Skilled dogs take on ornery sheep

WASATCH MOUNTAIN STATE PARK — For more than a minute, it seems the entire audience is holding its breath, leaning forward, eyes fixed on five seemingly very stupid sheep.

"Just get in there," one young boy mutters. "Get in the pen!"

Two of the sheep get a little spooked and find an out, breaking away from the other three just long enough to bring a disappointed gasp from the audience and a one- or two-point deduction from the judges. But right away, Gyp swoops around in front of them and, with a look that says, "Get back there if you know what's good for you," she pressures the wayward sheep back to the others.

There will be one more small breakaway like that before — come on, just a few steps forward — finally, the pen door swings shut and Gyp, a 9-year-old border collie, has finished her run, with 25 seconds remaining in her 13 1/2-minute time limit.

The audience bursts into applause. Gyp and her handler, Ginger Zuppan of Myrtle Creek, Ore., earn 64 points — a great score, but not quite enough to get them on the leader board.

So goes the unexpectedly compelling action at the 2006 Soldier Hollow Classic international sheepdog championship in Heber Valley. In its fourth year, the event is expected to draw 20,000 spectators by the time all is said and done Monday. It has brought 40 handlers and 60 dogs from eight countries, all vying for a piece of the $20,000 purse.

"We do this because we love our dogs," Zuppan said. "It's so neat to have them go out and compete against dogs that are just as good."

This is the second year participation in the tournament is by invitation only, director and founder Mark Petersen said, which means the winner this year will be the best of the best.

"This is the NBA that's coming to town," he said. "Truly, they're the John Stocktons and Karl Malones of the event."

A sheepdog run is scored on a scale of 100 possible points. Points are deducted for deviations from prescribed lines, misdirection, the use of too many commands from the handler and a number of other mistakes.

And while herding the sheep into the pen is the dogs' final job, and perhaps the most suspenseful and exciting part, it's not necessary to pen the sheep to get a good score. In fact, very few pennings have been completed on time thus far this weekend.