March 1, 2023

2022 Meeker Classic Champions – Faansie Basson & Jack – 7 Year Old Male

3rd Place 2022 Meeker Classic  – Faasie Basson & Finn  4 Year Old Male

Hico, TX

Countless hours of training,

hard work and a thorough understanding of livestock came together to yield a successful trial for Faansie Basson and his dogs at the 2022 Meeker Classic. Faansie captured the Champion title with Jack and a Third Place with Finn. He brings a lifetime of experience working sheep to the table when Faansie trains his dogs. Having worked and managed sheep for a living, he has a clear picture in his head of how he wants his dogs to work the sheep. He spends a lot of time training his dogs HOW to work sheep and not just be obedient. “Teaching a dog to go left and right is fairly simple, but making a dog understand how to work sheep is probably a lot more complicated,” says Faansie.

Eight years ago Faansie and his family moved from South Africa to the United States.

He conducts clinics, trains dogs and competes in trials across the country. Faansie grew up in South Africa where he started his journey with sheepdogs on big sheep operations where he managed up to 10,000 ewes at times. In 1996 he started running dogs in sheepdog competitions. Since then, he has won the South African Nationals 7 times, the Dog of the Year 13 times, and the National Brace title 13 times. Now that he isn’t working sheep for a living, it’s a challenge to make his dogs understand working sheep when you don’t have a lot of “real sheep work” for them.

Oppressive heat during the 2022 preliminary runs

made it difficult to complete a run. Faansie and Jack found the right formula, exerting pressure when needed and keeping the sheep in control throughout all three of their runs. “Jack has a good way with sheep, he can be very laid back but still strong enough to get the job done. Jack never seems to get upset and seldom upsets the sheep. This is probably the biggest reason for his success,” says Faansie. The team claimed the High Score on Friday with an 85 – this was the highest Preliminary Score for all 135 runs. They went to get the High Score on Saturday for the Semi-Finals and Sunday for the Finals, thus winning all three phases of the competition.

Jack’s father is Wisp.

Faansie bought Wisp from Ian Brownlie in Scotland. His father (Bobby Dalziel’s Jo) and his mother (Ian Brownlie’s Mo) were both international champions. Jack’s mother was a female called Qwen which was bred back to Don, Faansie’s 2012 Meeker champion. Jack is really good to his sheep and seldom has to force them to do something. Jack is a tremendous listener and takes instruction really well. Jack was selected as the 2020 Purina Top Field Trial Dog of the Year. Jack placed 3rd in the 2021 Meeker Classic.

Faansie and Finn will be representing team USA at the World Trial in Ireland this September.

Placing a close 3rd behind Barbara Ray and Grantham, Finn has a little bit more eye than Jack, but is stronger with the sheep and is very direct when he moves the sheep. Faansie has to work to keep him further off of the sheep which allows the handler to have more control. Finn is a natural outrunner and a clean flanker. Finn is out of Qwen and is sired by Kevin Evan’s Tanhill Glen. Faansie and Finn won the Top Dog of the Day for Thursday with a score of 79. That was the second high preliminary score behind Faansie’s other dog Jack.
Faansie says he feels fortunate to have two dogs that are both good listeners and partners. He misses working the large flocks of sheep with his dogs in Africa and the everyday routine that sheep farming brings, but fills his time sharing his knowledge with handlers across the United States conducting numerous clinics throughout the year. Currently he has a few pups out of Finn that he’ll run in nursery that look promising.

Faansie believes that well trained sheepdogs are totally underestimated

on big sheep operations in the United States and in his homeland South Africa. They can lend so much to the efficiency of an operation.
A respected handler, trainer and livestock man, we congratulate Faansie on his numerous accomplishments and wish him well as he competes in Ireland at the World Trial with Finn this September. We will miss him in Meeker, but will be cheering him on in Ireland!  This will be his third World Trial and the second time representing the USA.