tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31583889217991897292024-03-12T19:47:08.550-04:00Shoofly FarmLife with the Shoofly Border Collies
and a bunch of sheepUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger272125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-82864527373628846722013-10-17T20:08:00.002-04:002013-10-18T10:53:48.120-04:00The Big Show<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(photo by Michelle Dobbs)</td></tr>
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The 2013 National Sheepdog Finals have come and gone, and what a memorable Finals it was. Sweet and bittersweet, highs and more highs, no real lows, even with copious amounts of rain and mud trying to dampen our spirits. Maybe everything we owned was dampened, but I think most everyone in attendance was happy and having a good time. The local Finals committee was stupendous, absolutely phenomenal, and even with the major hiccups tossed their way by the weather, pulled off a tremendously successful Finals from the viewpoint of those of us running in it.<br />
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On our way up to the Finals, the dogs and I stopped off at the Montpelier SDT, a perennial favorite of mine. I have so many special memories from this trial over the years. It's a small course but always fun. This year, relatively fresh katahdin yearlings were brought in for the weekend. They proved to be very even and manageable. I was running Bill and Zac (Zeke is still injured). Both did well in the first round, placing 3rd and 5th. In the second round, I had some trouble getting the shed with Zac, and Bill decided to bite a ewe that was trying to stall out on him on the first leg of the drive. I didn't actually mind that, was glad to see him wanting to make sheep move, with the Finals sheep waiting on us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">(photo by Michelle Dobbs)</td></tr>
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We arrived at Belle Grove plantation Sunday evening, carrying along a nice collection of stinkbugs in the camper from Montpelier. The forecast was for torrential rain on Monday while we set up the Open and Nursery courses, then perfect fall weather for the rest of the week. I remember thinking that wouldn't be so bad, one day of rain in exchange for a stretch of good days. It did indeed pour Monday morning, but cleared off in the afternoon and we had good weather on Tuesday. I ran Wednesday morning with Bill and it was starting to rain then. And it never really stopped again. I don't know how many inches fell, but the inches of mud were easy enough to measure - up above our ankles in most areas. It was so bad that I never even saw the stinkbugs that I'd brought along wake up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(photo by Michelle Dobbs)</td></tr>
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While the weather was really terrible, I don't think it ended up defining this Finals. The organizing committee did just an amazing job. The sheep were very good, a wily bunch that tested and sorted the dogs very effectively. The field was nice, good for viewing, with testing features of its own such as the ditch that would be crossed on both the fetch and drive. And the quality of dog work and handling was just plain outstanding this year. There was little room for error if you wanted to move on to the semifinals and finals, you were out of the running just like that.<br />
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Bill was my first dog up, early on Wednesday morning. We drew up a cooperative group of sheep and Bill laid down a beautiful run, marching them around like they were old friends. I mucked up our single at the end, calling Bill in on one I shouldn't have for a miss, but that was the only low spot. Final score was 187 (out of 220), good for 6th place in the first round of 150 dogs. (Thank you to Lora Withnell of <a href="http://www.sheepdogtrainingcourses.com/" target="_blank">Sheepdog Training Courses</a> for video of my guys, so grateful to have these!) <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2-_Ubghe9Wo" width="420"></iframe> <br />
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Zac ran early on Friday morning, and did a fantastic job with a tricky draw. He ran as well as he's ever run before, and it was hard to even tell he had a difficult ewe in his group before we got to the pen. The run came to a screeching halt at the pen, as we tried to oh-so-carefully convince that ewe she should go in with her friends. I could see Zac getting more and more frustrated with her, so handled him very carefully there, trying to not let the sheep bolt out of the mouth of the pen, and also keeping Zac from taking a bite and earning us the disqualification. Finally, finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they marched in and I closed the gate - about 2 seconds too late, with time called and no pen points. I'd actually found myself tearing up a bit when Zac and I walked onto the field before his run, as I realized this would be his last Finals. But it was nothing compared to the waterworks a few minutes after we left the field and his score was posted. 150 with no pen and no single, still good enough to qualify for the semifinals, in 36th place.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Y-2hQzzTpE0" width="420"></iframe><br />
(video courtesy of Lora Withnell of <a href="http://www.sheepdogtrainingcourses.com/" target="_blank">Sheepdog Training Courses</a>, thanks Lora!)<br />
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Bill and I drew up first for the Saturday semifinals. I hate having to run first, it's just never been a very good draw for me. For some reason, Bill stopped on his outrun before he'd even gone halfway out and had to be given a whistle to go on. Maybe he heard something? He landed a bit short at the top end but the sheep came off pretty good, and we got around the course pretty nicely, with good lines and turns.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">(photo by Michelle Dobbs)</td></tr>
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We were to do a marked shed (3 plain, 2 collars), pulling off 2 unmarked sheep. The split came pretty easily but Bill let one of the sheep go. I think I needed to be more firm about it, in hindsight. Unfortunately, it was our undoing. It took a bit of time to get the split set up again but we got it fine with me being more positive about my instructions. Moved on to the pen and the sheep marched straight in on Bill's direction. But a short time limit on the run meant we did not have enough time to get the sheep out and get the single. Final score was 155, landing Bill in 24th position with 17 dogs going on to the Final (cut off was 160). Zac ran in the 32nd spot, and run he did. He worked even better than he had in the first round, doing every little thing I asked and mastering the sheep like the old pro he is. He was tight on his outrun, more so than I'd have liked. Over the last year, he's starting giving me an "old dog outrun", not wasting any energy by bending out and giving the sheep plenty of room at the top. That hurt our score but what really knocked us out was my own big error - I managed to pull the sheep back through the first drive gates, only by a few feet and then corrected, but still, that did it for our score. Otherwise, around the course was very pretty. The in bye work was fantastic, Zac was just wonderful there. I haven't seen the breakdown yet, but I'd be very surprised if a single point was lost on the marked split/pen/single. It was as smooth as could be with Zac being calm and cool and in charge. Final score was 158, good for 21st place.<br />
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So that was our Finals for this year. As I sat and watched the 30 minute double lift runs on Sunday, I realized it was just as well that Zac didn't make it through to the Final. I could see at the end of his semifinal run that his mind and heart would never let him do less than 120%, and his body still isn't completely recovered from his whatever-it-was scare at the beginning of September. I couldn't help but think that he might have hurt himself trying because he'd sure never give up. It was a bittersweet end to our Finals trip, but I couldn't be any more proud of the job my guys did.<br />
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Now we rest up for a few days, scrape the mud out of the camper, and head off next week to the Quiet Acres SDT and then on to the Edgeworth Open. After that, the young guns get my attention for the rest of the fall and winter, with some fun training opportunities coming up. And...puppies on the way. Plans are in the works for Zac to sire a couple of litters very soon. That'll be very fun and exciting (contact me for more info if you're interested in one). I'd sure like to have another little Zac running around!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(photo by Debra Deis)</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-2479291609518417252013-10-02T11:01:00.001-04:002013-10-02T11:01:25.396-04:00Onward!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, I know I'm not very good at keeping the blog updated, especially seeing that i haven't posted since July! Quick catchup - went to the trials in Kingston in August. The dogs ran pretty well, all 3 placed at least once. Had some unfortunate luck in the first round at Kingston with both Bill and Zac so only mediocre scores to go along with nice ones in the second round, and no double lift for either of them. We also went to the Fetch Gate Farm trials in NY in July, our first trip to that one. I ran Bill and Zeke there and both ran very well. Bill ended up 3rd in the first round and Zeke came oh-so-close to placing 3rd in the second round. He had a beautiful run but it was during a stretch where no one was getting the shed, including us. We had one quick shot at it but just couldn't get it. It was unfortunate especially since I was trying to get him qualified for the Finals and that one shed cost us that. Funny how often it can come down to one tiny thing like that. Zac wasn't able to run because he was recovering from a neck injury that he suffered in early June - it ended up being a bulging disk in his neck, but was pretty mysterious to pin down. He did run in Kingston and seemed fine there and after.<br />
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Since returning from the Canada trip, it seems like I've been just trying to hold the dogs together. Devin has been recovering nicely from his July 1st OCD surgery, and hopefully will be ready to resume his training after the Finals. Zeke injured himself in mid-August training at the farm. It appears to be a bad muscle strain but it's still not healed up, so we're working on figuring out what is going on with him. It doesn't look like he's going to be able to run this fall at all. Bill is nursing an old injury to a rear leg, and as of yesterday Spot is now gimpy on a front toe. In late August, Zac came up weak and wobbly in his rear end suddenly. After trying every diagnostic available (MRI, spinal tap, etc., etc.), we have no concrete answers on what it is/was. It's possible it was an FCE, but we have no way of knowing for sure. He's mostly recovered though still has an odd gait in the rear at a walk, which hopefully will go away with more time. It was horribly scary and i was really afraid i was going to lose him or he'd never walk again. But Zac's just kept going - I swear he'd drag himself around the sheep field with just his front legs rather than give up. I can hardly express my admiration for the heart he's shown during this (and always has shown).<br />
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So, other than trying to keep everyone up and on their feet, and doing lots of doggy physical therapy, most of August and September has been about conditioning and training for the upcoming National Finals and the fall trial season. Bill seems pretty fit right now. Zac could be more so, but at least he's going to be able to run i believe. It's still a day-to-day thing with him but he's been doing a good bit of work and ran well at the Longshot Farm trial that we went to this past weekend. I'm tweaking some diet stuff with both competing dogs and just trying to hold everyone together for the big show next week at the Finals. We're heading out on Friday to compete at the Montpelier Fiber Festival trial. It's a small course and should be a nice relaxed kind of weekend. I want the dogs to rest their little bodies up so they're fresh for the Finals, and I think this little course won't be all that taxing on them. It'll be good for sharpening myself up a bit I hope. We'll move over to Belle Grove on Sunday night or Monday morning, and on Monday I get to help set up the course for the trials. I'm lucky enough to be on the Handler's Association trial committee again this year, a job I really enjoy. Bill will run on Wednesday morning, and Zac runs on Friday. I'm really looking forward to the whole week, seeing some great dogs run, visiting with lots of friends from far and wide, and seeing how my guys do on the big course. I feel like I've already won, just having the chance to be there and run my boys!<br />
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Here's another wonderful video production by Michelle Dobbs for the Finals -- <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Ex9UtmedUxk" width="420"></iframe> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-50470138828562597252013-07-16T11:23:00.000-04:002013-07-16T11:24:30.147-04:002013 National Finals Blog<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5aAwiigcRRk/UeVkoOo9yRI/AAAAAAAABRs/zWwc5GApvUI/s1600/305897_434749896616146_1210644956_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5aAwiigcRRk/UeVkoOo9yRI/AAAAAAAABRs/zWwc5GApvUI/s320/305897_434749896616146_1210644956_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>This year, the National Finals Blog is asking handlers to write about "In the Beginning...". They asked me to write one, so here's my dose of humble pie to share.<br />
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<a href="http://nationalsheepdogfinals.blogspot.com/2013/07/robin-french-help.html">http://nationalsheepdogfinals.blogspot.com/2013/07/robin-french-help.html</a><br />
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Here is the link to the main Finals web page, with news and info on dogs sponsorships, etc.<br />
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<a href="http://www.nationalsheepdogfinals.org/" target="_blank">http://www.nationalsheepdogfinals.org/ </a><br />
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<span id="goog_276366736"></span><span id="goog_276366737"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-42259049569478087552013-07-10T11:27:00.000-04:002013-07-10T11:27:11.460-04:00Natural Balance Jerky Bark Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Chewy.com has asked me to review occasional products for them here on my blog. I was recently sent the first product to try out, and i quite liked it. Natural Balance has a line of dog treats called <a href="http://www.chewy.com/s?dept=all&query=jerky+bark&nav-submit-button.x=-841&nav-submit-button.y=-70" target="_blank">Jerky Bark</a>. I chose the <a href="http://www.chewy.com/dog/natural-balance-lit-limited/dp/44044" target="_blank">fish and sweet potato formula</a> and the dogs love it. It's all natural (Salmon, Sweet Potato, Cane Molasses, Natural Flavor, Salt, Mixed
Tocopherols (preservative), Natural Hickory Smoke Flavor, Rosemary
Extract, Zinc Propionate). It has a pretty fishy odor to it, which is a plus to the dogs i'm sure.<br />
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I've been tearing the bars into small pieces and using the jerky as a training treat and it's a real hit!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-90707097863109474892013-06-20T14:52:00.000-04:002013-06-20T14:52:11.509-04:00VBCA Summer Trial at Big Bend Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a very nice couple of days of lessons in Maryland with Vergil Holland the weekend before, the dogs and I loaded up and headed into the VA mountains this past weekend for the VBCA Summer Trial held at Big Bend Farm. The trial was a benefit trial for the 2013 USBCHA National Finals (to be held in VA in October) and was wildly successful, raising $7800! It was a huge undertaking for the organizers, with one field as the site for the Open classes, and two other fields for the novice classes, which ran twice each day. There were just a ton of runs over the two days. Barbara Ray very generously donated the use of her farm and sheep, and worked her tail off on the trial all weekend. There was a huge group effort to cover all of the jobs that needed doing, and i think everyone there helped out in some way or another. It was truly impressive to see just how many people were pitching in.<br />
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I wasn't able to spend as much time watching the novice runs as i would have liked, but i saw some nice work when i did manage to get back there and take the time to stop and watch. The Big Bend ewe flock was on the novice field and from what i saw, worked pretty nicely. The Open trials were run on weaned lambs and they were a challenge to handle, alternately racing away or getting very heavy and hard to move, and straight lines were very hard to come by.<br />
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Zeke was my first dog up and he had a difficult group of lambs. He worked them pretty well, with one trying to squirt off and two trying to lay back. He was very patient with them but on the cross drive, the runner took off again and got far enough away that we called it quits. Bill ran well and handled the lambs nicely, finishing up 8th. On day two, Bill again ran well but a missed gate and some trouble getting the shed knocked our score down. Zeke ran late in the day and had a gorgeous run. The lambs had gotten quite heavy and he just laid into them and marched them around. It was probably his best run yet in Open, as i was able to lay off my whistle and just let him handle the lines and pace. We missed the cross drive gate (i had a devil of a time seeing it - missed it all 4 runs), and Zeke looked at the wrong group when he came in on the shed (like a freaking freight train i might add). I still haven't seen the final placements but he did place pretty well.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_4mrsw1z8Kk/UcNOgmhiRhI/AAAAAAAABQ8/uBx_E5puyGU/s1600/600970_4132300277876_887782869_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_4mrsw1z8Kk/UcNOgmhiRhI/AAAAAAAABQ8/uBx_E5puyGU/s320/600970_4132300277876_887782869_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>So now we have a couple of weeks off before the next trial, which will be the Fetch Gate Farm trial in Cortland, NY. I've been trying to get to a trial there for years, and hopefully this will be the year i make it. Zac is injured so i'm trying to pick up some qualifying points for the Finals on Zeke, just in case Zac isn't able to run this fall. Coming up this weekend, Tommy Wilson will be back to do another clinic at the farm. I can't wait! Now what dog do i put in the clinic, hmmmm....?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-400894756790021222013-06-07T14:58:00.000-04:002013-06-20T14:52:26.660-04:00The Spring Trials Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, i didn't do a very good job of keeping the blog updated, now did i? I have an excuse for the Bluegrass at least, as i was hit by a fever about halfway though the week and could hardly lift my head for several days. Turns out it was Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever of all things. Thanks to the quick thinking of a good friend, i got on antibiotics quickly and all should be fine.<br />
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First stop was Dave and Debbie Fetterman's Borders on Paradise trial in Turbotville, PA. This is a lovely trial, with a not large field but challenging commercial wool sheep. I ran Bill and Zac the first day. Bill ran quite well around the course, keeping good lines and would have placed well but the shedding bugaboo showed up in force - he wasn't having anything to do with it. Zac ran like a pig. Granted, i haven't been doing a lot with him, but he was just a pig. He wanted to run straight up the field, and two stops and redirects hardly changed his path at all. Amazingly, the sheep didn't take off backwards to the setout. Then, after turning the post, one of the sheep put it's head down to graze. Zac moved up and got her going, but decided to grab her for emphasis. As you can guess, i was none too happy about that, and neither was the judge, DQ. It was just uncalled for, so Zac got fired for the rest of the trip and Zeke was subbed in. Day two, and Bill again ran beautifully up to the shed, where he refused to come in again. Not a good sign for the beginning of the trial trip. Zeke ran even better than i'd hoped. I was a little conservative on our shedding and we ran out of time before completing it. Even so, he managed a placement and a couple of points towards the Finals.<br />
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Off we went to KY, for a couple of days of working dogs and training with Vergil Holland. I got in some good training on Spot, and Vergil gave me some very helpful advice on Bill's shedding, thankfully. It proved to be just the ticket, as we had no trouble shedding at the Bluegrass, where i've had fits shedding in the past, even with dogs that were enthusiastic shedding dogs. I ran Zeke again in Zac's spot, and was very happy with him. His outruns could have been better, but i was generally happy with him. He finished both runs in the top 1/3 and would have done even better had i been a little more aggressive in my handling in bye. But we're getting used to each other on the trial field and gaining experience. Bill was his usual steady self and had 2 good runs, finishing 14th in one round and just out of the placings in the other. His combined score was good enough to make the Top 20 Finals, the first time in all these years i would get a crack at the Bluegrass double lift. Unfortunately, a little bug was brewing. I started feeling lousy saturday morning before Bill's second run. He seemed somewhat off as well, just acted tired and was eating grass like crazy. We got through the run and had a decent score, but then crashed in our room. Sunday morning of the double lift, i could hardly lift my head. I finally drug myself to the field about 11:00, just in time for the Handler parade. We didn't run until 16th, so a long wait later, we stepped to the post. I was feeling pretty good about the run, wasn't sure how the international shed would go, but knew Bill could move the 20 sheep even though they were getting very heavy in the heat, and he's very reliable on turnbacks. I was excited as he took off for the first lot. Good outrun, good lift, offline on the diagonal fetch (i've got to get better at seeing that line!) but moving the sheep very well, made the gates, set up the turnback, gave the whistle. Bill released the first group, no problem. And then he just froze. It was very weird. He seemed to see something in the crowd outside the field, but it wasn't like he was seeing something he thought was sheep out there, i could tell that. He just froze up. I finally got him to come part way back to me, thinking i could unfreeze him enough to get him to go out, but he was just not right and wouldn't go. After several minutes of struggling, i retired. I swear i felt like we'd hit a brick wall, never in a million years would have predicted that to happen. I mean, he's turned back in a ton of different fields, at huge distances and out of sight, with no trouble. So strange. Strange enough that i started him on doxycycline afterwards since weird behavioral stuff is a good indicator for tick troubles in the working dogs. Anyway, it was a disappointing end to the BG, but i drug myself and the dogs home in a feverish haze the next day. Talk about a bitch of a drive home, whew. But now i'm better and Bill seemed immediately more chipper on the doxy, so maybe he did have something going on.<br />
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After a few days of rest and antibiotics, i thought i'd go on ahead to the Circle BR SDT, hosted by Ben and Emily Ousley and very capably managed by Beth Chuck. It's only a short drive from home and the forecast was for a lovely cool weekend, so it sounded kind of relaxing (and it was). This would be Zeke's first time on the terraced field, which gives many dogs fits on their outruns. He managed the outrun well but did land a bit tight both days. The first day, he had a very difficult draw of sheep but handled them well. The second day, his sheep were a bit sweeter but he was a little too western for these very eastern katahdins. He's still learning to handle this kind of sheep and i'm still trying to get used to handling a dog that sheep feel as much as they do Zeke. Bill ran very well both days. The first day he ended up just out of the placings as i misjudged the time and the clock went off as we were penning. The second day he ended up 8th with a gorgeous run around the course. I messed up the shed and had a missed attempt when i didn't follow Vergil's suggestion (still trying to get it to be a new habit). But Bill came right in on the second attempt, when i got it right. Pen was easy, then off to the single. I thought i had it clean but the judge saw something he really didn't like, hitting us 7. The 7 killed us, but it was one of those runs where you just think you did it about as well as you were going to. I so love running that dog. The mistakes are always mine with him, he's just so reliable. It was a lovely, lovely weekend, with lots of happy faces and good runs all around. Next year will be the 30th anniversary of this trial and i hope to be there.<br />
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So that's the spring trip wrap up. We're off for lessons this weekend, then on to the VBCA Summer trial next weekend, then another clinic with Tommy Wilson at the farm the following weekend. It's a busy time of year!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-75993641732102783282013-05-07T11:07:00.000-04:002013-05-07T11:07:45.697-04:00And Away We go!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Trial season begins this week, yeah! The dogs and I start our little journey by heading north on Thursday to the Borders on Paradise SDT in Turbotville, PA. Open runs Friday and Saturday, and right now I'm planning to run Bill and Zac, with Zeke possibly subbing in for Zac on the second run. I had intended to slot Zeke into the second dog spot on my team but the old man (Zac turned 9 yesterday!) is working really well so he's back in. Zeke will be waiting eagerly on the sidelines for missteps on Zac's part, hoping to jump in. It's a hard decision really, since both of the Z boys are working well. I had the chance to train recently with a good friend, spending the day rotating through 6 different fields with 6 different and difficult outruns, and Zeke really nailed the outruns. But i feel Zac is more flexible around the course still, so he's in the lineup.<br />
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After the BonP trial, we head over to KY for a little visiting and then the Bluegrass Classic SDT starts on Wednesday. I'm hoping to get some sheep time in for the pups before and during the BG. Devin has been with Vergil Holland for a couple of weeks, to get a little start on him, while I've been starting Spot. I like both of them a lot, so am hoping to do a little training with them while we're on the road. I've really been enjoying Spot and am looking forward to seeing Devin and putting time into him myself. Both look promising so far.<br />
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I'll try to post updates on the trials here as we go along, as well as posting scoreboard pics on Facebook. Since I'll be staying in hotels and not the camper, i expect to have wi-fi.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-74121682907184704802013-01-30T14:49:00.000-05:002013-01-30T14:49:39.934-05:00Clinic Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Coming up this weekend at the farm -- a training clinic with Tommy Wilson. I'm really looking forward to this. Tommy has been in the dogs for ages and he's a real "dog man" in my mind. Shepherd, trainer, life long dog man both in Scotland and the US, yep, the real deal. I've always admired Tommy's way with training and running dogs, so quiet and trusting. Some of the trial runs that stand out in my mind after so many years of doing this sheepdog stuff star Tommy and his wonderful little bitch Sly. I'll never forget their quiet mastery of the Bluegrass course a few years ago. Goosebump-worthy.<br />
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Now to figure out which one of my dogs to actually enter in the clinic...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-73897684990876707112013-01-22T12:03:00.000-05:002013-01-22T12:03:58.113-05:00Catching up, again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I bet if i went back and looked, the theme "catching up" would be the most frequent on my blog. Time just manages to squeak on past. So, here we go again.<br />
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The dogs are clipping along. Zac is happy and bouncy and wishing i'd work him more. Of course, i could be a full time shepherd with a thousand ewes and only him for help, and Zac would still be wishing i'd work him more. I think he'll go to his grave with "sheep, sheep, sheep" running through his brain. I pulled him out and worked him some this past weekend and he's surely achieved that place of "an old pair of gloves", where we know each other so well and fit together so nicely. Bill is fat and happy, and i'm hoping we change that to fit and happy in the near future. It's about time to start thinking about shaking off the winter layer and getting ready for spring trials. Zeke and Joe have been getting more of my training attention, with Joe getting the larger part of that. I'm still trying to figure out where Zeke fits into my trial line up. He's such a good work dog, and i'd like him to be my #2 Open dog when Zac is ready to retire. Joe seems to be working his way into the line up as well. He just turned two and if he could just cool his overly keen self down a bit, he'd be dangerous on the trial field. I'm trying to remember that his father Zac was the same way at this age, maybe even worse about it, and he's ended up okay. Time will tell. Spot and Devin are now 10 months old and i'm playing around with them a little here and there on sheep. No big hurry on them, they're going to be pretty sensible.<br />
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All is well at the farm. I've got the flock numbers back up to a reasonable number, with a few bred to lamb in March. It'll be fun to have lambs around again after not lambing at all last year. I've switched back over to mostly hair sheep after having a wool flock for a few years. It's kind of nice to look out and see some color out in the pasture again, with a few reds and some dorper crosses as well. I like having a few of the wool sheep and some hair sheep as well, good for mixing and matching for training.<br />
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There are a couple of events coming up at the farm. First, i have Tommy Wilson lined up for a clinic February 2-3. Then at the end of March, we're having a "Rhyme puppy" get together. Kim is coming in from MI to visit with Rhyme, and I've invited pups and owners from all 3 of her litters to come out to the farm. That should be fun and i plan to get lots of pictures of the Bill and Zac pups.<br />
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So that's the latest goings on around here. Trial season is in a lull right now so not much to report there. That will change in the late spring as we start ramping up for summer travel and work our way towards the Finals in VA in October. I'm hoping for one or perhaps even two trips out west this summer so hopefully blog posting will be more interesting as we start leaning in that direction!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-8869866700690017262013-01-09T12:24:00.000-05:002013-01-22T11:16:22.855-05:00Ruff Tough Kennels<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">A
while back i bought some of these Ruff Tough Kennels to try out.
They're one piece of molded plastic and very strong. However, i wasn't
very impressed with the plastic door. I was even less impressed when
Zeke managed to open the door and let himself out. The company remade
the doors with longer posts and sent me one. Well, Zeke can still push
it open. This past weekend he did just that, breaking the plastic in the
process. It scares me to think about what could have happened if he'd
gotten his head out between the door and crate and been unable to push
all the way through - i could have easily come back to a dead Zeke,
strangled there. I've been in contact with the company and am waiting on
a response, but felt i needed to get the word out about this potential
hazard. I'll update when i hear something back. They've been very responsive so far.</span></span></h5>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent">Edited to add: I'm waiting on a couple of metal doors to be sent to me. I'm hopeful this will help with my own kennels, but it sounds like these are about the last metal doors the company has lying around. I really quite like the kennels themselves, but i wouldn't recommend them for determined escape artists with the plastic/composite doors. They'll be fine for most of my dogs, but not for Zeke. I'll update again after i get the doors and test them out with Zeke.</span></span></h5>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><br /> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rufftoughkennels.com%2F&h=rAQE2cFpdAQHXjKAjN5nvU8RhiRGSGJBw40ZTIor13uJ0YQ&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>www.rufftoughkennels.com/</a></span></span></h5>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-51224934778003368372012-11-01T15:17:00.000-04:002012-11-01T15:17:30.060-04:00The Rest of OctoberThe rest of October is a bit of a blur this year. We moved on from Montpelier to the Edgeworth trial. The trial field was moved this year, not on the big beautiful hill that I love so much. The course was smaller but still plenty challenging. With all that had happened, i have to admit i wasn't much in the mood for dog trialing and i think it probably showed in the results we got. I ran all 3 dogs and i don't think we placed a single time. I thought the sheep were a little less even than in the past, with running one hair sheep and two wool ones, as the home flock continues in the process of switching to hair sheep over time. But really, no excuses, just not a really stellar weekend for us.<br />
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We moved over to Quiet Acres for a Tuesday/Wednesday trial after Edgeworth. I'd asked Sylvia to let me take over running the trial for her, so that kept me quite busy. It was a good couple of days with tons of help and support and fellowship. I think Dan would have liked it. Zac and Bill placed both runs, with Zac winning the second day. I think Zac likes the field and sheep there. He's run 3 times there now (we skipped the second day last year) and won 2 of those. Funny how some fields and flocks just suit some dogs better than others.<br />
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Next up was the final trial to be held at Jan Thompson's Water Cress farm. She's done 5 years of trials and declared this to be the last. It was sort of a mixed weekend for me. There are some folks there that i really enjoy, we had some decent runs, the weather was good then not so good, just kind of a "winding down to the end" sort of trip over all. The scenery was gorgeous as usual. Thanks to Jan for 5 great years.<br />
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Next up, a clinic this coming weekend in Virginia Beach and then off to the Rural Hill trial the following weekend. Fall sure is a busy time around here!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-74562375698979267582012-10-19T15:32:00.001-04:002012-10-19T15:58:02.307-04:00Sad Times/ Montpelier SDTTrial season was rolling on along, with the dogs and i camped in Orange, VA the night before the Montpelier Fall Fiber Festival SDT, on October 5th, when we got some terrible news. Our good friend Dan King had suddenly passed away at his home. The news spread like absolute wildfire as those far and wide who knew and loved Dan reached out to others who felt the same. The feelings of loss and devastation were palpable in this little corner of the sheepdog world. I know that i personally still feel like i've been kicked in the gut when i think about it. Dan was a good man in so many ways and the world is a poorer place without him in it.<br />
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It was decided to continue on with the Montpelier trial though we were all still numb and in shock. In a tribute to Dan's spirit, everyone banded together and put on a fine trial for the public. There was a very moving tribute when it came time for Dan to go to the post, with one of his lovely handmade crooks placed on the post while Don McCaig narrated a perfect run by Dan and his faithful dog Fann. It was lovely.<br />
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The trial itself went very well. The sheep were cooperative and the large crowd at the festival very appreciative of the quality work by the dogs. People come year after year to this event, and know us and the dogs, and understand the course and what makes a good run. The Open class was fairly small at about 27 dogs. My guys did pretty well, with Bill finishing 2nd the first day and 4th the second day, and Zac ending up 2nd the second day. Barbara Ray won the first round, Sally Glei the second. Really though, the weekend was more about being together with others who were feeling as hurt as we each were in our loss.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERL_ZgQS3Tg/UIGrVi1OTEI/AAAAAAAABOQ/BoJWolZ5MzQ/s1600/208114_4501268927326_1620487532_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERL_ZgQS3Tg/UIGrVi1OTEI/AAAAAAAABOQ/BoJWolZ5MzQ/s320/208114_4501268927326_1620487532_n.jpg" width="224" /></a>The service for Dan was held the Tuesday following, and was one of the more moving experiences i've ever had. The service was just perfect, held at the amazing haven Dan and Sylvia created in the VA mountains, and attended by a huge crowd of friends and family. Godspeed Dan. Your time here was too short but your effects on people in this world live on.<br />
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(Photo by Michelle Dobbs) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-88711367272648759172012-09-27T15:39:00.000-04:002012-09-27T16:50:23.572-04:00Rolling OnTrial season is now in full swing here in the mid-Atlantic area. This past weekend, the dogs and I went to the Pipedream Farm SDT, hosted by good friends Mark and Renee Billadeau in Middletown, MD. Mark and Renee bought this farm a few years ago and have been working their behinds off on it since, and it's really starting to show. I hadn't been there since the trial last year, and the changes to the house are wonderful. The fields were lush and healthy, the sheep fat and sassy. I was lucky enough to be invited to stay over for the weekend at the home of Todd and Peggy Simpson, a treat all in itself. Their home is so interesting and beautiful, and this trip i actually had time to explore and enjoy the grounds a bit in the daylight, as well as spending a little more time than is usually possible visiting with Peggy and Todd.<br />
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The course at this trial isn't especially large, with the outrun being somewhere around 200 yards. The sheep are set on the top of a ridge and dogs are generally completely out of sight at the lift. The drive is fairly long and set on the face of a hill, so lines aren't too bad to pick out. There's quite a bit of pressure with draws for the sheep back to the setout on the drive and also behind the handler's post to the exhaust for the fetch, so that's a bit tricky. Shedding was fairly difficult and penning was pretty straightforward though not a given. I ended up needing to pull Zeke from the trial since he'd had a canine removed and the vet felt it was too soon to run him, so Zac and Bill were the Shoofly team this time around.<br />
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Zac was my first dog up at #4 on saturday and he had a pretty nice run around the course. There were some minor bobbles but overall it was pretty good. The shed was very good, very clean, and the pen good. I thought it would place but didn't realize the shedding would end up being pretty difficult over the course of the day, and in the end, the score held up for 1st place. Bill ran later on and drew up a very difficult set of sheep. They broke hard off the top before Bill arrived and with some quick moves on his part, he caught them just before they'd made it to the fetch panels. We got them back online but they broke again at the turn around the post and Bill had to pull some pretty fancy work to keep them on the field and get them back online for the drive away. The sheep finally realized they weren't getting anywhere with trying to get away from him and we managed a very pretty crossdrive which i capped off by steering the sheep high around the panels. Off to the shed where the crazies started again. I thought i'd seen Bill slip and possibly tweak something on the turn around the post, so kept him from trying any heroics to control the sheep. When it became apparent that shedding was going to take full speed, i decided to retire rather than risk further tweaking on a run that had already gone to pot. It was a lot of fun trying to manage that difficult group, and i was thrilled with Bill's work sorting them out.<br />
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On sunday, Bill was my first dog up and i thought he really nailed it. I'm not sure where we could have cleaned up many points other than a wiggle in front of the driveaway gates and a pause before the sheep went into the pen. He was just really on. The judge wasn't quite as happy with it as i was, hitting his top end a fair bit, and we ended up in 4th at the end of the day. No matter, i was very happy with his work all around for the weekend. Zac was up later and he was really on too - laying down a really gorgeous run around the course. We were penning before the shed, and with only a small pause the sheep walked right in. On to the shed, where we got a nice split, i called Zac in, and my dog that usually takes out my knees on a shed refused to come in, very strange. I mean, i assumed he was in there and got all twisted up looking for him because he's ALWAYS there and i don't need to watch for him. Time ran out not long after with no shed and a 10th place finish. It's a little worrisome that he didn't come in and i'll be keeping an eye on old Zac-boy to make sure there's not something physically troubling him. He had a good run up to the shed, but his flanks were also a bit un-Zaclike. I had given him melatonin saturday evening because it looked like it would storm and he hates storms, so perhaps it was still affecting him. If i see any other suspicious things, i'll be having him checked over and test for tick diseases. Those things can present in very subtle ways so it pays to be wary of anything being a touch off.<br />
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So that's the report on the running at the trial. I had a great time socializing and hanging out, and seeing some folks i don't get to see often enough. It was a really pleasant weekend!<br />
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After the trial, i drove to Sarah Ruckleshaus' place in Chestertown, MD on the eastern shore for a day of doing lessons on Monday. I'd done a clinic a few weeks ago at Monroe and Evelyne Williams' place and afterwards Sarah asked if i'd like to do one at her place, but with all of the fall weekends filling up, we decided to try a mini-clinic/lesson day instead since i'd be fairly close at the trial. It ended up being a most excellent day, with 7 or 8 dogs and a nice group of people. I've been really resistant to doing clinics or lessons away from home before, but i'm finding i really enjoy it a lot. It's a very rewarding experience. I've been asked to do another the first weekend in November at VA Beach and i'm looking forward to that.<br />
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Next up, the Montpelier SDT in 2 weeks!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-18155833882381029402012-09-04T14:51:00.003-04:002012-09-04T15:12:19.970-04:00And Still Another Post! Sunview Trial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I decided to pack up the pack and try a new trial this past weekend, the Sunview Trial in Quakertown, PA. Hosted by Maggie Chambers and Jim Strohecker, this was the inaugural for a lovely little trial that hopefully will become annual. The field was on the smaller side, outrun maybe 200-250 yards i'd guess, fairly flat with a slight rise in the middle falling off to the sides. Dogs running out properly wide dropped out of sight, and it was difficult for the "vertically challenged" (read that, short like me!) to see the dogs behind the sheep at the lift. The sheep were a commercial whitefaced wool cross, provided by Sharon Nunan. They were healthy, fit and pretty opinionated about where they did and did not want to go. Being a smaller field, the pressure/draw could be pretty strong with some packets of sheep really bolting back to the setout or to the exhaust, especially on the driveaway and first turn. The first day, we had a chute with a bend in it to negotiate rather than a pen, and the sheep wanted no part of going into what looked like a closed box to them. I think the chute was completed successfully only twice all day, along with only one partial (2 of the 3 sheep going through). With the shed following the chute, and sheep that were very difficult to split, there was only one shed all day. For the second day, the chute was shortened and widened, with no bend so the sheep could see daylight at the end, and it became much easier to accomplish. Alas, shedding was still very difficult, with only 5 sheds out of 53 runs.<br />
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With a two dog limit for the Open class, i decided to run Bill and Zac. Since this was a NEBCA trial, and under NEBCA rules dogs are allowed to run both Ranch and Open until they have placed in an Open trial, i put Zeke in the Ranch so he could run as well. Zac was up first and had a decent enough run. I didn't care for the way he ran out very much, tight and not bending out as he should have. I think perhaps the flat field threw him a bit but he should know better with his experience and age. He had a difficult ewe in his group and we did our best but it wasn't a winning type of group or run. Bill was up later and had a good go around the course. I decided to change things up at the chute and set myself up on the other side from what everyone was choosing, and that worked out well, as we got the first completed chute of the day. I had plenty of time for the shed but just couldn't get any kind of split at all. At the end of the day, the run held up for a win for Bill. Zeke was up in the Ranch at the very end of the day and had a truly terrible group of sheep to try to negotiate. You know it's tough when both the judge and the setout person go out of their way to offer sympathies! But i was thrilled with how Zeke worked. He ran out very nice, wide and deep. The sheep bolted as he got to the top and i had to flank him hard right back the way he'd come. He caught them at a dead run halfway down the field and all the way over at the driveaway gate, but he stopped them cold and brought them back onto the fetch line. Unfortunately, the first leg of the drive was right back in the direction they wanted to bolt, so that was tough. But Zeke kept his head and his flanks and attitude stayed really good through it all. I decided he'd held it together long enough and walked off before we got around the whole course, but i was really happy with Zeke.<br />
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Sunday Bill was up early on and had another nice run, pretty good lines even when good lines were hard to come by. Got the chute and I got the shed but unfortunately Bill didn't. I was jumping around and into the sheep like a crazy woman, getting them to split and holes to open up, but Bill decided i'd lost my mind and wouldn't come in to help me out or hold it. I can't really say i blame him, but it was the only thing i hadn't seen tried yet, as team after team failed to get the shed. (Note to self: practice crazy woman sheds with Bill....! ) At the end of the day, he was tied for 6th/7th. Zac was up at the end of the class and had a decent run but i mucked up the chute and again, no shed, so finished in the middle of the pack. Zeke ran again in the Ranch and was very good at the top end but he got very stiff on his flanks after the running mess from the first day, and i decided to walk off again.<br />
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All in all, it was a lot of fun. The sheep were a big challenge and it was good for the dogs to get out there and try to work it out. The trial atmosphere was great and it was nice to see some of the northern folks that i don't get to see often enough. And on top of all that, we were invited to stay with friends for the weekend who spoiled us with wonderful meals and hospitality. It was a great weekend!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-36942449418135827782012-08-28T10:57:00.000-04:002012-08-28T10:58:50.462-04:00Another Post, OMG!<a href="http://www.pbase.com/robinfrench/image/128240578/medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.pbase.com/robinfrench/image/128240578/medium.jpg" width="320" /></a>So this past weekend, i decided at the last minute to see if i could get the dogs in to the Breezy Hill trial for one day, since it's only a 90 minute drive up there. Calling at 9:00 on friday night to see if you can run the sunday of a saturday/sunday trial is pretty last minute! If it had been me putting on the trial, i'd probably have spit into the phone, knowing how crazy the evening before a trial can be. But Debbie Johnson was very gracious and we did end up driving up for the sunday classes.<br />
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It was a little misty to start the day, a big improvement over the downpours they'd endured on saturday. We got there in time to watch the Pro Novice class. It's held in an arena sized area and a real challenge for the dogs, but i got to see some good work. Some was a bit rough but there were some nice dogs running and handlers that are working hard. It's been a few years since i'd been to this trial and i'd say the quality of the PN class has improved since then. Ranch was held on the Open field and there were only 3 dogs running. It was a tough job for the dogs, with the sheep being very wily about getting back to the setout pen.<br />
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After a nice hotdog and hamburger cookout lunch (and some yummy cake, mmmmm....), the Open began. It was a small class, 15 dogs i believe. Zeke was first up and very kindly didn't make the sheep work very hard. I wanted to practice some right hand outruns with the dogs, so had decided all 3 would go right. There's a ditch on that side of the field that runs down to the setout spot, and the dogs need to go over it to be right. Zeke decided to trail along it, and i was a little late stopping and redirecting him (redirect which he didn't take, grrr), so he blew right into the sheep from the side, they split and two ran back to the setout pen. Ooops. Sheep 1, Shoofly team 0. I ran Zac next and he managed to cross the ditch but was still tighter than i liked. The sheep fought him pretty good about coming off the top, trying to fake him out and split, but he kept them all together and coming the right way. We hit all the gates and penned, but i couldn't for the life of me figure out how to split the 4 sheep for the shed. They wanted to be behind me so much that i had a hard time even getting them to settle between me and Zac. So i'll call that one a draw. Sheep 2, Shoofly team 1. Bill ran last and i finally wised up to the fact that the sheep were much happier about dogs coming in from the left, so i let him go that way instead of sticking to my training plan of going right. He handled them nicely enough around the course, though i blinked at the fetch gate and let them slip around. I figured we'd have another terrible time with the shed since Bill isn't the most enthusiastic shedder on doggy sheep, and we had at least one of the same sheep i'd had with Zac. But somehow we got them split pretty nicely, yay! One for the team. So for the day, i score it Sheep 2, Shoofly team 2. Bill ended up in 3rd place, Zac in 6th, Zeke in the dog house.<br />
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All in all, it was a really nice day of trialing, with some super folks to hang out and visit with. The atmosphere was great, very supportive of all the new folks. I heard zero bitching about anything! Yeah, the sheep were doggy and wily, but they were the same for everyone and you know they'll be that way going in. It was a relaxing day and i enjoyed it immensely. And i didn't know it at the time, but apparently this was the 20th year of Roy and Debbie hosting trials at their place. That's quite the accomplishment and i for one appreciate it, even if i don't make it up there that often. Thanks, y'all!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-57494308953165116792012-08-23T14:51:00.000-04:002012-08-28T20:44:38.662-04:00We're Still Here!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2sXj_UD7igE/UDZ34kUTr1I/AAAAAAAABMs/C3ah9fqjzYs/s1600/KOspot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2sXj_UD7igE/UDZ34kUTr1I/AAAAAAAABMs/C3ah9fqjzYs/s320/KOspot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot at Kingston, Photo by Kristi Oikawa</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-58x4DrpaPW8/UDZ4AriIIcI/AAAAAAAABNM/B_D0OudjBYw/s1600/LSbillkingston.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-58x4DrpaPW8/UDZ4AriIIcI/AAAAAAAABNM/B_D0OudjBYw/s320/LSbillkingston.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill at Kingston, photo by Laurie Schultz</td></tr>
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Boy, if anyone ever wonders about that "time flies" expression, just try keeping up a blog. I can't believe it's been over 4 months since i posted something. I guess things just got busy with puppies and trials and travels and such.<br />
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When last we met (always wanted to use that phrase), the Bill X Rhyme puppies were 4 weeks old and occupying every free moment. THAT would explain why the blog went belly up. I enjoyed every single moment with those little beasties and wish i could have frozen them in time around the 4-5 week old stage. Gosh they were fun. I had a terrible time letting any of them go, but go they did, and all to wonderful homes. I still have Devin and Spot and they're doing great. They're long legged 5 month olds with sweet, loving personalities. They've both been on sheep a couple of times and show promise. Time will tell. I had intended to only keep one pup and may still let Devin go but haven't decided on that. Spot is my guy and reminds me a lot of Bill as a pup. Both pups are very athletic and social, and make me laugh a lot.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xxB6AYbnk6Y/UDZ39PzI2yI/AAAAAAAABM8/0AWXaglvKzU/s1600/KObill.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xxB6AYbnk6Y/UDZ39PzI2yI/AAAAAAAABM8/0AWXaglvKzU/s320/KObill.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill at Kingston, Photo by Kristi Oikawa</td></tr>
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The big dogs are doing fine. Zac and Bill had kind of a lazy spring/summer work-wise. Zeke got a bit of work and training as i was focusing more on him. He's matured a lot this summer, both physically and in his work. I ended up leaving Joe with my friend Vergil Holland for a couple months of training. I always train my own dogs but it seemed like a good thing to do this time around for various reasons. I got him back a few days ago and i'd say the decision was a good one. I don't think i'll run him until next spring but we should have some fun together this coming fall and winter. I'm hoping he'll be a good one for the Nursery Finals next year in VA. I may still end up selling him on since i already have 3 Open dogs but i'm not in any hurry to make that decision.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qVCOUdmGv4Q/UDZ3-z3wsRI/AAAAAAAABNE/FGyM9b0Evrc/s1600/KOzekekingston.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qVCOUdmGv4Q/UDZ3-z3wsRI/AAAAAAAABNE/FGyM9b0Evrc/s320/KOzekekingston.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeke at Kingston, Photo by Kristi Oikawa</td></tr>
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We've done very little trialing this year so far, though that's about to change in a big way. We didn't trial at all from last November to this June, quite a long break. But in June, we loaded up the camper and went to the Slash J and The Big One, both in Bowman, ND. After such a long break, the dogs ran pretty well. Bill was 3rd the first day at Slash J and Zac won the second day. Both qualified for the double lift Finals and Bill ended up reserve Champion. At the Big One, Bill was 5th one day and Zac was 5th the other. At the beginning of August, we went up to Kingston, Ontario for the 80 Acres and Grass Creek trials. The dogs ran really well at these trials but unfortunately my steering was out of alignment or something. I think we ran 13 times and i only managed a clean run once! Bill placed at the first trial at 80 Acres, and Zeke was 2nd in the Nursery there. In the Canadian National Nursery at Grass Creek, Zeke laid down a scorcher of a run in the second round (won the round) to go with a fair one in his first go, and ended up 4th overall. I was really thrilled with his work on the Canada trip, it was very consistent and sharp.<br />
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So that's where things are for the Shoofly gang right now. The summer was more about doing some work around home, putting up new fence and gardening and growing puppies and such. But fall is racing up on us now and things are going to get busy. Next weekend we head up to PA for a new trial, and the following weekend i'm doing a clinic in VA. There are trials almost every weekend from now until mid-November. It's a fun and busy time! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9FaolJ5O5Mg/UDZ37p9oEbI/AAAAAAAABM0/nYZIi4tgYp0/s1600/8099_10151150337471416_396348446_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9FaolJ5O5Mg/UDZ37p9oEbI/AAAAAAAABM0/nYZIi4tgYp0/s320/8099_10151150337471416_396348446_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun time at the Kingston Brew Pub, photo by Carol Guy, cleverly disguised as Wendy Schmaltz</td></tr>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-60873179031463157822012-04-12T11:04:00.001-04:002012-04-12T11:04:36.519-04:00Pups at 4 Weeks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The puppies are up and about and lots of fun now. I finally got some new pictures during their first foray into the living room one by one. They were all brave, playful and adventurous, just the way you'd want them to be as they turn 4 weeks old. Next up will be a trip to the great outdoors!<br />
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<a href="http://www.pbase.com/robinfrench/pups_4_weeks" target="_blank">Pics here on my pbase site</a> </div>
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I still have one male available if i can find the right fit for him. So far all of the puppy placements feel like they're just the right fit for both owners and puppies. It's so much fun watching the little personalities develop.</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-50490073046094216312012-03-26T12:29:00.000-04:002012-03-26T12:29:57.518-04:002012 Shoofly Farm Benefit SDTMichelle Dobbs did a lovely slideshow of photos she took at our trial last month. I thought i'd post it here for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. It's wonderful!<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/39027172?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/39027172">Shoofly Farm SDT</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user3245103">Michelle Dobbs</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-37090062348062258812012-03-25T20:42:00.001-04:002012-03-25T20:42:17.111-04:00Mick Meets SheepI decided to give little 10 week old Mick a try on the sheep today since he was sitting and watching them with great interest. Pretty cute and pretty keen!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/0GSdcOIOXhk" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-91284946709394327792012-03-16T10:43:00.000-04:002012-03-16T10:43:11.210-04:00They're here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Bill x Rhyme pups have started out as overachievers, arriving on Tuesday, March 13th when we were all expecting them around friday! We also had been expecting Rhyme to pop out her usual 5 pups, but nope, there were 2 bonus puppies so a litter of 7 little beauties. There are 2 girls and 5 boys, which works nicely for me as i'm planning on a male, so plenty to choose from. The whole kit-and-kabooble will arrive at my house tomorrow, and then the fun will really begin. I couldn't resist and rode over to see them on wednesday. There are "1 day old" pics on my pbase site (<a href="http://www.pbase.com/robinfrench/">http://www.pbase.com/robinfrench/</a>) and i plan to be posting future pics there as well rather than flooding facebook with them. I may have one or two pups from the litter available, contact me privately if you are interested.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aQVaOgu0Tdo/T2NQs0CNa6I/AAAAAAAABKM/pOBdvwdIP1A/s1600/142088933.hUj6mAiK.IMG_4536.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aQVaOgu0Tdo/T2NQs0CNa6I/AAAAAAAABKM/pOBdvwdIP1A/s320/142088933.hUj6mAiK.IMG_4536.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Bill?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet little girl!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6KvoIoBs6cY/Ty_5MwE1XaI/AAAAAAAABJg/Sjc1n5S29I8/s1600/mc-logo-horizontal-small%5B1%5D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6KvoIoBs6cY/Ty_5MwE1XaI/AAAAAAAABJg/Sjc1n5S29I8/s320/mc-logo-horizontal-small%5B1%5D.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Recently, i noticed that several blogging friends were reviewing the <a href="http://www.mrchewy.com/">MrChewy.com website</a>, having received offers of $50 gift certificates to place an order and then review the process. I decided to give the site a try myself, and was well pleased with the selection and prices. They carry over 70 brands of dog food, from very high end choices to some for the more budget conscious consumer. Shipping on orders over $49 is free. Since the price of the Acana dog food i like was pretty much the same price as with the local retailer i usually visit, and there was a 15% off offer if you were willing to set up a regular delivery schedule (which can be changed or cancelled at will), i thought i'd give it a whirl and ordered 2 bags, along with some treats for the dogs. Since i wouldn't have to make time to go out shopping and also spend the gas money to get there, the savings definitely added up. The order process was simple and the food arrived very promptly, 3 days after i placed the order. All in all, it was a very satisfying transaction and you can count me among the happy customers. I might suggest they expand their selection of treats and chews, but i suspect that will probably happen as they get more established.</div>
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And that would be the end of the story but...i kept thinking about those friends who got the $50 gift certificates, and wishing i'd been one of the lucky ones to have received the offer. So, i sent MrChewy an email and said "hey, what about me?!" more or less. And wouldn't you know it, those lovely people at MrChewy granted my wish by extending the offer to me as well. How about that for service?! Count me as a VERY satisfied customer now!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-11140548077051870632012-02-01T20:38:00.002-05:002012-02-02T08:13:00.737-05:00Still here!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbo1ckjPF6c/Tyno-1NFaPI/AAAAAAAABJY/CGvDjMmBcm8/s1600/IMG_4131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbo1ckjPF6c/Tyno-1NFaPI/AAAAAAAABJY/CGvDjMmBcm8/s320/IMG_4131.jpg" width="320" /></a>I thought maybe i should do a little catchup post since it's been ages. All is well here.<br />
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We haven't been trialing this winter at all. The last trial the dogs ran in was Rural Hill in Huntersville, NC in November. It wasn't my favorite trial of the year. The field is very nice, the sheep were pretty good, set out was good, nice crowd, but the trial has some problems that really need to be addressed. I won't go into detail here on the blog but if you really need to know, send me a message. I hope the problems can be addressed in the future but i have to say it's not the first time i've come home with the same concerns. We did attend another trial this winter - the Edgeworth Winter trial. But the dogs didn't run as i spent the weekend in the judges seat. It was a lot of fun and a good weekend. I enjoy judging and learn some new things every time i do it. The only downside is not getting to run my own dogs!<br />
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I've had a couple of fundays at the farm this winter, just nice, social days with some nice folks getting out to work dogs. Lots of good food and good fun. That was a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving and also to ring in the New Year.<br />
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In some exciting news, I bred Zeke to a nice bitch during the Rural Hill trial and there are three 3 week old pups coming along. I haven't decided yet if i'll be taking one, partly because it's 3 boys and i wanted a female, but also because in more exciting news, I bred Bill about 3 weeks ago. I've been waiting on just the right situation to come along to breed him, and this was it. I've leased Rhyme, Joe's dam. I'm very excited about this cross as the Zac x Rhyme pups are turning out to be talented, solid dogs. The cross brings together Bill's smoothness with the cool power of Rhyme's maternal line (my old Ben is her grandsire). Time will tell but i can hardly wait to see those pups!<br />
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So that's about it from here. The dogs have been taking it easy this winter, and Zeke and Joe are coming along in their training. I'm making plans for this year's trials and impatiently waiting on pups.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-6941786615364210842011-10-26T10:44:00.000-04:002011-10-26T10:48:06.254-04:00Watercress SDT<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PAJA1ic8KE0/Tqgbw0N7E8I/AAAAAAAABII/eDutoSvBVnA/s1600/291880_2395338361592_1194948499_32568965_702182163_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PAJA1ic8KE0/Tqgbw0N7E8I/AAAAAAAABII/eDutoSvBVnA/s320/291880_2395338361592_1194948499_32568965_702182163_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">View from the top end of the field, looking down field and over the campers. </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Photos by Julie Poudrier)</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Click on a picture to enlarge it. </span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WG_ZpHggAfo/Tqgby_JSYpI/AAAAAAAABIQ/rhpqYOWrDkI/s1600/299897_2395333561472_1194948499_32568957_1518360662_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WG_ZpHggAfo/Tqgby_JSYpI/AAAAAAAABIQ/rhpqYOWrDkI/s320/299897_2395333561472_1194948499_32568957_1518360662_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i> Jan's home and the view</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e0CgFUiZDaY/Tqgbz2HJ92I/AAAAAAAABIY/Pk7Xsp5FASg/s1600/318399_2395358482095_1194948499_32568995_288764434_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e0CgFUiZDaY/Tqgbz2HJ92I/AAAAAAAABIY/Pk7Xsp5FASg/s320/318399_2395358482095_1194948499_32568995_288764434_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The trial field, again from the top end. </span></i></span></div>
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Along the fall trial circuit we go, this time landing at Jan Thompson's Watercress SDT in Limestone, TN. This is one of the prettiest, if not THE prettiest trial locations we go to all year. Jan's perfectly maintained farm sits among the mountains and the view is beautiful, with the leaves changing colors all around. The trial is set on a large hayfield with little rolls and dips. Lots of folks pitch in to keep the trial running smoothly all 3 days, and the handlers dinner on Saturday evening is to die for, gourmet all the way featuring lamb raised right there on the farm. Setout was very capably handled (as usual!) by Julie Poudrier and this year's judge Scott Glen was imported from the faraway land of Alberta, Canada. The sheep were very fit and fat katahdin ewes and their lambs from this past spring, and the weather was perfect with cold nights and bright, sunny days in the 60s.</div>
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The trial began on Friday with the novice classes. We began the day with Nursery 1 and a reasonably sized (smallish) course for so early in the Nursery season. The dogs seemed to all handle it pretty well. Zeke ran very well, winning the class and securing his second qualifying leg for next year's Nursery Finals. Next up was Open Ranch 1, on the same course, won by Sally Glei with Lena. ProNovice followed, won by Chuck Dimit and Chad. Then came a course change that left those waiting to run Nursery 2 and Open Ranch 2 (running together) feeling a tad nervous. The setout and all panels were moved back to the spots they'd be for the first Open trial the next day, and it was a huge course for the youngsters. Actually, it was a pretty darned long drive even for the Open dogs! It was a fun challenge for the young dogs and made for interesting spectating as we watched the different dogs trying to master it. Zeke was the first dog up on the course and i was very happy with his performance. He had a little trouble with the outrun but his fetch and drive (the longest he's ever attempted) were very good and the pen quick and easy. His score held up at the top of the long list of Nursery and Ranch dogs running until right at the end when Chuck Dimit and Chad came along and laid down a beautiful run to win both Ranch and Nursery.</div>
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Saturday morning dawned cold but clear and Bill was my first dog up in the Open. He had a decent enough run but not his best by a long shot. Not sure what was up but he just seemed a little distracted. At the end of the day he finished just out of the placings. Zac was up mid-afternoon and had a great run going, with only a couple of points gone as we approached the shedding ring. Unfortunately he lost his patience with the sluggish pace of the sheep and decided a good goosing was in order to speed things up, resulting in a grip call and DQ. I was less than happy with the rotten beast giving away a potential win! Saturday's winner was Victoria Wilcox with a beautiful run with her Pat dog. Sunday went quite a lot better for my guys. Zac was up very early, at a time when the sheep were acting pretty touchy, but managed a pretty nice run that held for a 10th place finish. After a very long day of waiting, Bill was the last dog of the day to run. The sheep had gotten very good at the end of the first day, so i was anxious to see what we'd get. As i'd hoped, the sheep got pretty sweet at the end and Bill had a smoker of a run. He'd hardly lost a point up to the crossdrive panel, where i carefully drove the sheep high and around the panel, grrrrr. It was a difficult one to see for sure. With a clean finish, about the only points Bill lost were on the crossdrive. But that was enough with the good running to put us 3rd for the day behind Chuck Dimit and Bob Washer. All in all, i was very happy with all 3 dogs. Especially gratifying were the 2 perfect sheds by Bill after having trouble at some of the trials this fall. I think i finally puzzled out the problem and hopefully the bit of quick training we did last week was the thing that helped.</div>
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So that's the play by play for this week's trial. Now we're home for our first weekend since August, and then we'll be off again to the Broken Back Ranch SDT the first weekend in November.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-61716394827785518892011-10-19T12:05:00.013-04:002011-10-26T10:54:04.461-04:00Lexington SDT<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8JtMW3mfJLo/Tp75gKnZUII/AAAAAAAABHY/-xdCdzUCJ9M/s1600/297188_2329418048722_1647847060_2359705_393049979_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665239712279384194" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8JtMW3mfJLo/Tp75gKnZUII/AAAAAAAABHY/-xdCdzUCJ9M/s320/297188_2329418048722_1647847060_2359705_393049979_n.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 213px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a>So on we go to the 3rd trial of the week, again set in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains, at <a href="http://www.broadviewranch.com/">Broadview Ranch</a> in Lexington, VA. Hosted by the most gracious of hosts, David Clark and Cheryl Branibar, this is a fun and very welcoming event. The field contains lots of cross country horse jumps, making for an interesting and challenging course. The Open outrun looked to be about 350-400 yards to me and the sheep are David and Cheryl's Montadale flock, trucked in to the ranch for the trial. Our judge this year was the inimitable Tommy Wilson and the setout crew par excellence was made up of Debbie Crowder in the sorting pens with Julie Poudrier holding the packets of sheep for every run of the 3 day event. It doesn't get any better in all respects there! The socializing was top notch as well, with handlers gathering each evening in the ranch cabin (very, very old with a wonderful fireplace) for food and merriment.<br />
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The sheep were very good at this trial, very cooperative around the course if handled well by the dogs and making them pay if not handled well. I thought they were a bit more challenge for the at hand tasks of shedding and penning in general, though there were plenty of sheds and pens for everyone, even if they weren't all trouble free. The Montadales seem to react a little differently to the dogs up close and weren't very reactive to the handlers. It was fun for me trying to figure them out anyway. The course both days ended with a split and pen of the 4 sheep.<br />
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I was lucky enough to be able to run all 3 dogs in the Open, as well as 2 runs in the Nursery with Zeke. Zeke was first up for me in the Open on the first day and i was very pleased with him. He was calm, cool and collected all the way around. We ran into trouble on the shed as i was trying to figure out the sheep. They didn't seem to want to string out for us and it took a minute for me to figure that out, as they flipped back and forth repeatedly. Knowing Zeke would blow into even a tiny gap, i finally just leaned in to show him where i wanted him to come, and he blasted in for a beautiful split with no gap at all. It sure is fun shedding with him! On to the pen where i began a day of penning woes. One ewe decided she'd just go under me instead of into the pen, and that pretty much became my pen theme of the day as i never did get a decent pen in 4 runs. Zac and Bill both ran very well around the course and through the shed, but i was just cursed at the pen for the day. Bill ended up 5th and Zac was out of the placings. The first Nursery class ran at the end of Open and Zeke had a nice run but the darned pen knocked us into 2nd place. Bob Washer won the Open for the day after a very, very close run off with Barb Levinson and Cy Peterson. Carla King and Sage won the Nursery.<br />
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Day two went a bit better for my guys but the competition was really stiff as one bobble here or there would knock you out of contention for the placings. Zac and Bill both had winning runs going up to the at hand work, but a missed attempt on the shed by Bill and a ewe skimming the outside of the pen on Zac knocked them down to 5th and 7th place, respectively. Zeke was laying down a smoker of a run when a quick overflank at the crossdrive panel got things out of whack and it took several points worth of effort to get back on track, knocking him out of contention. He was really on for his second Nursery class at the end of the day though, and won it handily, getting his first qualifying leg. Mike Hanley won the Open for the day. Bob Washer ended up overall champ for the 2 days, with Bill and me reserve champs.<br />
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Sunday brought out the novice dogs and i stayed around to watch most of the day. Wow, are there some good teams coming along there. Lots of good runs and nice dog work.<br />
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It was another fun few days at a wonderful trial, with gorgeous weather and nice people. The ranch is a lovely place with a lot going on. I enjoyed seeing the big chicken tractor and the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8fGee2XbB8/Tp8Cg9D2awI/AAAAAAAABH8/0hgd3CeDwHE/s1600/302628_2329424208876_1647847060_2359716_281441329_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5665249621425154818" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B8fGee2XbB8/Tp8Cg9D2awI/AAAAAAAABH8/0hgd3CeDwHE/s320/302628_2329424208876_1647847060_2359716_281441329_n.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 213px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 320px;" /></a>pastured hogs, and even brought home a big bag of farm raised meats, yum. And now we're packing and preparing to head to TN for Jan Thompson's Watercress SDT this coming weekend.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3158388921799189729.post-59872262735574802392011-10-17T18:50:00.007-04:002011-10-17T20:34:58.820-04:00Quiet Acres SDT<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-om4nfhNyEPc/Tpyy5FMEzbI/AAAAAAAABHM/3k9F5ULDmyU/s1600/297533_2357715116007_1644121861_2264034_863113686_n.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-om4nfhNyEPc/Tpyy5FMEzbI/AAAAAAAABHM/3k9F5ULDmyU/s320/297533_2357715116007_1644121861_2264034_863113686_n.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5664599125040352690" /></a><div>We followed up Edgeworth with a Tuesday-Wednesday trial in Grottoes, VA, at the Quiet Acres SDT. This first trial hosted by Dan and Sylvia King at their lovely farm was really great. The setting was gorgeous with the leaves starting to change in the Blue Ridge mountains (photo by Christine Koval). The rolling field made for a tricky outrun, the course was plenty challenging, the sheep fit and happy. The trial was a benefit for the Bluegrass and Belle Grove SDTs and drew a nice crowd. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and i had a great time. And the handler's dinner prepared by Jim Winecoff was wonderful.</div><div><br /></div><div>I decided to drive up to the trial on Tuesday morning rather than trying to take the camper or stay over in a hotel, trying to preserve my dwindling vacation time. I really wanted to support Dan and Sylvia with their first trial, they're such great people and have been very supportive of our Whistle for a Cure trials. I rolled in about 2 runs before my first run with Bill. A few quick questions to figure out the course and off we went to the post. We had a fairly decent run up to the split (it was split-pen after the drive). I couldn't seem to get any sort of gap at all with the 4 hair sheep. No fault of Bill's this time around, it just didn't happen, and we ran out of time staring at one solid wall of 4 sheep. Zac was up second to last and he really had it down cold with the sheep, hardly putting a foot wrong. I love it when he runs like that! In the end, he'd scored a 92 and won the class for his first ever Open win. Hard to believe that it's taken this long but it's true. I think he's probably had 8 or 10 second places but never taken home a blue ribbon. Yay for Zac! I ran Zeke non-compete at the end of the day and was very happy with him. His outrun was very nice, fetch good. He was putting too much pressure on the sheep on the drive and making them turn around to look at him, which he didn't like. Things would stall out a little and he'd poke into the sheep to get them going. Not pretty but effective. Just young dog stuff as he figures out how to work the different types of sheep we run into.</div><div><br /></div><div>It started pouring rain overnight Tuesday night. Sylvia had very graciously offered to let me crash in her RV for the night. Unfortunately, a small leak overhead turned into a bigger leak overnight, and it was kind of a drippy night in bed! I snuggled around a pot in the bed catching drips for a few hours but eventually it ran me off into the house and onto the couch. Pretty funny and now i have a good story to rib Dan and Sylvia with.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday morning was nasty and rainy and icky. I was up first so chose to run Zeke for the experience. He ran quite well again and i was happy to see he'd sorted out in his mind about moving the sheep, and things smoothed right out. He had a very nice shed but we timed out on the pen. I was feeling tired and creaky with the chilly rain so decided to sit the rest of the day out, and jumped in my warm, dry truck for the trip home. I hated to miss running Zac and Bill but it sure was nice with the heat cranked up, and we would be on our way to the next trial in only a couple of days.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a great inaugural trial at Quiet Acres, and i definitely plan to be back next year!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1