SUE COX - OBEDIENCE
My introduction to obedience training and the sport of dogs was in 1970 with a German Shepherd puppy, Heidi, who was the first of my three GSDs trained and shown through Utility. I fell in love with my first Pembroke Welsh Corgi in 1982. Arthur, who became a Champion-UD, was followed by two Pembroke bitches, one of which is my current dog to train and show—Cezanne’s Scribblelina VCD2, UD, RAE, MXP, MJP, who is 11 years of age and mostly retired (TDX remains a goal). We also have an almost 9-year-old Saint Bernard, Kris (the most-titled Saint in the history of the breed), trained by my husband, John. Lina and Kris are a delightful pair and give us so much enjoyment.
Since 1972 I have been an active member of our local obedience club and have chaired Gaines/Cycle/Pup-Peroni Regionals and a Classic. I always appreciate the enormous amount of work that goes into putting on a dog show and/or trial!
I have been approved as an AKC Obedience Judge since 1985 and Rally judge since 2005, and thoroughly enjoy this role in our sport. Thank you for inviting me to judge at your 2007 specialty show. To each competitor here for your National Specialty, I wish the best of luck and wonderful memories.
KENT HERBEL - HERDING
Kent’s first introduction to using herding dogs came in 1975, on his family’s cattle ranch in north central Kansas. His first AKC registered ACD was purchased in 1988, and he began trialing in 1989, at the ACDCA nationals in Oregon. Since that time he has trialed several of the herding breeds at all levels of the program. He has been successful in both the arena and open field trials, and on cattle, goats, sheep and ducks.
Kent has trained and handled High in Trial winners at the Australian Cattle Dog Nationals, Border Collie Nationals, German Shepherd Nationals, Collie Nationals, and the Briard Nationals. He has trained and trialed multiple dogs successfully to the Herding Championship level as well as having successful Open level dogs in the USBCHA. He has qualified for and placed at the Finals at the USBCHA National Cattle Finals, and has twice earned Reserve Grand Champion in the Open Cattle Class at the National Western in Denver. He trained and handled the 2005 GSDCA National Herding Victor, and also trained and trialed the very first conformation champion German Shepherd to earn an Advanced herding title. He has trialed in AKC, ASCA, AHBA, USBCHA as well as numerous unsanctioned trials. He is the founding president of the Central Oklahoma Herding Dog Association and is on the Board of Directors for the West Central Oklahoma Kennel Club.
Kent served as the Trial Chairman of the very first AKC herding trials (licensed by the ACDCA), which were held in January of 1990 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He served as National Herding Chairman for the ACDCA for several years in the early 90’s, and was one of a panel of three club members elected by the membership to assist in the production of the AKC breed video on ACD’s.
He was also chosen to serve on the 1991 and 1994 National Herding Advisory Committees for the American Kennel Club. Kent and his wife Lori now travel extensively judging and giving herding training clinics across the United States. When not traveling, Kent is a fulltime rancher and professional stockdog trainer and handler.
Kent has won High in Trial and/or Reserve High in Trial at the ACDCA nationals with 7 different Australian Cattle Dogs over the past several years. Kent and Lori bred ACD’s under the kennel prefix “Whiskey River” from 1990 through 1996. The few litters they produced included herding titled dogs, several champions, an AOM at Westminister, Reserve Winners Dog at the 1992 ACDCA Nationals, a group placing champion, and a Canadian Best Puppy In Show.
Kent and Lori own the XP Ranch in western Oklahoma, where they run sheep and cattle, and train dogs on 400 acres near the South Canadian River in Dewey County.
LORI HERBEL - HERDING
Lori’s first trial dog was an Australian Cattle Dog, which she first trialed at the 1991 Australian Cattle Dog Club of America National Specialty. Since that time, she has trained and trialed two dogs to their Herding Championships. She has won both High in Trial and Reserve at the BCSA Nationals. She has trialed in AKC, ASCA, AHBA and USBCHA sanctioned trials as well as unsanctioned jackpots. She has won High and Reserve High in Trials in both the arena and in the open field, and has trialed on cattle, sheep, goats and ducks.
Lori served as Trial Secretary of the very first AKC herding trials (licensed by the ACDCA) held in Tulsa in 1990, and has also served as superintendent of the Oklahoma State Fair working stockdog trials. She was a contributing writer to the ACDCA national club newsletter for several years in the early 90’s, and was selected by the AKC as the editor of the “Herdsman”, the AKC national herding magazine, from 1991-2003. She continues to do freelance writing and is a professional photographer, with her work appearing in numerous books and magazines. Kent and Lori have been interviewed on both TV and radio, and have been included in a part of the documentary entitled, “The World of Dogs”. The September 2004 issue of Purina’s “Today’s Breeder” featured an article on the XP Ranch. Lori also serves as webmaster for several websites, including their own XP Ranch, as well as the western Oklahoma Triple Cross Cowboy Ministry, and a cowboy evangelist/recording artist from Texas.
Kent and Lori bred ACD’s under the kennel prefix “Whiskey River” from 1990 through 1996. The few litters they produced included herding titled dogs, several champions, an AOM at Westminister, Reserve Winners Dog at the 1992 ACDCA Nationals, a group placing champion, and a Canadian Best Puppy In Show.
The Herbels travel approximately 40 weekends per year, judging, giving lessons, conducting clinics and competing. They have also conducted many instinct tests across the country.
Kent and Lori own the XP Ranch in western Oklahoma, where they run sheep and cattle, and train dogs on 400 acres near the South Canadian River in Dewey County.
