Summer Herding Symposium 2026

Instructor

Carol Ann Hartenagle

Carol Ann Hartnagle is the third of four Hartnagle generations to enjoy a lifetime association with working stock dogs. From the time she was a child, she saw and used working Australian Shepherds in the environment for which they were originally intended. Her family’s bloodline, Hartnagle’s Las Rocosa Aussies was founded in 1955 and is the oldest kennel in the breed. She is the breeder, trainer, and handler of a number of champion working titled Australian Shepherds and has titled in all areas of competition. The family’s kennel earned the distinction of being the first-ever Hall of Fame Kennel; first-ever Hall of Fame Excellent Kennel, and the first-ever Stockdog Kennel of Excellence.

An in-demand and multi‐disciplined judge in AKC, ASCA, and CKC, Carol Ann judged in thirty-seven states and nine countries. She has been honored to judge National Specialty Herding Trials for numerous Herding Breed Parent Clubs, and countless trials for specialty clubs. She has presented seminars across North America, U.K., and Europe.

As one of the first approved AKC Herding Program Judges, Carol Ann has assisted and coached a number of trial and ranch participants to successfully achieve their goals. She is the co‐author of the popular book entitled the Total Australian Shepherd – Beyond the Beginning with her father, Ernest Hartnagle.

In 2024, Carol Ann, along with her siblings, was honored with the distinction of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Australian Shepherd Club of America for their past and ongoing contributions to the breed

Instructor

Rusty Jeffers

Rusty Jeffers entered his first stockdog trial in 1999 and since then has earned multiple High in Trials and herding championships in AHBA, AKC and USBCHA trials.  He began judging stockdog trials in 2004 and has judged numerous AHBA, AKC, and USBCHA trials in that time.  He has judged multiple national specialties including those for Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, German Shepherd Dog, Collie, Bearded Collie, Bouvier de Flandres, Rottweiler, Standard Schnauzer, Giant Schnauzer, Puli and Old English Sheepdog.

Additionally, Rusty has organized and chaired numerous trials and public demonstrations at a number of locations, including fairs and Scottish Festivals.

He currently serves as President of The American Herding Breed Association (AHBA) and board member of The Northern California Working Sheepdog Association. After spending most of his herding career in California, he now lives in Western Oregon with his wife,  three border collies and a small herd of sheep.

Rusty will be working with intermediate and advanced handlers on arena and field skill sets.

Instructor

Roy Sage

Roy Sage comes to us from Nyssa, OR and brings a lifetime of experience working with dogs, livestock, and dogs with livestock. He and his wife Annette's Osage Australian Shepherd Kennel has recieved the special recognition of being a Hall of Fame (HOF) Kennel producing a number of Working Trial Champions (WTCH). Roy has conducted clinics and judged trials across the nation and the globe with all breeds of herding/working dogs. Roy shares his daily work load with an Aussie, a Belgian Sheepdog and a Border Collie.

Roy really enjoys working with novice dogs and handlers and we are lucky to have him lined up to work with our Intro to the Bubble handler/dog teams.

Instructor

Val Manning

Val's interest in herding started when working as a Pet Food Specialist for Farmland Industries in the late 80's and early 90's. During this time, Farmland was the official Pet Food of The Meeker Classic, The National Western Stock Show and other trials in Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas. At that time - very few people were trialing with upright dogs, and fewer with German Shepherds. In 1995, Val finished her first conformation champion - CH Hickory Hill's Excalibur "Magic" and decided that the next goal would be to compete in herding. She and Magic started working with Jerry Rowe that June, and started trialing in October. Since that time, Terra Norte' GSD's have been both conformation champions and herding dogs. In 2004 with the help of Hildy Morgan, Jerry Rowe and others - Val started Rancho Terra Norte' and the Northern Colorado Herding Cooperative was established.

Working with beginning students and their dogs is highly rewarding. While most trainers can take a dog and trial successfully, it takes a Coach to teach the owner how to herd and build on the relationship between dog & handler. Diversity is what builds a better mousetrap - Val has been successful in helping GSD's, Aussies, BCs, Rotties, Collies, Belgians, Briards, and Cattledogs and their owners herd proficiently and achieve success in the herding arena or field. She is both an AKC and AHBA herding judge.

Instructor

Liane Ehrich

Liane Ehrich has worked with livestock and dogs for her entire life.

She took her first herding lesson in 2003 with a mixed breed, and since that time has immersed herself in stock dogs, stock dog breeds, and handling the various types of stock faced at local trials and ranches in the West. Liane opened her dog training business, Empire Ridge Ranch, first as an opportunity to provide stock dog training and then as a means to help people cope with the many difficulties encountered when a herding dog's needs are not appropriately met.

Liane hosted the Miniature American Shepherd Nationals herding trial for 2020 (held in 2021), as well as the Canaan Dogs Nationals instinct testing in 2021, she and her dogs have been invited to demonstrate stock handling at AKC events, and Liane was invited to judge the Legacy Class at the Border Collie Specialty in Arizona in 2023.

Liane lives in Vail, Arizona with her husband, flocks of geese and sheep, three cows, a couple of chickens, six herding dogs, and a livestock guardian dog.

Instructor

Britney Mazzer

Britney Mazzer and her Rottwielers do everything - including carting. While Rotts are her breed - Britney enjoys working with all breeds, big and small. This year, Britney is going to be one of the fundamental level instructors. She is also going to share her love for carting at this year's Carting Workshop scheduled for Monday evening July 7th.

Instructor

Michelle (Chelle) Schumann DVM

LI am a 1990 graduate of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine in St.Paul Minnesota. I then practiced in Albuquerque New Mexico for 15 years first as an associate veterinarian and the served as Medical director in several related specialty practices in the area.

My career has since taken me to the beauty of Montana where I have practiced mainly emergency medicine as well as some general practice for the last 12 years. My love of the German Shepherd Dog began before I was school age as my father was a border patrol agent with a working GSD in southern New Mexico. Since then I have been blessed with the best dog in the world many times and they are all remembered with love and a smile.

My current dogs are PAM Violet, PAM Bee! and young Cat! who are multi talented and titled in agility, herding, rally, barn hunt, tracking and dock diving.

Instructor

Jill Grant

Jill Grant is a multi-venue competitor and instructor. Jill and her Rotties do it all - Conformation, Obedience, Rally, Herding, Carting and Tracking. Jill and her husband reside in Longmont where she works from home as a technical writer/editor.

We feel very fortunate that Jill is our tracking resource. Her Tracking lecture and workshop are very popular sessions.

Instructor

Dave Stanford

Dave and his wife Jenny reside in Evans, CO with their two GSDs Peyton and Athena. As a recently retired middle school science teacher, Dave brings together is gift for teaching and his passion for dog sports. He and Peyton are active competitors in herding, scentwork, and barn hunt.

RTN is thrilled he will be working with symposium students by leading the Intro to Scentwork and Intro to Barnhunt workshops.

Instructor

Hana Fullmer

Hana Fullmer trains all breeds and all levels at SummerNY Ranch, owned by Cathy Sumeracki, in Ignacio, Colorado.

Hana brings real life experience to herding training as she owns and operates Tierra Vida Farm and Tierra Vida Ranch. Managing, rotating, and grazing animals is part of the soil health and fertility program for both of her businesses. Her dog Zoey is her most valuable employee and her puppy Ace has begun his training.

Hana believes strongly in utilizing as much of a dog's innate ability as possible. Her methods are focused on ensuring that dogs are accountable for their own behavior (in life and work) so that we, as handlers, have to manage them as little as possible.

As a trainer, Hana is patient and soft spoken. Her gift is the ability to explain herding so her students can understand it. Herding can be difficult to grasp and Hana makes it easy.

Outside of farming and training, you will find her at herding trials, hiking mountains, and camping with her dogs and husband.