Sammie Mekeland and her cocker spaniel Tess are headed to the State Dog Show on the grounds of the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul in September. Sammie is a member of the newly-formed Sherburne Stars 4-H Club in Clear Lake, and she and Tess have been training with the Benton/Stearns 4-H Dog Project Club since May, according to her Mom, Angela Spinler.
Sammie and Tess took part in the Benton/Stearns 4-H dog show last month, where they won a red ribbon in the Beginner B Obedience Class, and the blue ribbon and Grand Champion awards in the Novice Showmanship category, Spinler said.
A fourth-grader at Becker Intermediate School this fall, Sammie was the only 4-H participant from Sherburne County taking part in the 4-H dog project. Spinler said she and Sammie’s Dad were “very proud of all the hard work and hours she and Tess put into training,” and they also thanked the Sherburne County 4-H staff for their help in connecting Sammie with the project.
