After the AKC trial was over, I approached Judy Garbarino asking if I could take a picture of Reba for my scrapbook. Earlier in the day the pair had trialed in Advanced Sheep on Course A.

In the world of working dogs, one occasionally encounters a person and dog that have something special between them. It’s a look, a caring, a loyalty that speaks of years of hard work and long roads together. Reba’s glance at Judy spoke of this and more. I couldn’t resist and asked Judy if I could interview her about Reba. We settled down on a picnic bench and Judy began to answer my questions. We began with. “where did Reba come from”?

Judy started, “Reba was the Christmas present I didn’t want. I had gone to Nevada to deliver presents when a friend took me to see a litter of Corgi puppies. there were seven puppies. All had big, white blazes and white nose strips except for one little, honey colored girl. I picked her up and held her in my arms. But I really didn’t want a puppy. As my husband Joe and I were ready to leave that night, my friend presented me with my Christmas present, that tiny puppy with such big ears. You can’t turn down a Christmas present, so off we went with the puppy in tow. As we sped down the highway, Joe and I discussed puppy names. Reba McIntire came on the radio. Joe looked at me and said, “Why not”? That’s how Reba found her name and home.

“Before Reba my kennel name was Pokies Collies, Judy continued. I had raised and shown Collies in conformation and obedience for 40 years, but soon learned things had to be different for Reba. I changed my kennel name to Pokies Country Kennel. Reba and I set out to learn herding. I went to every clinic I could find but I was mostly self taught. Patrick Shanahan had a duck clinic. I’ll never forget what he did. He opened the pen gate and turned the ducks loose. I watched them, nervously, get farther and farther away from us. When he finally sent his dog I though they were lost for good. His Border Collie gathered them all up safely and brought them back. Patrick turned to us and asked if we would like our dogs to do that. My immediate response was a resounding, yes. but Patrick wasn’t interested in training us because Reba wasn’t a Border Collie. For the next two years I studied every tape and book I could get my hands on. I attended a Carol Delsman clinic, but still Reba was almost 4 when I started her. One day I decided I had to start herding or I would never do it. I had 5 old Suffolk ewes with lambs. We built a 45’ round pen and Reba and I started moving sheep. She caught on instantly to what I was trying to do. My command after walking into the pen was, “Reba get ‘em”. She naturally hit the fence going around the stock. Reba and I learned the commands together. After two weeks of working we moved out into an 80’ by 100’ pen and started working the fence line. I already had 60 head of crossbred Cheviot-Suffolk ewes for us to work. I always took Reba whenever any stock work was to be done. I could tell her to “get over there” and she would do it. “Okay come on” meant to push them into the pen. Reba is such a naturally talented dog that I have found it hard to work others without her ability. She always knows where the stock is, yet keeps an eye on me. Now after all this time, when we work together she reads my mind. She is on the move, doing what I was thinking, before I have a chance to say anything to her. We started training in February 1993. Our first trial was at Carol Delsman’s in September 1993. We entered HT but many trialers told us we should have entered Started because of how advanced Reba was. That spring the classes just flowed by. Reba earned her AKC herding championship in 1996, her WTCh in 1997 and her AHBA championship in 1998.

“To the question of what does Reba mean to me, I can only say that she looked me in the eye and in that look lay our destiny. She is my partner, my buddy, my best friend, and my biggest critic. When I am wrong she tells me loud and clear. Reba rules my life and calls the shots. If I wake up in the middle of the night she will be sitting close by staring at me as if to say “God, Mom I love you”. At home Joe is her person until I disappear, then she searches for me. No one can hold her when she is coming to me. I never eat in a restaurant unless I bring her a bit. And it better be what I have eaten! She knows the difference. When we travel, Reba rides next to me, between me and the door handle, to be exact. This started when I brought her home as a puppy. If I don’t let her have her spot, she hops up on the seat and stares directly into my eyes until she gets her way,” Judy said with a shrug. “Our 7 year old granddaughter spends the summer with us. As soon as I go to work she goes outside, gets Reba and the two of them work stock. Hopefully she will be our future junior handler.”

“Our most memorable trial was at Carol Delsman’s when Reba was just starting to work for her HCh points. A bunch of us were standing around visiting during the trial. Craig Watson and his Australian Cattle Dog, Sassy, were part of the group. I told Craig my biggest dream was to beat Sassy. Sassy was in season and Reba was just coming in. Both were in the Advanced class. Sassy ran first and squatted in the arena. Reba didn’t miss a beat and doctored the same spot. But when all was said and done, Reba was first with a 97 and High in Trial. Sassy had a 93. Over her lifetime Reba has been High in trial 8 times, Reserve High in Trial 7 times and most promising dog twice.”

Reba retired from the trial arena at this three day trial that included the Pembroke Welsh Corgi Nationals. On Friday, September 7, 2001, Reba went High in Trial over 13 other dogs, most of them Border Collies, in the Advanced class. It was a fitting goodbye to an exceptional team and a very special little, honey colored Corgi.