LOS ANGELES, May 3 /PRNewswire/ — The North American Sheepdog Championship (NASC), displaying the amazing talents of herding dogs as they maneuver flocks of sheep following the whistles of their handlers hundreds of yards away, will be held Thursday, June 7 through Sunday, June 10, 2001, at historic Tejon Ranch, 45 minutes north of Los Angeles.
The event’s organizers, the husband-and-wife team of Ted and Janna Ondrak, also announced today that the NASC will donate the proceeds to SHEEP (Sheepdog Handlers Emergency Economic Program), a non-profit organization set up to accept contributions which will then be forwarded to the many groups in the U.K. assisting sheep farmers devastated by the recent epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease.
Presented by Drummond Ranch and Sweet Iron Quarter Horses, the NASC will also feature dogs herding cattle while a handler is on horseback. The sheepdog trials will use the same international rules as seen on the long-running BBC series “One Man And His Dog.” Judging the event will be Alasdair MacRae, International Supreme Champion, four-time U.S. National Champion, Scottish champion and former winner of “One Man And His Dog.”
Elimination rounds are Thursday and Friday; semifinals Saturday, and finals Sunday. Tejon Ranch is located directly off Interstate 5 in Lebec, CA.
Among other on-site activities scheduled are performances by a Celtic band, bagpipers and Scottish dancers; Scottish athletic games; Clydesdale horse carriage rides; artist exhibits, and wool spinning demonstrations. Celtic crafts and food vendors will also be available.
The Ondraks are among the country’s most popular herding dog trainers and television’s favorite herding experts. They have appeared on ABC, NBC, A&E, Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel; been featured in Time and Los Angeles magazines, and have put on popular herding demonstrations throughout Southern California, including at the Irish Fair, Queen Mary Scottish Fair and Los Angeles County Fair.
For ticket or other information, please call (661) 266-8418 or toll free (888) HERDING, or access the Drummond Ranch Web site www.herdingusa.com.
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