Laura Vishoot and her border collie, Tucker, had four sheep cornered near the gate of an eight-by nine-foot pen. Tucker crouched tensely in the grass as he and Vishoot stared down the wide-eyed flock of four freshly sheared sheep. The sheep inched in unison toward the pen-gate and finally lurched inside. Vishoot swung the gate shut and the thinning crowd cheered and applauded.
Welcome to the Vashon Sheepdog Classic. The annual three-day event drew more than 60 sheepherding teams and about 700 spectators last Saturday, according to organizer Maggi McClure. The handlers and the dogs — mostly border collies, though there were also a few kelpies — competed last weekend at Vashon's Misty Isle Farm. (There was also a competition on Friday for less experienced teams.)
