June in Meeker 2022 – photo by Shauna Gourley
Shauna Gourley and her dogs have been contenders
in Meeker’s Double-Lift finals and the Semi-Finals numerous times since 2010. Keli, Mira and now June all saw action in the Semi-Finals and Finals. Mira’s story was heart wrenching – diagnosed in July of 2018 with Lymphoma yet able to go on and compete at Soldier Hollow, Meeker and the Nationals where she made it into the finals of all three.
June qualified for the Semi-finals in Meeker in 2021, and came back the next year to make three solid runs that landed her 4th overall for the 2022 Meeker Classic. Shauna felt good about June’s performance in 2022 giving it her all each time she was on the field.
Shauna Gourley and Keli – 2010 Meeker Classic – photo by PiperAnne Worcester
“June is a bit of a bossy girl in the pack, but never really means it,”
says Shauna. Her sire is Jep, a dog Faansie Basson trained and ran that now belongs to Kay Stephens. Her mother, a bitch named Jules that belonged to Macie McGraw. June was a hard puppy to get started, she really only wanted to chase and bite the sheep, but Shauna stayed sternly on top of it and got her through it. June’s tends to grip when she’s frustrated, but age has given her more patience with the stubborn sheep. June has a strong presence with the sheep and can move them regardless.
Shauna and June head to the post 2022 Meeker Classic – photo courtesy of PiperAnne Worcester
Shauna splits her time between Utah and Nevada
which allows for the dogs to experience a variety of working and training situations. She spends winters in Nevada and summers in Utah. Nevada has more open space and the dogs have more freedom around the farm while Utah has more grass and water during the hot summer months.
Shauna and Mira – 2016 Meeker Classic – photo by Paul Turner
Shauna is still the owner and manager of Flock n’ Paws Farm.
With the split time between Utah and Nevada, she no longer does boarding, but focuses mostly on sheepdog training. She has students in both places and takes dogs in for training as well. Shauna runs a flock of 150 Dorper-Katahdin cross sheep and adds a bit of Barbados breeding. The mixture of genetics makes for different types of sheep to train on. Some might be heavy and difficult to lift while others might be light and flighty. Shauna’s normal day begins at 4 in the morning, up to feed the dogs, off to the farm, run the dogs, train, irrigate and go back home just before dark to feed the dogs again. A busy life, full of hard work, but Shauna loves what she does. She’s always wanted Border Collies, staring with obedience and agility and then got hooked on herding.
Herding is the hardest but most rewarding thing that Shauna has done with her dogs.
She loves it all and looks forward to the trials. They are the icing on the cake, her vacation and time to visit friends and catch up with friends and likes to watch all of the runs. She has two young dogs in pro novice and one in nursery that are ready to start competing in the open trials. She will run her nursery dog at the National Finals this year in Carbondale and has June and Tera entered in Meeker.
Shauna and June complete the pen – 2022 Meeker Classic – photo by PiperAnne Worcester
“Watching a well-trained border collie or one just starting out can be the most amazing thing to watch.
I believe Border Collies are way beyond just being a dog. They’re another species all together. I could not and would not want to live my life without them,” says Shauna of her loyal partners and friends. Congratulations Shauna! Your hard work and perseverance pays off in the work you accomplish on the farm and at the trials!