This weekend there is a big event taking place in the Yuma region that has never been seen here before.
Ronda Pletcher will host the Heartstrong Classic, a stick dog competition on Saturday and Sunday from April 24-25. (The rookie competition is on Friday evening.) It is held at their ranch at 31228 County Road M, southeast of Yuma.
The Heartstrong Classic is part of the Mountain States Stockdog Association.
Pletcher said if things go well this year it could become an annual event, adding that discussions have been held with the Yuma County Commissioners to have it take place at the Yuma County Fairgrounds.
The opening event got off to a good start before it even took place.
“It’s going to be as big as the one on the National Western Stock Show,” said Pletcher.
There are 71 attendees, along with a waiting list in case anyone cancels. Participants come from seven states – Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and even one from Memphis, Tennessee.
Pletcher said Yuma County and many others in the area have been very supportive. The county is providing grandstands for spectators (entry is free) and will classify their street prior to the Heartstrong Classic. The 4-H Westerneers Club offers concessions every day. The competition starts on Saturday and Sunday from April 24th to 25th at 8am.
There will be banners and signs recognizing the 20+ sponsors who are helping make this a reality.
“The community support has been incredible,” said Pletcher, adding that the Heartstrong Classic has sponsors from across the region. “It’s humbling how many people want to bring something new to the region and it’s very entertaining.”Ronda Pletcher and her Border Collie “Wick” will host the Heartstrong Classic this weekend. (Courtesy photo)
After the competition on Saturday there will be a steak dinner in honor of the sponsors.
Pletcher has been competing in stock dog competitions with her Border Collie “Wick” for three years. However, almost all of them are far from Yuma, which made it impossible for their mother Carol to leave.
“Mom has never seen me,” said Pletcher. “I thought the only way for her to see me is to have one in my back yard.”
And it’s literally as it will be at her home, which she thinks offers plenty of space for attendees, spectators, and parking.
The Open, Nursery (dogs up to three years old) and Intermediate classes will compete against each other on Saturday and Sunday. People and their dogs – usually border collies – are put through an obstacle course that involves six or seven maneuvers in handling cattle.
“The course will be designed to be realistic about what we’re actually doing on the ranch,” said Pletcher.
Each human and dog team must maneuver three cattle through the course, with at least one being led through an obstacle before proceeding to the next. Everyone has a time limit of eight minutes.
Participants receive five points for every head they get from a maneuver. The combination of points and fastest times determines the winner. There will be sizeable cash prizes each day, and the winner of the average two-day combined score will receive very attractive buckles that Pletcher made for the event.
The participation fees and sponsorships make all of this possible. Pletcher said there are some costs, like paying a judge and an announcer, and a stock fee, but the rest is used for prizes.
While Pletcher and Wick now compete against each other, she got a stick dog first for more practical reasons. She said she does a lot of the day-to-day work on the ranch and needs help. She started thinking about the use of dogs and got Wendy Auzqui from Wyoming, a renowned stockdog trainer and competitor.
Pletcher got “Wick” and some training from Auzqui.
“A good dog can do what two or three hired hands can do,” she said, adding that the dogs do it quieter and in a way that is less stressful on the cattle.
Auzqui and her Border Collie “Frank” are among the best stock dog teams in the world and will take part in the Heartstrong Classic. The duo recently won the competition at the prestigious Calgary Stampede in Canada.
“Watching them work is like a magic show,” said Pletcher. “You have such a connection, it’s like reading your mind.”
In the end, Pletcher was convinced that she and Wick would like to take part in competitions. However, she told Auzqui that her first one must be far from Yuma because she didn’t want the locals to know if it was catastrophic. In the end, she traveled six hours to Auzqui’s home in Wyoming and then another six hours to the competition.
It turned out their worries were unfounded when she and Wick reached the finals. They have worked hard on it ever since.
Now she brings her passion to the Yuma area to share with everyone else and to show what a great place Yuma County is.
“I want to make this event something that gives back to the community,” said Pletcher. “Ag has gotten a lot of hits lately. I want to show Eastern Colorado and what ag means to us. Bring people in, have a great experience and at the same time see what a great place this is and it is a win for everyone. “
Don’t forget to mark your calendars and go to Pletcher Ranch sometime during the day April 24-25.
It will be an event that goes to the dogs, but in a good way.
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