I want to start off by thanking Mike Neary for first suggesting, almost a year ago, that I should go to Ireland and compete at the World Sheepdog Trial as a youth handler. I also want to thank Mike for convincing my parents that I should go.

At my first sign of interest in the sheepdog herding world, everyone has been so supportive. From my first pro-novice run, you all told me how wonderful job I was doing. You told me how excited you were for me to run in open and beat those who have more years of experience than I do. Soon, indeed, that did happen and your support remained as constant as ever. Now I am going to Ireland, and wonderfully overwhelmed at the number of people who have offered their kind words of encouragement.

From my first word of commitment to the World Trial, my life has been in quite a whirlwind. I organized bake sales to fundraise, then I began selling the old editions of the Working Border Collie Magazine through Farm Diggity as another means of fundraising (thank you Vickie Close!) We had an auction for Team USA and raised money, thanks to all who organized and supported. Then came summer and we hosted our annual Rush Creek Summer Trial where I made breakfast three of the four days for handlers who supported me so generously.

I would like to thank everyone who championed me along the way. Thank you to Vickie Close for all of your countless hours helping me with the magazine sales, and Rebecca Gibson for organizing a trial to fundraise for the World Team as well as your coloring books. Thank you to all who have supported my bake sales as there are too many to name, and some of you didn’t even take a cookie! Thank you to Peg Anderson for all of your travel advice regarding Mattie. Thank you to John Wentz who organized the Ghost Sheepdog Trial earlier this year as a fundraiser for the team. Thank you to Jim Valley for raising your honey prices to give me the extra two dollars per jar. Thank you to Mindy Bower and Terry Murray for my beautiful leash, and to Lorri Schubert for the collar. Thank you to “aunt” Colleen, and to my “pseudo godmother” Tolli. Thank you Mary Ames, Silvia King, Annie O’Toole, Patti Sumner, Nisi Staley, Katy Ratliff, Cathy Draut, Esther Gates, Jan Stebbins, Mike and Janet Wagner, Bob and Bobbie Washer, Paul and Leigh Anne Tucker, and Elenor Peavy. Also, thank you to all of those who reached out with kind words and generous donations who hardly know me.

I am so excited to share this adventure with all of you!