Andrew Dickman, Oxton, Lauder Scotland

               The Meeker Classic welcomes Andrew Dickman to Meeker as our  2012 Trial Judge.  Andrew and his wife Frances come to Meeker from the village of Oxton, Lauderdale region of the Scottish borders about 25 miles from Edinburgh. A lifetime of working sheep and dogs has given Andrew a reputation as a fine judge, stockman and dog man.  He will judge the Scottish Nationals in August this year just before coming to Meeker.  Andrew and Frances are also active volunteers  lending their time to organizations and dog trials.

               Coming from a family of shepherds, Andrew’s late great Uncle Tom Watson was a great dog man, an Internationalist and also judged in the USA - it was he who encouraged Andrew from an early age.  Andrew really enjoys training young dogs. Having had great success in nursery trials, he’s qualified  for the Borders Nursery Team 19 of the last 20 years.  He’s  represented Scotland 3 times in the Internationals with Rob (most of his dogs go back to Rob) and Rule Skye and had great hopes for Rule Skye this past year, but she became tragically ill and they lost her in May 2011 at the age of 7.   Currently Andrew is sitting 2^nd and 7^th in his district standings with Moss and Dot and hopes to make the district team that will compete on March 3, 2012 In the Scottish Inter District Nursery Trial.

               After 37 years of marriage, Andrew and Frances have two children and seven grandchildren and a life full of sheepdogs, trials, family and friends.   Their oldest son, Craig has four children and is the Head Gamekeeper on one of the Duke of Northumberland’s estates.  Daughter Karen and husband Neil live on his family’s farm 35 miles away and run 1000 heard of beef cattle.  Frances has worked for Scotland’s oldest bank, the Bank of Scotland for 30 years and loves to shop (she says Andrew does NOT!).  Andrew spent next to 31 years as a fulltime shepherd, leaving it to work for local livestock auctioneers procuring sheep and cattle in 1999.  When not training and trialing dogs, Andrew works as a livestock fieldman from June until mid-March.    March finds him lambing his 120 grey faced ewes that he runs along with another flock he tends at Carfrae Farm.  In April he then goes down the road to a  large sheep operation, where he helps lamb around 3000 ewes. 

               Andrew and Frances have traveled to the states before to judge and attend other trials.  They are looking forward to visiting Meeker, judging the competition, meeting new friends and catching up with old acquaintances.