Welcome
Heartland Aussies was formed by Stephanie Ihbe and Katie Kupfer in 2006.
Prior to joining forces with Stephanie, as a very young girl Katie was introduced to this breed by her aunt way back in 1995 (at age 7). Katie started training her first dog "Taylor" in obedience and was hooked. One day at an obedience trial Katie saw the conformation competition going on in another ring and was very interested... the rest is history. Katie had a very successful Junior Handling career in all venues of competition. Including conformation championships in AKC/ASCA /CKC /IKC/UKC , Obedience Companion Dog Excellent titles AKC/ASCA/CKC, ASCA Stock titles through Open, and many agility titles as well. A few of her greatest accomplishments are:
ASCA 500 Club 2005, 2006, 2007
ASCA 2005 "All Around Junior"
ASCA Nationals 2005 Best Junior Handler
AKC Midwest Top Junior Handler 2007
ASCA National Finals 2007 Best Junior Handler
2002 Westminster Junior Handler Qualifier
Many AKC, ASCA and CKC Best Junior Handler awards
Katie continues to use the skills she learned in Junior Showmanship to continue the tradition of owning quality versatile Aussies who can do it all! Professionally, Katie is a licensed Dental Assistant and works as a Scheduling Coordinator at a local dental office. Her position allows her to have Friday's off so it works great for weekend dog show travels!
Stephanie got started with Aussies a little later in life. Her family has always had a dog but when they got their first Aussie life changed quickly. Steph's first Aussie introduced her to the world of competitive obedience. That is where her passion lies. Stephanie met Katie and her family and was introduced to conformation. She enjoys the study of the dog's structure and movement always thrilled to see the variety within our breed!
Katie, Stephanie and Natalie have teamed up to enjoy their Aussies working in a variety of venues. Having a small kennel, they breed very selectively. Steph, Katie and Natalie's priorities are happy healthy dogs who have fun competing and sharing their lives with them. Their Aussies are above all, family pets, living as members of the family in their households.