HERDING GROUP THE
1. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many as a judge? 2. Do you have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? 3. Can you talk about your introduction to the Herding breeds? 4. Have you bred any influential Herding dogs? Have you shown any notable winners? 5. Can you speak a bit about breed-specific presentation? Any examples? 6. What about breed character? How do you assess this in the Herding breeds? 7. Several Herding breeds have enjoyed enormous popularity. What makes them so iconic? 8. The Herding Group has added more than a dozen breeds since 2000. How competitive are they? 9. Can you speak to the value of a performance title in a Herding dog? 10. Do you have any advice to offer newer judges of the Herding Group? 11. Which Herding dogs from the past have had the greatest influence on the sport? 12. Is there a funny story you can share about your experiences judging the Herding breeds? MARY ANNE BROCIOUS Thank you, AJ, for inviting me to comment in ShowSight’s Herding Edition. It is a privilege. I live in Milford, Michigan,
out why I was always attracted to dogs. Mostly mixed breeds, but I was always fascinated by them. My aunt had a purebred Collie that was my constant companion as a girl, and I loved the personality of this beautiful Herding dog. As a young girl growing up, I had a collection of dog statues that got bigger every year as my family added to it at Christmas and Birthdays. I still have it. After under- graduate school, I researched various purebred breeds and came up with Old English Sheepdogs, a Herding dog like the Collie of my youth. I had recently moved from Pennsylvania to Michigan and found successful OES breeders, Tammy and Marvin Smith (Tamara Kennel) and purchased my first OES [from them]. I went on to breed and own over 100 champions with a small, but suc- cessful breeding program. With the mentoring from Tammy and Marvin, as well as learning all I could from other successful breed- ers of not only OES, but other Herding breeds, I learned about canine anatomy, pedigrees, breed standards, breed type, breeding for health and temperament, and the care and maintenance of a heavily coated breed. Have I bred any influential Herding dogs or shown any notable winners? I have had a good deal of show ring success with all-breed Best in Show wins, Group wins and placements, and National Specialty wins. Winning as an owner-handler was very rewarding. While I have bred several top-producing sires and dams, our Ch. Qubic’s The Buck Stops Here won the OESCA Top Twenty and many Groups. His legacy, however, is his more than 30 champion offspring, with very limited breeding. We just used the last of his frozen semen and have some promising offspring coming up. In 2012, we won Best of Breed, Best of Winners, Winners Dog, and Winners Bitch at the OESCA National Specialty. What a day! In 2013, I was named Herding Breeder of the Year by the Santa Bar- bara Kennel Club. Can I speak a bit about breed-specific presentation? Herding dogs need a job! They are lively and always alert to their surround- ings, sometimes making them a training and presentation chal- lenge. You want to see that eagerness to want to work and keep everyone, and everything, in line; a confident kindness. In Border Collies, you want to see the “stealth” profile when moving; so they have a good eye on their charges. You want to see a spritely look to a Sheltie that shows its watchful eye on the sheep or ducks. You want to see the Briard able to move all day, working as a moving fence to keep the flock on a small plot of ground. The German Shepherd Dog must have the stamina to keep moving all day to surround the cattle. These are just a few breed-specific examples. The Herding dogs, the Blue-Collar Group, are workers and com- panions to their masters like no other. For many years, the Herding Group did not command the respect from Judges as it does today. Breeders have brought these breeds to new levels of soundness and they are presented in such a way that they can’t be missed in the Best in Show ring. Several Herding breeds have enjoyed enormous popular- ity. What makes them so iconic? The recent rise in popularity of Herding breeds is a direct result of breeders who are committed to breeding dogs that closely meet their breed standards and have the “it” factor in presentation. Many years ago, Corky Vroom showed “Iron Eyes,” the Bouvier, to many great wins—that team had “it.” Many great German Shepherds, presented by Jimmy Moses, reached the highest of honors in the show ring with the “it” fac- tor. More recently, you have young breeders coming up, building on the pedigrees and success of their predecessors in such breeds as Australian Shepherds, Pembroke Welsh Corgis, Border Collies,
about 20 miles North of Ann Arbor. I got my first show quality Old Eng- lish Sheepdog in 1973. (Dare I do the math—48 years ago—and it seems like yesterday.) I have been judg- ing since 1982, but only a couple of breeds then because I was very active in breeding and showing a high
maintenance breed. In the early 1990s, I began to add breeds. As a breeder, the process was very slow. (One for one breed, two for two breeds, and so on.) I worked consistently on the Herding and Working breeds, since these are what I knew best. I added Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen’s later on, after having some success breed- ing and showing them. Do I have any hobbies or interests apart from purebred dogs? We still keep a few Old English Sheepdogs for showing and breed- ing, but my husband and I are avid Classic Car Collectors and, of course, competitors. We compete with our cars in local and out of state car shows and cruises, and we enjoy the comradery with fel- low enthusiasts. We travel when we can, but of course, COVID has kept us home. We hope to resume our travels to some places on our must-see list. Though you wanted to know about outside activities, a big part of my time is given to the Ann Arbor Kennel Club of which I am a life member. I am currently Vice President and Show Chair. Our Club has grown our event to one of the premier dog shows in the Midwest. Can I talk about my introduction to the Herding breeds? While not coming from a dog-oriented family, I couldn’t figure
218 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2021
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