Trials take stock of dogs

By Steve Miller, Journal Staff Writer | Monday, January 31, 2005

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RAPID CITY — Gerald Bunney saw his first sheepdog trials about 15 years ago at Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo in Rapid City.

He remembers telling his wife, "I've got to get me one of those Border collies for the ranch."

The next fall, Bunney bought a Border collie pup.

Since then, Bunney has won the North American Sheepdog Trials at the Black Hills Stock Show four times, including last year, when his 4-year-old dog, Loner, took the championship.

Bunney is returning to the sheepdog trials this year but Loner isn't.

Loner has had knee problems for a couple of years and had his third surgery in September. Bunney said Loner definitely would not make it to Rapid City for this year's trials, and he might be finished competing. "He limps real bad," Bunney said. "I don't know if he's ever going to be able to run again or not."

Loner had his first knee surgery in 2003 after winning a trials in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He then placed second at the trials at National Western Stock Show, Rodeo & Horse Show in Denver in January, won the trials at Rapid City, and came in second in Torrington before his knee went out again last spring. A second surgery didn't heal properly, and a Sturgis veterinarian replaced the whole knee in September.

Bunney said he doesn't know exactly how the dog hurt his knee. He said Border collies aren't any more susceptible to knee problems than other dog breeds.

"I'm going to miss him," Bunney said. "He was my good dog."

Loner is the son of that first Border collie pup Bunney bought 15 years ago.

Bunney said he never planned to compete but simply to planned use the Border collie on his ranch north of Aladdin. "That first dog had so much natural instinct, he just kind of dragged me along," Bunney said.

That dog, Leo, won the sheepdog trials at the Black Hills Stock Show once. Loner's mother, Lou, won the Rapid City event twice. Leo is still alive but long since retired from competition.

The key to winning sheepdog trials is to have good dogs, Bunney says.

"But you've got to enjoy it, too," he said. "I love working with the dogs."

Bunney, now 65, said he began competing only at the Black Hills Stock Show. Then he started going to trials in Gillette and at the National Western in Denver.

Until this year, he had never managed to win at the National Western, placing second three times.

But last weekend, Bunney and Loner's brother, Ladd, age 4, won the open class at the Denver trials.

Bunney now competes at 15 to 20 trials each year.

But his dogs get plenty of work at home in addition to their trials competition. Bunney still has a few cattle and 170 head of sheep.

"They've got to be a ranch dog before they're a trials dog," Bunney said. "We use them all the time."

In addition to being good dogs around the ranch, Border collies are good companions, too, he said.

They like people, and they're super smart, he said. Bunney said he saw a television program that claimed Border collies are smarter and more trainable than chimpanzees.

"After you're around them enough, you can darn near visit with them," he said.

If you go:

What: North American Sheepdog Trials

Where: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center arena

When: Preliminaries begin at 10 a.m. Jan. 31. Action begins with mutton bustin' at 7 p.m.

Cost: Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children and are good for all day.

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com