On January 2, Amanda Milliken held a benefit trial for the Finals on her farm in Kingston, Ontario. Here is Amanda’s writeup of the event:

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On January 2nd, Ontario handlers braved the chilly weather forecast and attended a trial at Amanda Milliken's place, that benefitted both the Canadian and US National finals. The organization presented some difficulties: the trial pen was anchored in six inches of very solid ice, making it imposssible to free; the set out pen had some down sections that were similarly buried and there was no way it would contain sheep; the panels were firmly rooted in just as much ice, making them unavailable. Plan B. We moved the trial to a smaller more undulating field and recommissioned the set out pen that I do not suppose had been used for ten years. We borrowed pilons from the highway maintenance guys down the road for panels and set them out for a drive. Three panels from anywhere they were not stuck, were pieced together for a three sided pen. It was more sheltered than our ususal trial field, even if not so large. better in the long run
It worked. People could drive out over the frozen ground and get in their cars to get warm when required. We got rolling with novice, then pronovice then about twenty open dogs, which were lots considering it was kinda cold, on the judge, me. We stopped for a tomato soup lunch, thank god. The sheep stood up well

John Palmer won the Open with Preacher which brought him some points towards the finals. Carol Guy won Pro-Novice with Will. We raised a little better thant $250 for each of the finals. The winter is long, so it was a good break for northern hands.