Championships in Herding

In the US, three organizations offer Championships in Herding. Below, I go over the requirements for each

championship and then present a list of all the GSD Champions of Herding. As near as I can determine, there are approximately

about 20 dogs – all breeds combined - with all three championships. All three of the German Shepherd Triple Crowners are

from GSD Vom Insel.

American Herding Breed Association

 This organization covers US and Canada. The title that they offer is called Herding Trial Champion, abbreviated 
HTCh and aften pronounced “hitch.” After a dog has earned its first level III title, it becomes eligible to earn points on any 
AHBA course (Herding Trial Dog or Herding Ranch Dog or Herding Trial Arena Dog) or stock 
(sheep, goats, cattle, ducks, turkey or geese). For example, 
a dog could get a HTDIII-s and then simultaneously earn a leg and a point on HRDIII-c. A point is earned for every score 
of 80% or above, but no more than 3 points may be earned on ducks or geese. Points must be earned under at least three 
different judges. Thus, it takes a minium of 12 qualifications to earn a HTCh. As of May 2001, the number of GSD Herding
 Trial Champions is 3 out of an all breed total of 36 according to the AHBA web site. The HTCh program was instituted circa 
1996, but ABHA allowed retroactive earning of the title.
 
American Kennel Club
 
 This organization covers the United States only. The title that they offer is called Herding Champion, abbreviated 
HCh or HC. The regulations originally stated the abbreviation as HCh, but the AKC has never been able to figure out the very simple 
task of increasing the field size in their computers from 2 to 3, despite being able to handle 3 and 4 digit abbreviations in 
obedience, so shortened the abbreviation so it would be confused with High Combined or Herding [Instinct] Certified. 
{Note: Regulations have been changed so now they say abbreviation is HC.} AKC has also recently started droping 
ALL lower herding titles from a dog’s name once it gets its HC.
 
Points for the HCh is based on the numbers of dogs beaten at a trial and were earned for only cattle and sheep. However, on June 1, 2001,
one became able to earn points on ducks. If a dog runs in more than one advanced class at a trial, only its highest score counts in 
determining points, and the dog is counted only once in terms of determining number of dogs competing. 
 Thus, the mimimun number of qualifications needed to earn a HCh is 6. The program went into effect in 1990.
 
 

#Dogs in Competition	Place among divisions	Points
3-6	First	2
	Second	1
7-9	First	3
	Second	2
	Third	1
10-19	First	4
	Second	3
	Third	2
	Fourth	1
20 or more	First	5
	Second	4
	Third	3
	Fourth	2
	Fifth	1

 
 
 Additionally, dogs winning High-in-Trial from the Advanced classes will be awarded double championship points, up to 
a maximum of 5 points earned at one event, subject to all of the foregoing conditions. One Championship point is earned 
when an Advanced dog goes High-in-Trial, and there was only one dog in the Advanced class. 
(Note: The HIT doubling rule has been withdrawn.)
 Two points are earned with HIT when there are two dogs in the Advanced class.
 
 One problem with this system, is that the quality of training varies greatly among different parts of the US. This is 
especially true for the training of the “other breeds.” Most herding is based on British styles. However, dogs from other 
parts of the world may have been bred for different herding instincts due to differences in livestock (both species and 
breeds), terrain, degree of predation, and management system. British style training methods, may not be the best way to 
train these other breeds. For most of the breeds, knowledge on their traditional training methods is unknown. Through 
trial and error, people have slowly discovered good training methods for these other breeds, have learned how to work 
with the dogs different instincts rather than work against them. Some parts of the country are way ahead of others in this 
regard. Thus, in some parts of the US, a score of 85 would regularily be High in Trial, where in other parts of the country 
where the training is really good, the same quality run would get the same score, but would seldom even be in the 
placements. Also, some parts of the country tend to use mostly light stock in their trials and others heavy stock. Different 
types of dogs do better on light than heavy stock and vise versa. (GSDs being a very powerful breed developed for very 
large groups of stock tend to do better on heavy stock.) Thus, the quality of the HCh dogs varies with the part of the US.
 
 Another problem with this system is that it promotes unsportsmanship like feelings. Someone going for a championship, 
has to wish bad luck upon their competition. It also creates an animosity towards border collies because they win so often. 
There are several reasons for this: bc handers choose their dogs better and search out the better ones (GSD handlers are 
really stupid in this regard), bc training is much better understood, trials are usually set up to more reflect the conditions the 
bc was bred to work than conditions the other breeds were bred for, scoring is often biased toward the working style of 
the bc (indeed the off-pressure work of a good GSD is often misintrepreted as off-contact, and the dogs frequently get 
deducted for demonstrating stock rating!!). 
 
Australian Shepherd Club of America
 
 Although a one breed organization, ASCA allows non-Australian Shepherds to compete in their stockdog programs. It 
helps to make the trials financially feasible. It now issues titles to non Aussies, but only lists Aussie results in its magazine. 
Originally, it let other breeds compete, but did not give them titles. (Incidentally, United Schutzhund of America, a GSD 
organization, allows nonGSDs to compete, even at the nationals. ASCA finals is only for Aussies.) ASCA is the global 
parent club for the Australian Shepherd, which incidentally is American in origin. (Other American developed herding
breeds include the English Shepherd, Catahoula, McNab and various Curs.)
 
 An ASCA Working Trial consists of three stock (cattle, ducks, and sheep) and three main levels (Started, Open and 
Advanced) which the dog must progress through. (However, ASCA Ranch or Post-Advanced Trials may have only one 
stock.) The championship title that they offer is called Working Trial Champion, abbreviated WTCh and aften 
pronounced “witch.” A Working Trial Championship is earned when a dog had completed Advanced titles on all three 
stock. Thus, it takes a minimum of 18 qualifications to earn a WTCh. It is not point based, but rather versitility based. 
There have been 360 Australian Shepherd WTCh since 1979 and 179 other breed WTCh since 1986 (both tallies up to
December 31, 2000), only two of which were German Shepherd Dogs. Unfortunately, ASCA has not updated their
 Other Breed WTCH listing since then to give more current statistics.
 
 
GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG
 
CHAMPIONS OF HERDING
 

			owner/(H)andler	year earned
AHBA Herding Trial Champions
HTCh HCh Fluorescence Vom Insel HTDIIIs/g, HRDIIIs/g, HRDIc “Flora”			Dorothy DeLisle	1997
HTCh Klaatu Berrada Nicto HTDIIIs, HRDIIIs, HRDIIg, HRDIc			Dorothy DeLisle	2000
HTCh Mississippi Rip HRDIIIs, HTDIIId/s			Nancy Lee Obermark	2000
HTCh Drazi Vom Insel HTDIII-s/c/g/d/ge, HRDIII-s/c/g, HTADIII-g/s/d/ge, RLFIII-s/ge			Dorothy DeLisle	2004
HTCh Diva’s Solo HTDIII-s/g, HRDIII-s/g			Richard Godfrey	2004
AKC Herding Champions		course(s) earned on
HC J-Rae's Honey Bear O'Firethorn HX, CD, HGH		C	Carol Weigand	1993
HC Mi-Hi's Kansas City Star CDX, TT, HX		A	Sharon Allen	1995
HC Indian Ledge Lex O'Firethorn HX, HGH	*	C	Susan Sullivan	1996
HC Jazzman O'Firethorn HX, HGH	*	C	Susan Sullivan	1996
HC Pa-Gairs Kaiserin Chelsea CD, HX	*	A	Diane Wright	1997
HC Fluorescence Vom Insel CD, HX, HXAs, HXBS, HXCs “Flora”	*	A,B,C	Dorothy DeLisle	1997
HC Hillside v Weiden's Eclipse UD, HX		C	Karen Weidenbener	2000
HC Lexa HXCs		C	Carol Weigand	2000
HC Klaatu Berrada Nicto HX, HGH, HXAsdc, HXCs, HXBd, HIBs, CD		A,C	Dorothy DeLisle	2001
HC Kingswood's Jessica HX		A	Linda Leeman (H)	2001
HC Mississippi Rip HXAsd		A	Nancy Lee Obermark	2001
HC Maximum's Little Charley HXAs, HXBs		A,B	Bob Dias	2001
		A	Sheryl Evans	2002
HC DeBrut Kiss Me Kate Windridge HXAs, HIBs, UD, NA, TD
HC V Weidens Night Hawk HXCs		C	Karen Weidenbener	2004
HC Drazi Vom Insel HXAscd, HXBd, HXCs		A (s,c,d)	Dorothy DeLisle	2005
HC Omega's Peaceful EZ Feeling HXCs		C	Susan Sullivan	2005
HC Diva's Solo HXAsd, HXBs, OA, OAJ, OAP, OJP		A(s,d)	Richard Godfrey	2005
HC Abel vom Quasliner Moor UD RN MX MXJ HXCs HGH SCHH3		C	Kristin Siarkowicz	2007
HC Tango Thru the Nite v Elumed HXCs RA		C	Ellen Adomelis	2007
HC Caro vom Quasliner Moor HXCs, HXAs		A,C	Linda Holloway (H)	2007
HCh Windy Acres' Quintessential HXCs "Jack"		C	Diane Wright	2008
ASCA Working Trial Champions
WTCH Vargis Lektro Georgie HX			Joseph Kapelos	1997
WTCH Viviane Von Tagestraum HX			Deborah Pollard