August 18, 2016 VOLUME 121 | ISSUE 29 | 75¢
LET THERE BE BEARDS There’s more to facial-hair fashion than meets the eye on PAGE 12.
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GETTING READY TO SHOW OFF
Firefighters celebrate Firehouse Subs grant Wish-list fulfillment clears the way for deployments By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media
Natalie Holschuh clips her goat, Zoe, to get her ready for show. Clipping them to better show off their muscles is one of the many tasks in preparing to show animals at any show. Check out more photos of youths raising animals for market on page 6. Photo by Shanna Fortier
Working dogs compete in stock trials Timed events evaluate skill at herding animals By Rick Gustafson Special to Colorado Community Media While the bulls bucked and tractors roared at the Elbert County Fair in Kiowa during the first weekend in August, a different type of competitors was put to the test in Elizabeth at the Rocky Mountain Roundup Stock Trials. The stock trials at Casey Jones Park Arena from Aug. 5-7 were hosted by the Colorado Australian Shepherd Association (CASA). The trials offered dogs and their handlers the opportunity to work cattle, sheep and/or ducks in three days of morning and afternoon sessions. “This is a stock trial,” said CASA Vice President Terri Morgan. “A stock trial is where dogs bred for herding compete in arena trials. They do a particular course, a pattern. With cattle and sheep you have 10 minutes for each run, and then on ducks you have seven.”
Firefighters from the Kiowa Fire District joined Firehouse Subs shop owner Cory Cummings and his staff for an Aug. 4 ceremony celebrating a grant issued to the department by the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation at the chain’s Twenty Mile Road location in Parker. The $17,350 Firehouse grant filled a five-page wish list of hoses, chain saws and even a week supply of freeze-dried food to equip the Kiowa Fire Department’s newest brush truck. The new equipment qualifies the truck for deployment on federal and state missions. “It’s our first brush truck eligible for federal and state deployments,” said Kiowa Fire Chief Gerry Lamansky. “It’s really going to help us.” The fully equipped truck could offer a financial boost to the department. A twoto three-man crew on a brush truck could generate as much as $22,000 for each two-week deployment on federal or state missions. Earned funds would be directed back to the department to purchase and update equipment. Lamansky anticipates that brush truck B223 will be fully equipped and approved for use during the 2017 fire season. Since its inception, the Firehouse foundation has given more than $20 million of grants and equipment to departments in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. First responders in Colorado have received over $260,000. Locally, the Elizabeth Fire Protection District received an $8,000 Firehouse grant in 2015, which funded an interactive manikin. The device is use to help train EMTs and is capable of simulating multiple symptoms. Megnah Vargas, the senior development manager for Firehouse Subs Public Grant continues on Page 11
Sharon Elkins and Dash work the ducks into a pen at the Rocky Mountain Roundup Stock Trials in Elizabeth on Aug. 6. Not all dogs have the finesse to herd ducks. Photo by Rick Gustafson The timed events are scored based on how well the animal herds the stock through the course. Points are deducted or a trial is stopped if a judge deems that a dog is showing aggressive behavior toward the stock or nips at an animal.
“They’re dogs, dogs with instincts. It doesn’t make them a bad dog. It just means they’re dogs.” Morgan said. “Working ducks, people always laugh because how many duck ranchers are there, but ducks take a lot of
finesse. With sheep and cattle, the dogs have a tremendous amount of instinct to work. The ducks are like, `what?’” Handlers may enter multiple dogs in each trial, Dogs continues on Page 11
Capt. Jason Goldman shows off the new equipment made possible by the Firehouse grant. Photo by Rick Gustafson
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