April 16, 2019

2018 Meeker Classic Champions

Derek Fisher & Nell 7-Year-Old Female

New Plymouth, ID

Derek Fisher first competed at Meeker over 20 years ago as a teen. Since then, he has become an ambassador on the world stage for the dogs and for the sport. Derek likens working sheep to a dance.  Dog and man with the sheep moving through the course calmly and efficiently while causing as little stress as possible to the livestock.  Relying on instinct and training, the handler guides the dog to work sheep demonstrating practical working skills for the farm or ranch.   “This is no game, these dogs have been bred for hundreds of years to do this job, and their skills are necessary in the working lives of livestock producers around the world,” says Derek.  “Border collies, and other herding breeds are some of the few that are still bred for the purpose of a job, and that job has a huge impact on everyone who utilizes the many gifts that livestock provide for humans.  The dog knows its job and the sheep know that the dog is there to do a job. It’s a unique relationship in the animal world and is specific to these kinds of dogs.”

 

The youngest handler ever to win Meeker, Derek won with Heidi in 2000 as a 19-year-old.  The pair had quite a history culminating in a challenging run when Heidi was 11 in 2006 at Meeker. At that age, Heidi was old to tackle the rigorous course, it was the last run of the final day – hot and the sheep were a challenge. After three times at the shedding ring Derek questioned whether they could complete the course. He didn’t want to risk Heidi’s health in the heat, but he saw a renewed sense of determination in the dog and the crowd was cheering him on. They completed the shed with a minute and a half to pen – getting all but one ewe as she slipped through the gate.  The run got them 4^th place, and an opportunity for the crowd to see Heidi’s heart as she completed the run against all odds at her last trial.

 

Enter Nell.  Out of his Jen dog and Angie Untiz’s Luke, Nell was bred, raised and trained by Derek.  As a puppy she would sit back from the rest of the litter and stare at him – waiting for him to pick her up – you might say she picked Derek. “I’ve never had a puppy whose mind was SO MADE UP that she wanted to be mine.  She would walk with me and try to stare into my eyes all the time! Half the time I was tripping over her and half the time she was running into things because she just wanted to hold my eye contact. “ She’s one of the most dedicated dogs he’s ever had, completely a one-man dog.  Nell still acts like the puppy she was years ago, a total clown and intensely loyal.  She has learned patience on the sheep and has matured in a way that gives Derek more confidence each time he walks to the post.

While training at home, Derek walks his dogs about twelve miles a day . . . lots of exercise and conditioning.  Derek hauls sheep out to BLM ground around Boise so that he can work Nell on varied terrains. She’s on call during lambing season and is his go-to dog for sorting sheep while training his other dogs.  Derek has some young dogs coming up, one female out of Nell and a young male going back to Ricky Hutchinson’s International Supreme Winner and Michael Gallagher’s Supreme Champion.

“I really do believe that fortune favors the well prepared.”   Coming to Meeker in 2018, Nell was conditioned and ready. The pair had some solid runs at Soldier Hollow that helped prepare them for Meeker.  Nell seemed to have gotten past some issues they were dealing with and Derek had no question that Nell was going to give it her best.  Coming into Meeker Derek was able to overcome some personal conflicts by focusing on the competition and Nell.  Derek likens it to any sport with animals, “you have to learn to master yourself and direct that energy towards something productive.”  In 2018 he did that well!

 

Nell and Derek had strong solid runs in the Prelims and Semi’s, but Sunday of the Double-Lift Finals seemed destined to be their day.  Judge Bruce Fogt said it was one of the best runs he’s seen at Meeker.  Derek recounts the run, “I think the moment for me that set the whole trial apart from other years at Meeker was the shed. At one point the sheep were so scrambled that I wasn’t totally sure that I was going to get it done. But when it all came together and Nell came in for that last cut, I was just completely overwhelmed. I’ve been fortunate enough to be at that point several times before, but something just felt different. She’s a special dog all around but I have to say that she is exceptionally special in the shed.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s hard to miss the unmistakable bond between these two as they go out to the field and compete.  Working as one and completely in tune with each other, Derek and Nell have made a mark in the Meeker Classic archives – Reserve Champions in 2015 and 2016 and Champions in 2018.  Who knows what the future may hold!  They’re entered for 2019.

Says Derek of Meeker, “well, Meeker is Meeker. You might show up on the day feeling like you’re ready to compete at the highest level in the world and then you can get “Meekered” so it’s never something to take lightly. To top it off, walking to the post, the same post that legends have walked to for decades, is a feeling that I can’t really describe other than to say it’s an honor to have the chance to stand next to those people, compete with them and call many of them friends.”  Derek appreciates the respect handlers have for the final day at Meeker.  The attire, the dogs, the competition- they show up ready for the dance. “It’s a beautiful thing when the breeding, training, handling and preparation all come together.  It’s blatantly clear and quite extraordinary. “