I can only imagine how pro-active you have to be when you're in the business of putting on our national finals, and Geri Byrne and Amy Coapman together with their talented stable of associates and volunteers are at it already. I did not attend the event they produced in 2001, but I was in Klamath in 2006, and, as far as I could see, it ran seamlessly. I had a great time. The fields were challenging and the handler facilities were really nice. Hell, I had the extraordinary experience of being privately serenaded by Baxter Black, the greatest cowboy poet of them all, when I attended his pre-performance reception and met him in person. He wrote a song some years back called "Out where the cowboys rope and ride" that brings tears to my eyes every single time I hear it and when I told him that, he sung it to me. It brought tears to my eyes. Come on, I was at a sheepdog trial.....what are the chances? Afterwards hundreds of us packed a big tent for his show, which in itself was worth the drive to Klamath for me.
Geri and Amy are quite the organizers with no apparent limit to their energy and drive. The word dynamic comes to mind. Anyway, I have to fill the hole left after the conclusion of this year's end-of-season biggies, so I'm turning my attention to next year's finals. Hey, I know, I'll get a puppy. What am I thinking? I'll just go work the fully trained, mature, well-behaved dogs that I already own because, I don't care if I have to hitch hike and sleep on a bench, I'm going to Klamath. I couldn't go to Gettysburg in 07 or Sturgis this year and enough is enough already!
If you want to add the 09 finals website to your favorites please click here.
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