2012 Meeker Classic Champions

Faansie Basson & Don – 6 yr. old Male

Swellendam, South Africa

Faansie Basson is a long time friend and competitor of the Meeker Classic placing in the top ten four times since 2005. Well known in the community, Faansie and his dogs have endeared themselves to so many.   Faansie has helped us out with the handler’s demonstration a couple years and we congratulate him on his well deserved win this year.  Read Faasnie’s account of the 2012 Meeker Classic and his life in South Africa on his website.

It’s not easy task to travel to Meeker from South Africa.  Faansie and his wife, Elmarie have made the trek often.  Elmarie also is a familiar face to the Meeker Classic.  An artist, she’s competed in the art show and is a good friend to many.

 

    

      For the past 7 years Faansie and his wife Elmarie have farmed in the Southern Cape area of South Africa. It is mainly a sheep and winter grain area. Faansie started working sheepdogs about 18 years ago when he got his first permanent job on a sheep farm in the Eastern Cape.  Since then he has worked on various sheep farms which varied from extensive areas to irrigation and intensive farming.   After he got married he started competing in sheepdog trials. Needless to say it has changed his life completely.  On the local trial front Faansie has been very successful, winning the National title 6 times and the Dog of the Year Award 10 times. His reply when questioned about this is that he was very fortunate to start off with some really great dogs.

       In 1995 Paul Turnball brought out a dog named “Bob” tocompete in SA.  Afterwards Bob was sold and stayed in SA. Many handlers struggled to handle Bob.  Faansie liked him and bred him to Jessie. I kept “Lad” and “Jan” out of the first litter.   Don is now 6 and won the SA Junior Championship in ’08. He was Jessie’s last pup. His father Edge was imported from the USA. Don is athletic, a great shedder and can hold sheep anywhere. He’s got great character.  

 

       

 

     Owing to the quarantine restrictions which prevented South African dogs competing at the World Trial, the South African Sheepdog Association looked at competing in other parts of the world. In 2005, as reigning Dog of the Year 2005, Faansie, together with the Reserve Dog of the Year handler, was invited to compete at the Soldier Hollow Championship and took part at the Meeker Classic. After this trip Faansie has returned to the States most years to compete at a higher level.Over the last few years he has been invited to judge trials in Switzerland, Canada as well as the USA Nationals. He has also presented a number of training clinics. He has just returned from Australia, where he was invited to give some training clinics. He says, “I have met great people and made a lot of friends.  I would never have imagined that these black and white dogs would take me all over the world.”   

 

     Thank you Faansie for your contributions to the world of border collies,sheepdog trials and the Meeker Classic.  We congratulate you on your well deserved win!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faansie Basson is a long time friend and competitor of the Meeker Classic placing in the top ten four times since 2005. Well known in the community, Faansie and his dogs have endeared themselves to so many.   Faansie has helped us out with the handler’s demonstration a couple years and we congratulate him on his well deserved win this year.  Read Faasnie’s account of the 2012 Meeker Classic and his life in South Africa on his website.

It’s no easy task to travel to Meeker from South Africa.  Faansie and his wife, Elmarie have made the trek often.  Elmarie also is a familiar face to the Meeker Classic.  An artist, she’s competed in the art show and is a good friend to many.

    

      For the past 7 years Faansie and his wife Elmarie have farmed in the Southern Cape area of South Africa. It is mainly a sheep and winter grain area. Faansie started working sheepdogs about 18 years ago when he got his first permanent job on a sheep farm in the Eastern Cape.  Since then he has worked on various sheep farms which varied from extensive areas to irrigation and intensive farming.   After he got married he started competing in sheepdog trials. Needless to say it has changed his life completely.  On the local trial front Faansie has been very successful, winning the National title 6 times and the Dog of the Year Award 10 times. His reply when questioned about this is that he was very fortunate to start off with some really great dogs.

       In 1995 Paul Turnball brought out a dog named “Bob” to compete in SA.  Afterwards Bob was sold and stayed in SA. Many handlers struggled to handle Bob.  Faansie liked him and bred him to Jessie. I kept “Lad” and “Jan” out of the first litter.   Don is now 6 and won the SA Junior Championship in ’08. He was Jessie’s last pup. His father Edge was imported from the USA. Don is athletic, a great shedder and can hold sheep anywhere. He’s got great character.  

 

Faansie & Don during the preliminaries   Photo by Toby Smith

       

 

     Owing to the quarantine restrictions which prevented South African dogs competing at the World Trial, the South African Sheepdog Association looked at competing in other parts of the world. In 2005, as reigning Dog of the Year 2005, Faansie, together with the Reserve Dog of the Year handler, was invited to compete at the Soldier Hollow Championship and took part at the Meeker Classic. After this trip Faansie has returned to the States most years to compete at a higher level.Over the last few years he has been invited to judge trials in Switzerland, Canada as well as the USA Nationals. He has also presented a number of training clinics. He has just returned from Australia, where he was invited to give some training clinics. He says, “I have met great people and made a lot of friends.  I would never have imagined that these black and white dogs would take me all over the world.”   

     Thank you Faansie for your contributions to the world of border collies,sheepdog trials and the Meeker Classic.  We congratulate you on your well deserved win!