«Previous    Next»
Cattle Dog Competition Catching On
A new kind of cattle dog competition is showing up at rodeos and horse shows. “Rodearing” tests the ability of dog, horse and man to move cattle through an obstacle course.
  “Rodearing is an alternative for folks who no longer participate in cutting competitions,” says Merle Newton, Crystal Rose Cow Dog College. “It requires special training for the dogs above and beyond regular cow dog competitions.”
  Rodearing originated with cowboys using dogs to circle and hold groups of cattle without the aide of a corral. This allowed the cowboy to work them wherever the need, according to Newton.
  “In Rodearing competition, we start with sorting and separating, which runs counter to a cow dog’s instinct and training,” he explains. “Their instinct is to gather and hold the cattle together.”
  Newton notes that cow dog handlers used to working on the ground may have to learn new tricks as well. He offers training videos on picking a horse for rodearing and what a rodearing dog needs to know. He also offers other online training videos (Vol. 36, No. 5) on sorting and working cattle with a dog from horseback.
  “People who are dog savvy may not be horse savvy, but rodearing takes both skills,” he says.
  Rodearing competition consists of the rider and dog riding into a herd in a sort pen and cutting out 3 to 5 cows. This smaller group is then brought out into an open arena or field and put through a series of obstacles. The team receives a point for each cow passing through an obstacle within the time limit; with the fastest time breaking a tie if two or more gather the same points in the allotted time.
  “It’s really enjoyable to do and to watch,” says Newton.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Crystal Rose Cow Dog College, 14200 Red Bank Rd., Red Bluff, Calif. 96080 (ph 530 529-3700; crcdc1@gmail.com; www.cowdogtrainingonline.com).


  Click here to download page story appeared in.



  Click here to read entire issue




To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.
Order the Issue Containing This Story
2013 - Volume #37, Issue #1