Trial/Test Herding Programs

The AHBA herding program offers two types of trial classes, each with three levels, and a test program with two levels. Dogs may enter the program at any level -- no title is a prerequisite for another title -- but once a leg for a title has been earned at a particular level, the dog may not be entered at a lower level on that type of course or that type of stock.

Trials Program

Herding Trial Dog (HTD) and Herding Ranch Dog (HRD) titles require two qualifying scores under two different judges. These titles are earned separately both as to type of course and type of stock. Titles may be earned on sheep, goats, ducks, geese, or cattle (except that HRD classes may not utilize ducks), with a small initial after the title indicating the type of stock on which the title was earned.

Progession of difficulty in the trial classes echos the progression in the training of a versatile herding dog. Trials are open to all breeds.

Herding Trial Dog classes, with levels HTD I, II and III, take place on a standard course. All levels include an outrun, lift, fetch, wear and/or drive, and pen (the pen may be on the fence for the started level, but is free-standing for the higher levels). At the started level, the outrun is short and the handler may accompany the dog and sheep throughout the course. At the intermediate level, the outrun is longer and the handler may accompany the dog only partway through the course. At the advanced level, the outrun is longer, the handler remains at the handler's post until time to pen, and after the pen there is an additional exercise (removing a ribbon from a marked sheep). HTD trials are designed to be held in large fields, but may be held in arenas with special permission.

Herding Ranch Dog classes, with levels HRD I, III and III, take place on courses which vary in detail while including specified requirements. Levels are differentiated by such aspects as position of handler, variations in a task or inclusion of an additional task, etc. Exercises include a gather, fetch/drive work, pen work, sorting work (required for the advanced level, optional for other levels), and various elements such as chutes, bridges, holding the sheep in place, etc. HRD trials may use combinations of open fields, arenas and pens.

A Herding Trial Championship (HTCh.) is earned by obtaining 10 additional qualifying scores of 80 or above in the advanced classes, after the completion of an HTD III or HRD III title. These scores may be earned on either or both HTD and HRD courses, and may be earned on one type of stock or on any combination of types of stock, with up to 3 scores allowed on ducks.

Test Program

Test levels include the Herding Capability Test (HCT) and the Junior Herding Dog Test (JHD), both of which are run on a pass/non-pass basis and require two passing runs under different judges. These events are open to all herding breeds. Tests may be held on sheep, goats, ducks, geese, or, with special approval, cattle; unlike the trial titles, legs earned on different types of stock may count toward a single title.

At the HCT level, the first leg may consist of a basic instinct test in a small arena with the tester allowed to handle the dog. The second leg requires an initial pause, some simple, controlled movement of the stock back and forth across the small arena, a stop, and a recall; for the second leg, the owner or designated handler, not the tester, must handle the dog, although the tester may give advice.

The JHD test is held in a somewhat larger arena. The dog is handled by the owner or designated handler, although the tester may give advice. There is a simple course through which the stock is taken, consisting of two corner panel obstacles and a free-standing panel obstacle in the center of the arena, ending with the sheep being put into a fence-line pen. The handler may accompany the sheep and dog throughout the course.

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