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2005
BORDER COLLIE
NATIONAL SPECIALTY October 10-16, 2005 HERDING JUDGE ALICE HENGST |
After
several years in competitive obedience, I began herding in 1980 with a
Belgian Tervuren and a Border Collie. Soon, all other dog sports were
history. I attended every herding class and clinic I could find. I was
fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, starting out in
Southern California with such peers as Candy Kennedy and Terry Parrish.
Over the years I have worked with almost every herding breed. My training style has evolved and moved away from the “traditional” methods. I was greatly influenced by the behavioral analysis classes I took from Bob and Marian Bailey. The chickens I trained in these classes taught me some profound lessons, and I have been applying the principles of operant conditioning to stockdog training ever since. I have always trained my own dogs and feel that every dog teaches me as much as I teach the dog.
My good bitch Skeet, whom I lost to cancer in January, qualified for the USBCHA National Open Finals four years in a row. This year I qualified two young dogs for the USBCHA Nursery Finals. I have shown three Border Collies to their AKC Herding Championships. In other herding venues I have earned many titles and championships with several breeds. I have been an AKC judge since the inception of the program. I also judge AHBA and USBCHA trials.
I live on 30 acres in California’s San Joaquin Valley, with my husband and 11-year-old son. In addition to training and trialing, I raise registered Painted Desert sheep. Retirement from my full-time office job is still several years off, but I do plan to train dogs full time eventually.
I wish everyone the best at the Specialty, and I’m looking forward to seeing some fantastic runs!
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Page Updated 10.22.2007