Sam was bred by Joni Swanke but has belonged to veterinarian/rancher Dick Bowman in North Dakota since he was a puppy.  Joni trialed him, but between trials he lived with Dick who told me he (Dick) only knew two commands, "down" and "sic em".  Thus Joni took the "down and sic em" dog and readied him for trials with usually a few weeks to get ready.  Sam earned his WTCH by the time he was 18 months old and qualified for the finals his second season.  Sam was the crowd pleaser!  Sam didn't always obey every command but you could bet he would do something to catch the crowd's attention.  He didn't always win, but people remembered him!  I was caught up into it too the first time I saw this silent powerful dog work cattle.  I believe he would stop an elephant with sheer force and confidence.  Joni once told me when she sent Sam to bring in the heifers she didn't put the four wheeler in park waiting for them to come.  

We had the privilege of having Sam at our house for almost two months one summer and a more pleasant dog to have around doesn't exist.  Laid back and content in the house, in the kennel or out around the place, he is a gentleman.