The Meeker Classic is happy to welcome Andrew Dickman and his wife Frances to Meeker. Andrew will serve as the judge for the 2019 Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials. If the name 
sounds familiar, you’re correct – Andrew judged the 2012 Meeker Classic and has been back since then as a visitor and spectator. Andrew brings a lifetime of experience working sheep and dogs and has earned respect on the world stage as judge, handler and trainer.
Andrew and his wife Frances have been married for almost 45 years, they live 25 miles south of Edinburgh in the beautiful Lauderdale Region of the Scottish Borders.
They have 2 children, seven grandchildren and a year-old great granddaughter. Their son Craig has 4 children, aged 17 to 24, he is the Head Gamekeeper on the nearby 18,000-acre estate owned by The Duke of Northumberland. His partner, Michele, owns a company which supplies many British Estates with all their Shooting Tweeds. Daughter Karen and husband Neil live on his family farm, 35 miles away, at the foot of the Cheviot Hills. They have 3 children (8-16) who all like to be involved with the running of their cattle and sheep operation.
Countryside where Andrew keeps some of his sheep and works during lambing season.
Andrew has lived, all his life, within a radius of 5 miles of the farm where he was born. He was born into a family of shepherds. His late great uncle, Tom Watson, an Internationalist and renowned judge, encouraged Andrew from an early age. Andrew followed the tradition from the age of 15 until 20 years ago when he began procuring sheep and cattle for a local livestock auctioneering company. Andrew and Frances celebrated/commiserated him reaching retirement age in November 2018 by holidaying in Barbados. He has, from 1st January this year taken semi -retirement, continuing to work around 20 hours each week with his Company. He and his dogs will continue to work two lambing seasons from mid-March to mid-May.
Before and after lambing time he will utilize the rest of the week working & training his dogs. To facilitate this, he keeps around 60 Suffolk-cross ewe lambs on a local farm, they will later be sold on as feeders and replacement lambs. Andrew loves training young dogs and has competed at the Scottish Nursery Finals many times. Some of his nursery dogs have been very successful in the USA for their new owners, Soldier Hollow Gold Medalist 2012- Jack Knox’s Jim being one. Andrew has represented Scotland at the International Sheepdog Trial on 4 occasions.
Andrew after a handlers meeting at the 2012 Meeker Classic. Photo courtesy of Toby Leavitt.
Andrew judging in Meeker 2012 – Photo courtesy of DKH Productions 2012
Andrew has judged trials in Missouri and Kansas numerous times. He judged Meeker in 2012. In 2016, before judging The American National Finals in Carbondale, Colorado he competed with his dog, Scott, at Soldier Hollow, this being one to tick off his bucket list. As well as judging trials in South Africa, Scotland (including the Scottish National) and North England, he was honored to be one of the judges of the 2017 World Trial in Holland.
Andrew & his wife were both involved in the organizing and running of the 2006 Centenary International, the 2011 & 2014 Scottish National and the 2012 Scottish Nursery Finals all held in the Scottish Borders. He is a past Director of the ISDS and is presently secretary of the Borders Nursery League.
Judging at Meeker is a tough job – 5 full days of runs. There are three days of preliminary runs for 130 dogs. From there the competition goes to the Semi-Finals with 30 dogs running on Saturday and the top 12 move on to the Double-lift finals on Sunday. Arriving at 6:30 am for the Handler’s meetings and judging runs from 7 am to 5 pm it means long hours with attention to every detail. The judge must sign off on every score and has the final say on the competition field. Andrew does it well and with a smile. Frances is always alongside, she often sits in to clerk during the competition. We look forward to sharing time during the 2019 Meeker Classic with Andrew and Frances!