Wolston Sheep Setting Team

What is the most important job at a trail? To me its a toss up between the judge and the sheep setting. Both jobs require consistancy, and you know both jobs have been done well when noone complains about them. Sheep setting is not the same as running in a trial, the skill sets may overlap but being good at one does not necessarily make you good at the other. Good sheep setting involves how the sheep are handled in the pens as well as how they are taken out to the field and held at the setout point. Ideally it should be done with the absolute minimum amount of stress on the sheep, with the sheep walking and not running throughout the entire process.

Ian has set sheep at many trials and takes the job very seriously. Unfortunately setting sheep for an entire trial on his own with rotating help in the pens takes a lot out of him and his dogs. In order to be able to continue to offer sheep setting services Ian has trained a crew of friends and students to assist in the pens and in the field. Our setting approach is based on a sheep handling method we call CPA - calm, patient and attentive. the training program involves five 1-2 hour sessions and everyone working on the crew has been through the program.

We are now pleased to be able to offer our sheep setting services to trials within a 6-8 hour drive of Scio, Oregon (other locations are possible with added travel fees) for $300 a day minus the cost of entires for team members dogs. We also request that lunch and drinks be provided as we dont have time to make our own when setting. Depending on the size and complexity of the job we will bring a crew of between 3 and 5 people and at least 3 open level dogs.

No special consideration in running orders is needed, we will rotate our people around the running order so that there is no interuption or disruption of the setting. We typically travel with an RV and request that where possible we be able to park it near the setout area, if we cant park near the setout we request a porta potty near the setout area. If you have a prefered way of setting, on hay, or just held by people and or dogs we will accomodate your desires as much as the stock allow.

For more information or to hire the crew please call Ian at 503-394-2021 or email him at imc@wolston.com