Meeker, Stories

Milliken wins Classic, again

Amanda Milliken of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and her dog Clive won the silver anniversary 2011 Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship trials last weekend. She didn’t have much time to celebrate, however. Milliken and Clive qualified to compete in the 2011 U.S. National Finals, which started Tuesday in Carbondale.

MEEKER I The vision from the beginning was to become the best sheepdog trials event in the world. Twenty-five years later one can argue which one is “best,” but whenever sheepdog trials are discussed the Meeker Classic Sheepdog Championship Trials are always in the conversation.“Meeker is the most prestigious trial in North America to win, outside of the U.S. National Finals,” said Amanda Milliken, watching the final handler and dog team for the day complete the course. “It’s hard to win, there are a lot of great runners and great dogs and it’s never over until the trial is over. They’ve made it into something special to win.”The first sheepdog trials held in Meeker, in 1987, was called the World Sheepdog Championships. It offered a $15,000 purse to “make a splash and draw attention,” according to Keith Chamberlain, author of “Something Useful and Unspoiled,” a 25-year history of the Meeker Classic. The World Sheepdog Championships featured 63 handlers and was won by Canadian Elvin Kopp and his dog Jeff.Twenty-five years later, the purse was increased to $25,000 in honor of the silver anniversary of the event. The number of entries increased to 135, and this event, too, was won by a Canadian.Milliken, of Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and her 7-year-old dog Clive, were the third of 15 teams to run in the finals. They scored 134 of a possible 170 points Sunday to win the $6,500 first prize check. Milliken also won the Meeker Classic in 2009, with her dog Ethel.“Clive is a nephew of Ethel,” said Milliken, who also handles Roz. “Roz is a daughter of Ethel but ran in a thunderstorm and she is afraid of thunder, so she didn’t do well.”Although there were past Meeker Classic champion handlers in the field of 135, only Milliken and Dennis Gillings advanced through the preliminary and semifinal rounds to finals.Dennis Edwards and his dog Craig of Sundance, Wyo., finished second. Dennis Gellings and his dog Jan of Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada were third. Gellings won the Meeker Classic in 2008 with his dog Jake.Milliken didn’t have much time to enjoy her victory. She qualified for the U.S. National Finals, which started Tuesday in Carbondale, Colo.“Some say there is kind of a curse, you can’t win Meeker and the National Finals,” Milliken said of the upcoming challenge. “I hope to prove that wrong this year.” Milliken won the U.S. National Finals in 2005, when they were held in Sturgis, S.D.Last year Mary “Maym” Cunningham replaced her younger sister Ellen Nieslanik as director of the Meeker Classic and was pleased with the results.“Several handlers have said this is the best trial to come to, the best one in the world and that is a tribute to the community that started this,” Cunningham said after the awards ceremony. “I’m thankful for everybody showing up and doing their job. The board and volunteers put in a lot of hours to pull it all together and it worked. All the events went well and our educational seminars were well received.”

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
  • The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
  • It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
The 2024 Meeker High School boys basketball team held their awards banquet last week. Jace Mobley was named Player of the Western Slope League and all-conference, Ryan Sullivan all-conference, Jonathon Fitzgibbons all-conference, Ethan Quinn honorable mention all-conference, Jacob Simonsen honorable mention all conference. Mobley will play in All State games. Coach Klark Kindler was named Western Slope Coach of the Year. Left to right: Bryan Rosas, Simonsen, Quinn, Fitzgibbons, Mobley and Sullivan.
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It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 
🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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