No other person in the history of Western Canada has influenced the stock dog world more than Dale Montgomery. The revered handler from Maple Creek, Sask., has trained the winningest working dogs ever to set a paw on a trial course, won more trial competitions than any other handler, raised (and sold) the most champion dogs, plus trained thousands of dogs and dog handlers alike for trial and ranch work through his clinics and private lessons with an unwavering dedication to the art.
But more than that, with his influence being felt from the West Coast to Manitoba and down into the United States, his contribution to agriculture has resulted in a wealth of skilled dogs and handlers, thereby changing stock handling methods to a more efficient and humane way.
Now Saskatchewan’s favourite son is being inducted into the Saskatchewan Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2014. “It was quite a surprise,” said Montgomery in a recent interview. “Totally unexpected; I’m very honoured to receive it.”
Besides training stock dogs, for several years Dale and his wife Dawn grazed more than 1,000 sheep as government contracts to control the noxious weed, leafy spurge. The induction ceremony will be held in August at the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon.