Getting Ready....

Every year, I go to one Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA ) trial. It is held in Sweet Home, Oregon and hosted by my good friends at Vaquero Aussies! The trial has sheep, cows and ducks.....and it was one of the first trials I attended when I started 5 1/2 years ago. Needless to say, it brings very fond memories.

This year I am trialing FOUR dogs at this trial, with Nell and Bella running on all three stock flavors! Yikes. In preparation....I have been working all the girls...and was very glad to be invited down to work some lighter hair sheep. Sometimes these "lighter" sheep can get in Bella's head...so it was good to work with her on being calm and staying clean on her flanks.

In addition to my four dogs running......I have three friends that take lessons with me running! I think I am more excited for them to have the opportunity to go and be a team with their dogs. They have all worked hard and their dogs look real nice. Tomorrow starts off with a small ranch dog trial, then Saturday and Sunday the arena trial. Traci, Charlotte, Gabrielle......it's time......

Seize the Day!!!!!

Palm Cottage...as told by me

Palm Cottage......what a lovely sheepdog trial. Now don't be confusing "lovely" with easy...or simple....or straightforward. Palm Cottage is anything but those things.....

Friday ran pronovice, nursery and novice......I was in a hurry and did not take one photo. The sheep...having never been worked by dogs before were crazy wild...as proven by the lack of one single pen in the first round of either pronovice or nursery. My run with Nell, I felt like it was all crisis, escape management! My insistence on a down caused much distress in my dog and left me "late" and us not in the "team mode". But we got 'er done...and finished in the top third. Bella....had a rouge sheep created by her very tight lift....and ended up gripping out....but we did not have to buy any sheep so all's well that ends well!

Saturday dawned with a clear sky....Sally drew up in the teens. I was thankful for an early go as the clear day made for a hot afternoon.

The open outrun at Palm Cottage is very tricky....about 1/4 of the dogs did not make it to the sheep! See.....we stood in this one field.....and sent down into a wee little gate...that opens into a big field cattywhompas to the field we were in. Sending right....a fence caught the dogs and limped them along to the gate opening. Left....the field opened up and behind and if the dog got lost......there was not much hope of finding the gate. That, and shadows from the trees created trickery for the dogs!

In hopes of getting the dog through the gate and into the top field, handlers would line up and stand off to the side of the handler actually at the post.....thus encouraging their dog to spot the sheep being set.

The sheep were brought up the dippy hill and semi-around the post...slipping between the judges tent and finishing the course in the field behind the handler. The exhaust for all three days was to the hard right.....making a huge draw around the post and again in the shed ring.

The pen was made complicated by twitchy sheep....a flick of the rope would send them jumping....and too much pressure found at least one squirting out of what looked to be a good committed pen!My goal.......as I stood amongst the spotting fiends....was to have Sally see the sheep coming through the gate. Which did me just fine....with a little whistle help......Sal found the gate....and.... crossed over to go back to the set sheep. Yikes, oh well, game on.....I worked on some pace as she brought them on the fetch...nice turn....skimmed the panels....got the shed....and best of all....got the pen! Gate shut...swoosh!

Sunday dawned cooler with cloud coverage....which was nice as Sally and I had drawn up in the 30's and had us walking to the post around 1:30. It was getting a little warm but still there was a breeze and I was not worried. After "mind-melding" with Sally....visualizing her kicking out "away" through the gate...and well, chatting with her a little....I was sure we had it as she went through the first field with confidence and a wink of "I know there is a gate here!". She went through the gate with thought......I blew the lie down whistle.....got a hitch....blew a good deep wide away.....and Sal....crossed over, yet again going come-bye! What can a girl do but laugh! Somehow...not sure just how, but some how, the sheep were brought through the gate.....running hard.....and try as we may...I could not slow them enough and they missed going around the post. Having spent time working on pressure and walking into sheep not wanting to move and pushing back, I chose to unwind and make my post "correct". Sally was a rock star....dealing with intense sheep pressure in two areas and on we went for our drive. We actually hit our cross drive panel.....made our shed....and found rattled, run-on-the-fetch sheep that liked neither of us at the pen.

Here is what I learned from this weekend......1) Sally has come a long way! 2) I have come a long way! 3) we still have things to work on! 4) this journey is special....very much mine and Sally's and one to be treasured, embraced, counting the blessings of the gifts and tribulations 5) other people's journeys are their own...filled with what they chose to look at and how they decide to address what is presented by their handling, their dog, and their view of the sheep. 6) I am thankful to my friends who come along side me on my journey and share in it...both with honesty, positive feedback, and tips for improvement! 7) I am thankful to people who put on trials...and those who work them...and for Maggi for setting for me...and for Joe for helping me take a breath and look back...and for Geri, and Candy, and Patrick, and Dianne for pushing me forward and not letting me fall down!

And with that......I plan to....

Seize the day!!!!

Catching the Double Lift

Being the Course Director......I did odd jobs around the Sheep Thrillz trial. I volunteered Nell to be the fist double lift catch girl! This is where the dog (and handler) keep the sheep at the stake where they are softly deposited before the dog goes back up the field for the second packet of sheep. "Softly deposited" being what a handler should strive for!

Nell and I hid behind the blue tarp in the exhaust pen, waiting for the first fetch......Being super keen....Nell just had to watch....taking notes and giving quiet encouragement.As the sheep neared the drop stake......I slipped Nell out from her hiding spot to put pressure on the sheep to hold them there......Well done, Nell.

That'll do......

Seize the Day!

NY Dog Walker......

The Sheep Thrillz Sheep Dog Trial was visited by a world famous New York Dog Walker.......Seems he even fashions matching leads......Rumor has it that he does the most amazing rendition of "Wild Thing"......
Seize the Day!

Magical Moments

Nell ran non-compete open at Sheep Thrillz......after running through me on her first pro novice go....and me over controlling her the second pro novice go......her open run was that magical moment in time where I felt very in sync with my dog!

Thank you, Traci, for making my keepsake of Nell's open non-compete run! And thank you, Mr. Judge Sir, for inspiring me to be more!

Seize the Day!

The D's of the Double Lift

This morning, I am feeling a bit nostalgic.....so please bare with me. It was just 5 years ago at Sheep Thrillz....that Snook and I were asked to "catch" sheep for the double lift. What ever was I thinking? First, I had NO stock knowledge what so ever......and my dog and I were babies to the whole sheepdog trialing thing! Now five years later, Sally and I ran in our first double lift......and somehow it felt both familiar and way more intimidating than five years ago!
The first outrun was to the left......and since we train on this field occasionally....if felt like Sally was running out to where the sheep always are found instead of looking. Note to self, take the hit and redirect BEFORE she is committed to crossing! Yep, she crossed on her first outrun....despair........but we had the whole course before us......so I practiced the 'art of letting go' and moved on.Her look back to the second pack was delightfully ssaaawweeeeettttt........here she has just turned herself around and was beginning to take the away whistle....like she had done this all her life! Go Sally!
We merged the two packs of eight sheep together.....got them on line and settled......nice turn around the post......
and driving 16 sheep around a course mid-day is very nice. Got good pace with a bit of clip but no running.....and had plenty of time to fix any wrong flanks. This field is known for its big long drives.....I am not sure I have seen as long of a cross drive ever.......and my eye site failed me on my first panel. I turned too tight and a few sheep did not make it....Darn and certainly oops!

My shed was an experience! I understand the "concept" of the international shed....it is just the art of application that made me scratch my head and say hmmm. We got the marked four to the mouth of the pen before timing out. I felt great satisfaction in having "got 'er done". My first double lift and all. I learned so very much.....Sally is going to make me work to become a better handler and I just need to be glad for that! I moved Sally to open just a year and a half ago.......where the course work at Sheep Thrillz used to intimidate me.....now I embrace the longer drives. It is good to remember where I came from.....celebrating the small victories in my dogs and myself.


Now it is time to get Bella on my whistles.......


Seize the Day!

Sheep Thrillz.....

Sheep Thrillz...yep...that is the name of a local sheep dog trial.....held each summer in Scio, Oregon. This is the very same trial that Bev Lambert was the clinician for a handling clinic...and then went on to judge the trial last year. I was excited to go back this year to see if Sally and I had improved any on the course known for its big huge drives!

Mr. Ricard was our fine judge on Friday for Pro Novice. Not only does he have a wicked sense of humor.....he did a fine job judging! Really!

Nell and Bella ran pro novice.....Nell pushed on me hard the first go....and though we ended up in 4th place....I reminded myself I was working on relationship and being pushed on is not really the qualities of a good one........I over cranked on her the second go and timed out on the drive. It was a good move on my part!

Bella gave me all and more....I am very proud of her and how she worked for me.....ending up in 5th place the first go. I must get this girl taking my whistles!

Saturday morning dawned cool with cloud coverage.....the field was spectacular newly mowed with a good 425 yard outrun and a BIG HUGE cross drive! Noelle's husband graciously walked the course for those of us watching.......not that it would provide much sense of security as I drove it with my dog and sheep!
The judge was the very same fellow from the Dirt Blowing trial.....a top open handler himself....with a sharp pencil and a knack for fashion and photos!

I was given the privilege of running Nell non-compete in open! I am not even sure how to put it all down......but it was like opening the best ever gift at Christmas......my over grinding the day before....gave me a really soft supple dog on the open field. I lost a few points on my fetch that...had I realized how great Nell was working with me....I might have cleaned up.....but we put down a run and ended up in 4th place (which did not count for anything besides a good story because it was non-compete!) I almost cried! I am leaving her in pro novice until I make my vacation runs in South Dakota...then I do believe Nell and I are ready for the open field....and it felt GREAT!

Bella ran nursery....which was the same HUGE run as open minus the sheds.......and she nailed the outruns. The drives were just a little over her head but she did fine....I ended up walking both runs to help her so she could continue to gain confidence and trust in me. She is going to be a nice dog.....did I mention I need to get her taking my whistles!

Sally put down a fair run both Saturday and Sunday.......very consistent.....I see areas I need to work on for training....and am proud of where we have come. This year I sent right both runs and Sally needed a redirect to get her up to the sheep......but she took them both without a rattling moment so I see our time and miles paying off. All this to be said.....Sally handily made the double lift for tomorrow and all I can think is.....Oh My Freaking Heck......I am running my first double lift TOMORROW!

I'll be back with the rest of the story........

Seize the Day!!!!