On Monday, Aug. 31, Bridget Strang of Missouri Heights hopped on a plane to Seattle, spent the night there on a stopover, then flew to Manchester, England the following day, where she was due to reunite with two of her best friends: Ken and Bill. Strang, Ken and Bill share a love of sheep dog trialing, so planned to attend some local trials in England and Scotland, before heading to the 2026 World Sheep Dog Finals that take place Sept. 16–20 at Huntington Farm in Lauder, Scottish Borders.
Strang arrived early, so she picked up their camper, did some quick shopping and returned to the airport before Ken and Bill arrived, meeting up with them as soon as they deplaned.
Ken and Bill are, in fact, two of Strang’s best friends, however, they’re canines, not homo sapiens (or dogs, not humans). Along with Ken, Strang will compete in the World Sheep Dog Finals, but first in some smaller trials in England and Scotland, in order to stay in shape for the finals.
Strang grew up with animals on a family ranch on Missouri Heights, just outside of Carbondale.
“She has always gravitated toward animals, “according to her brother, Scott. “It was mostly horses, early on. Growing up, she was in the saddle all day punchin’ cows. Then, as she got older, she really got dialed into horses through eventing.”
Strang continues to train horses and riders, but from this writer’s perspective, it’s clear she’s gravitated toward the dogs (and loves it).
She currently has eight border collies. Two are puppies, one of which has been started but is not competing yet. Another adult is a working ranch dog only. The others are competitors.
According to the United States Border Collie Handlers Association, the venue for the finals is celebrated as the historic birthplace of the border collie breed. The competition will feature the top handlers and dogs from 34 countries, all working the sheep and doing their best with hopes of being crowned world champion.
Should Ken be unable to compete due to an injury, Bill is there as his back-up, which was the impetus for Bill tagging along. But, hopefully, Bill’s only two jobs on the trip will include cheerleading and being good company.
Each country has a different allotment of teams they can send to compete. Strang and Ken are among the 12 handler-dog teams who earned the honor of representing the United States. The U.S. team also includes two youth handlers and their dogs.
“I am thrilled, amazed and so grateful to be going to the World Trial with Ken,” Strang said. “Ken was one of the last left in the litter and he came to me at about 5 months old … He is a pleasure to work with, a wonderful partner on the trial field and is a joy to be around.”
Strang has an amazing attitude. A week before the World Sheep Dog Trials, while in Scotland, this was her response when asked how she was doing:
“No troubles adjusting to this quiet beautiful country and realizing I can do nothing now but keep my dogs healthy and happy. They know what they know and it would be a mistake to think I could change that much,” she said, in part. “It’s still just a sheep dog trial and I’m competing against the best dogs and handlers in the world. Qualifying was the big pressure; getting here, and my time here is just an adventure.”
Best of luck to Strang, Ken and the rest of the U.S. team!
The World Sheep Dog Trial takes place September 16-20, and, although there’s a charge, the event will be streamed online. Register to watch at isds.org.uk/isds-livestream/, where you can also learn more details about the trial, competitors and dogs.