A look at the history of the Australian Shepherd Club of America

ASCA During The Early Years
Highlights 1970-1971

By December 1970, Membership Dues had risen to $5.00 for a single vote and $7.50 for a dual (2 vote).  Other family members living in the same house could obtain single vote memberships for $2.50 per year. Membership includes a subscription to both the Aussie Times and the National Stock Dog magazine. 

Under the club's Reputable Breeders' Policy it is requested that all inquiries received are answered.  Walter Lamar from Okeene Oklahoma (ASCA Board of Trustees) began collecting information for a genetic (color and natural bob tail) research study on the breed.  The Aussie Times published a series drawings by Vicki Mistretta on gait and structure.

In the For Sale Section include listings with phrases such as:

• "Working & Show Dogs"

•  "Double Registered"

• "Over 45 years of breeding Aussies"

• "Parents Ribbon winners in Breed and Obedience"

• "Pups also being shown; good working character"

• "Herding, Guardians, bold and aggressive"

• "Good stock"

• "Working stock from old bloodlines"

• "Three FULL generations of Registered Ancestors!"

Janeane Harper, early ASCA Historian contributed the Aussie ABC's:

Conformation and Obedience Trials were being hosted through the regional clubs partnering with the local Kennel Clubs and Rare Breed Associations.

Quote: "BREED ONLY THE BEST TO THE BEST and, when it comes to culling, as it most certainly will, consider the damage which may be done to the Breed if you allow your heart to rule your head.  If you are not prepared to cull, do not breed."

Through the Aussie Times we met Diane and Gary Tuck from Arkansas.  Diane had sent a letter to the Times Inquiring about Working Stockdog Trials.  In 1970, Elaine decided to stop by Arkansas to visit and return photos on the way to Florida.  While there we met their Tuck's Pepper.

As Diane stated: "We have no shows here, so he has no ribbons or trophies.  Only his working record is his trophy."  She believed that ASCA could hold informal playdays for working dogs, as Tom Stodghill did to get his working stock dog trials started in Quinlan Texas. 

In 1968 we had gone trials to in Quinlan at the Animal Research Foundation. While there we met Lewis Pence who had an impact the future of working Australian Shepherds.

By Spring of 1971, ASCA was advertising in both the Dog World and Dog Fancy publications. The Aussie Times took on a new look. A subscription is $2.00 and single copies 75 cents.

Highlights included an announcement that Gwen Stevenson's book The Australian Shepherd; History and Origin was soon to be released. 

The SHOW NEWS contained the results from All-Breed Fun Matches in California and Oregon and Colorado's Annual Spring Show with a notice for the 2nd Annual Associated Rare Breed Show in California that had drawn over 90 Aussies the previous year. The 'Short Form' was introduced to reduce the amount of paperwork required by AKC clubs hosting ASCA Aussie competition.

In the OBEDIENCE section of the Club News and Notes "Obedience wins are quite easily verified.  Only the Obedience shows which are held under the same format as that of the AKC will be accepted for recording for the ASCA Obedience Degrees." Qualifying dogs in competition needed to have the Judge sign and date the Score Card and then submit it to ASCA.

"WORKING DOG CERTIFICATION is still being worked out.  Several ranchers who really are qualified on this matter have been contacted and we hope to have this work completed long before the first of 1972.  It will take time as we must have the Rules for this worked out in such a way that all qualified Working Aussies will have a good chance to acquire this very important ASCA Degree."

The first NSDR Working Stock Dog Trials were scheduled to be held at Ft. Wingate New Mexico September 25 and 26 1971.  Australian Shepherds, English Shepherds, Australian Cattle Dogs and Australian Kelpies would be eligible to compete with entry fees going to the Jackpot.

In the August 1971 issue, Elsie Cotton writes "Only the breeders Can Destroy a Breed."  She said:

"The AKC has been set up, solely as an office to maintain records.  "This one STANDARD will be the decisive factor in our decision whether we maintain a useful utility breed -- or jump the fence and end up with an exaggerated, "pretty," useless breed.  Standards AND the Breeders who breed to fit the Standards are where the COMPLETE DECISION is made."

The head study that later became the ASCA Logo was the first in a series of informational sketches by Leslie Sharp. The caption explaines "This sketch is a composite taken from head studies of several outstanding Aussie males".  In fact, Leslie told us that one of the 'males' was in fact a Moss Agate as she was pictured with "the four blues" that had appeared in the previous issue, another was Cotton's Blue Bobby.

- Ernest Hartnagle and Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor
© 2004 By Ernest Hartnagle & Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor

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“Old look” Aussie Times ~ April 1971 ~ Volume #3, Issue #1

New look for the Aussie Times ~ December 1971 ~ Volume #3, Issue #3

New letterhead logo adopted in 1971