Annual Heartstrong Cattle Dog Classic to be held this weekend in Yuma

It is time for the stock dogs to take center stage again in Yuma County.

The third annual Heartstrong Cattle Dog Classic will be April 28-30, at Ronda Pletcher’s ranch located at 31228 County Road M, southeast of Yuma.

The event starts Friday at 11 a.m. with the horseback trial. There will be two divisions, an open division of handlers who have trialed before, and a ranch division for local ranchers who use their dog in their day-to-day ranching operation. The on-foot portion of the trial will start Saturday morning and run throughout the day on Sunday. The on-foot consists of four divisions, the Open, Nursery, Intermediate, and the novice. The open will begin around 8 a.m. on Saturday.

There will be a free barbecue at 12 noon on April 29 for up to 250 people in attendance. Organizer Ronda Pletcher said local organizers have stepped up big time to sponsor the barbecue. She said it will be basically an Ag Appreciation Day.

“I am super, super excited about it,” Pletcher said.

Sponsors are located not only in Yuma County, but also from Sterling, Brush, Holyoke and Burlington. Pletcher said she would love to see spectators from all over the region.

There are 64 dogs entered, and handlers from six states in this year’s Heartstrong Classic. Wendy Auzqui, a two-time Calgary Stampede Champion, from Clearmont, Wyo., will be here again. Pletcher said she will be one you definitely won’t want to miss.

The dogs and their handlers will be put through an obstacle course involving several maneuvers in handling cattle. Competitors will receive points for each head they get through a maneuver. The combination of points and fastest times will determine the winners. There will be considerable cash prizes each day, and the winner of the average two-day combined scores will receive buckles.