Meet the Sheep Management Team ...
The Set Out Crew & Exhaust Chairman
Meet The Set-Out Crew for the 2011 National Finals.
Mark Henderson , Nancy Penley and Sean Casey have been setting sheep together for quite some time. Their standard for consistent sets is unparalleled as they are one of the premier set-out crews in the country. 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. At the first Strang Ranch Trial this crew calmly escorted the resident guard dog off the field.
In addition to being skilled at their trade, this crew has put on many set-out clinics to share their knowledge and increase the standard of setting in the sport of sheepdog trialing.
Just to name a few, this crew has set sheep at the following:
- Many Mountain and Plains trials in the late 1980’s
- Multiple small trials in Colorado and Utah
- Colorado Horse Park Trial, Parker ,Colorado for 2 years
- Hot Sulphur Springs Colorado for 4 years
- Steamboat Stock Dog Trial
- The Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials
- Strang Ranch Sheepdog Trial in Carbondale Colorado
- Trailing of the Sheep trial in Idaho
- Mount Sunflower Trial in Kansas
- The 2008 National Finals in Sturgis SD.
Also joining the crew this year is Jim Woytkins. Jim is a familiar face at the top end of the trial field. He has set sheep extensively and has worked with the Penley, Casey, and Henderson Crew in the past.
Meet the Exhaust Chairman
Dennis Edwards and his wife Marlene moved from Kansas in 1980 to Sundance, Wyoming, where they raised their two sons. He worked in saddle shops building custom saddles and other custom cowboy gear. Additionally, he owned and operated a saddle shop for a few years, but eventually Dennis had the opportunity to go to work for our Rural Electric Cooperative, so he changed careers. Their boys are now grown and scattered across the country.
Dennis has been trialing Border Collies for about 10 years, and got his start in small fair trials in Wyoming and South Dakota. His intrigue in competing in larger field trials was sparked by watching some past video footage of International Supreme Trials. It didn’t take long before Dennis ventured further from home to compete, and now has competed with his dogs at various trials around the West and Midwest including the Kaycee Stockdog Challenge and the Meeker Classic.
While Dennis enjoys competing, his real passion lies in starting a young dog that shows potential. He enjoys the challenge of assessing a young dog’s strengths and allowing him to grow into an accomplished working stockdog. “After all, it’s still all about the quality of work,” says Edwards.
Dennis sits on the United States Border Collie Handler’s Association Board of Directors, and is the Junior Member representing District 2 – Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado. Dan Keeton is the Senior Member representing District 2.
This year Dennis is coordinating and overseeing the “exhaust” (removing sheep from the competition field in a calm controlled manner) at the 2011 National Sheepdog Finals. The exhaust is an integral part of keeping the trial on schedule whether it’s removing sheep from the field in the event a foiled run or after the handler at the post has completed the course. Additionally, Dennis and crew see to it that the sheep are handled with the least amount of stress possible, and only “open” level dogs work in the exhaust area. Dennis can be reached at dredwards51@yahoo.com. Dennis is from Sundance, Wyoming.