Donald McCaig paid Border Wars a visit recently, but he left his comment on my very first post where no one is likely to read it. So here it is:
Now, to my knowledge McCaig had his best finals showing ever in 2006, and he’s bred his dogs. He might dismiss his run as “a wreck” as well as Sandi (not the same as Rose Anderson) Andersen’s run, but that’s not what the score sheet says.
McCaig didn’t appear in the 2005 finals, nor did Andersen. And Andersen did qualify for the 2007 finals, even if she didn’t go. Donald didn’t do much better this year than he did last year. The first round of the 2006 National Finals Open Draw look like this:
1. Wilson, Tom – Sly 178
…
16. MacRae, Alsdair – Star 154 (went on to win)
…
27. Andersen, Sandi – Brock 142
…
48. Andersen, Sandi – Harley 131
…
96. McCaig, Donald – Luke 79
97. McCaig, Donald – June 77
Only two dogs scored lower than McCaig, the rest quit or were disqualified. Now, top third vs. two steps above the bottom of the barrel. Which one is the wreck again, Donald?
His case against versatility bred dogs is that they shouldn’t BE bred and shouldn’t BREED themselves. Harley, the dog in question, has also been bred by co-owners Sandi Andersen and Janice DeMello. So Donald thinks his performance is good enough to breed, but not Sandi’s. Hrm.
McCaig is right about one thing, “over time the merciless laws of genetic selection create the dogs we want – and no other.” The dogs WE want, Donald, are versatility bred dogs, so we’re going to breed them that way. Deal.
update: McCaig has Sandi Andersen confused with Rose Anderson. Rose’s USBCHA standings can be seen here and here. Sandi’s results are here, here, and here. Apparently the USBCHA can’t keep their names straight either, Sandi is listed as “SANDRA ANDERSON” and “SANDI ANDERSEN.”
Apparently Rose Anderson runs merle dogs (GASP! the horror! merle dogs can’t work–silly), so I guess it’s part of McCaig’s confusion on which people he should ostracize:
Rose Anderson from Michigan has a merle called Chi that she has taken from Novice -> Open in short order and is winning Open trials with. She has a younger merle too that is doing quite well.
She won at the Crook & Whistle trial in Jefferson WI, twice at Bill Gary’s trial in River Falls WI, was 2nd at Chaffin’s SDT in Vesper WI, and was 9th and 10th at the WWSDA Fall trial in Portage WI this year.
Not sure which lines Rose’s merles come from but they can work.
Pearse
Gosh, racism and sexism is really alive and well in the trialing community.
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Dear Readers,
While I am disinclined to respond to adverse reviews (I had a long time to write the book, it’s your turn to take a shot) this blogger wrote: “What Donald McCaig says is a lie. He himself (along with two-thirds of the field) was beaten by a full fledged AKC conformation dog who is the product of two AKC conformation champions at the USBCHA National Finals last year. “
A lie? Shame. While I believe that throwbacks occur and that it takes – best guess -three generations to make show bred sheepdogs useless for sheepwork – only one AKC reg dog (Rose Anderson’s) ran in the 2006 finals (wreck-as were mine) and that dog didn’t enter the 2007 finals. Will, occasionally such dogs turn up? Yep. But over time the merciless laws of genetic selection create the dogs we want – and no other.
We cannot serve two masters.
Donald McCaig