2010 USBCHA North American Champion Riggs at Soldier Hollow

The  Soldier Hollow Classic is an invitational sheepdog trial open to all competitors throughout the world.  Most invitations are extended based on performance at selected trials with additional invitations extended based on double lift trial performance, career record and  additional discretionary considerations.  We invite you to support the trials below  and also to contact us if you know of a handler who might otherwise be a candidate for competition at the Soldier Hollow Classic.  In the event the Champion at a qualifying trial has already qualified for Soldier Hollow the invitation will pass to the Reserve Champion.  If both have qualified the invitation reverts to discretionary status and will be awarded at the discretion of the Event.  Handlers qualify based on the first trial they qualify in.

The Current qualifying trials for the Soldier Hollow Classic:

1.  The top six finalists at the prior Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Trial.
2.  The top three finalists at the prior North American Championship.
3.  The Champion at the prior years Canadian National Championship.
4.  Champions from all Major Double Lift Trials outside of North America.*
5.  The top two finalists from the prior Meeker Classic.
6.  The Champion from the prior Bluegrass Classic.
7.  The Champion from the prior years Free to Be Sheepdog Trial.
8.  The Champion from the prior years Kingston Sheepdog Championship.
9.  The Champion from the prior years  WWSDA Sheepdog Trial.
10. The top USBCHA  / Utah Stockdog Assn. handler from Utah on July 31, prior to the trial.*
11. The Champion from the prior year's Lacamas Valley Sheepdog Trial
12. The Champion from the prior year's Prairie Classic
13. The Champion from the prior year's NEBCA Fall Foliage Sheepdog Trial
14. Any qualified handler with legitimate claim as their countries top handler in the prior year.

*We invite contact from any Champion or Reserve Champion of major double lift trials outside North America.  As a matter of course we will try to contact winners of National and International Championships, but sometimes acquiring appropriate addresses is difficult.  Please contact us if you feel qualified to compete and you are able to attend for consideration for invitation.

Discretionary invitations beyond these trials may be extended based on diverse criteria as applied by the Event Director.  Factors that might be considered include those who have contributed to the success of the trial, friends of the trial, spouses of competitors, career record, location, and other factors deemed significant at the time of the trial.  Normally discretionary invitations are one dog invitations.

Due to the growing number of seeded trial invitations we are no longer able to automatically invite all former North American National Champions.  Instead we will try to rotate those invitations with some preference given to those former handlers who are performing best in any given year.  Finally we invite your suggestions as to any handler (including you!) who you believe might be qualified to compete at Soldier Hollow who might be "off of our radar."  Please contact Mark@soldierhollowclassic.com.

*As of the 2013 Soldier Hollow Classic, discretionary invitations to Utah handlers will be extended as follows:  from a pool of Utah handlers that volunteered the prior year at Soldier Hollow (at least 3 days) and are active Utah Stock Dog Association Members we will invite the top four pointed dogs on July 31 preceeding the trial.  The prior policy of inviting the top pointed dog from Utah, will be discontinued.