 2:01.
