The Scio Trial

Welcome to my neck of the woods......
Beautiful lush green...and WET! The Scio trial is held just a blink of the eye from my place.....and I don't know that I could have gone to a more radically different trial compared to Big Willow! Fine by me...my dogs are used to hunting clean white sheep on flat green pastures! The field was on the small side.....but made complicated by little streams and creeks running through it. Judge Bill Berhow took advantage of those challenges by incorporating them into the drive work.
It was sunny and hot by the end of the weekend. The dogs and sheep seemed to hold up alright and the handlers and spectators enjoyed soaking up a few rays!
The sheep came from a local grazer here in the Willamette Valley. They were a combination of Dorset, Suffolk and crosses. The combination in each set of four.....really made dogs and handlers step up to run them! The sheep certainly did not want to be pushed anywhere.....not around the course and definitely not into the pen. This poor ewe got separated from her friends and ended up taking a truck ride to the exhaust.....too much pressure and they would either run wild, split, or refuse to move!

Nell had her coming out party into nursery. Her first run was...well...wild! Her eyes were popping out of her head....she over ran every flank...every whistle...and as I left the field after timing out at the pen...I could tell she was in just a little over her head. Second run, I got a lie down at the top....and she started settling and feeling her sheep. First go, 7th place...second go, 9th. Not too bad for my baby dog.

Open started Saturday morning with Sally and I running 3rd, following Anne Mock and John Fontaine who were standing in second and first, respectively, right to the end of the day. It was good to see beautifully handled runs before I sent my dog. I wanted to send Sally right...but she fought me a few times...and finally, I remembered my promise to myself and let her go left. Her outrun was very nice. I stopped her short setting the tone for the rest of the run......we got our shed, pen and single......but the run just missed the magic of feeling like I "had" the sheep. Times like this...I am so very thankful to those who mentor me. I got some priceless input into what was going on. At Big Willow the over-flanks came from my admiration of my dogs work.....this time...I was watching the sheep but Sally was still over-flanking...and also not feeling her sheep until the third leg of the drive. I had a lot to think about for the next day's run.

Sunday.....I ran 24th.....which had me walking to the post at 11:00. I was curious to see how Sally would hold up under the radical temperature change.....she ran very well. This run, I did not stop her short...our fetch was nice and controlled but I started to loose the sheep to the exhaust as the sheep were pulling hard after three days of running. Sally held her own, worked very hard to bring the sheep out of the pressure, took her stops and flanked well, and the run had the more "magical" feel. I beat myself by 10 points from the previous day.....and it felt like a whole different run.

I think back over the past 6 months.....all the little details that come together for a run. Jack Knox says to "let the dog be right, correct it when it is wrong...but don't "make" the dog be right." That is me and Sally..I need to not worry about making her be right. Also, when I get frustrated with Sally, she gets a little frantic...and for that, I am working on me. It is about watching the sheep...but still knowing what the dog is doing. And letting go of mistakes as they happen. My main goal of consistency continues to be my focus. And each time out....we become more of a team. I am right where I need to be.....!

This weekend I am off to one of my fondest trials.....Dry Lake! A meager 550 yard outrun awaits me and Sally......maybe Geri could water the field so the grass is green....Sally likes green pastures!!

Seize the day!!

BIG BIG BIG WILLOW!!!!!

As I reflect on the trial from this past weekend....I wonder what about it WASN'T BIG?!! The field was a BIG HUGE almost fence less desert outside of Caldwell, Idaho. Filled with BIG sage brush, BIG hills, and BIG blue sky....it was breath-taking! The sheep were GINORMOUS! BIG monstrous dog eating ewes that sorted dogs without justification of fairness. Picked from the huge mob that was grazed by volunteers for the trial....these renegade ewes wanted nothing more then to join their flock....and it took a dog with courage, finesse and trickery to get the packet of five around the BIG course. Well, the course might have not been as BIG as I remember but my imagination has run wild during my reflections. Thank goodness I taped runs and sheds so I can be brought back to reality with a sense of what really happened!I hung out with some really great people...and also finally met some "friends" from the blog world. I believe that is one thing that made this trial so memorably special to me...the people...comradery....friendship...laughter.I do believe this was the toughest trial I have ever attended. On my first go I had a serious moment of "what the heck was I thinking coming to THIS BIG trial" as my little rough coated black and white English dog took off out of sight over the hill side to my right assuring me the cluster of sage brush was indeed her set sheep. She lacks nothing in how big she can outrun...even if she never did find her sheep for the day! I learned a lesson worth the price of the entry......and the next day.....as she did the exact same thing except with an exceptional beginning to the outrun.....I stayed my ground and nursed her back to where her sheep were waiting for her. Well done, Sally! I stared in awe and wonder at how my girl worked the sheep....too much so.....as pointed out by a good friend....my pool like approach to my first leg of the drive was from enjoying the view of my dog and not watching my sheep. And I thought I knew better! My scores...both RTs...were nothing to write home about.....but the experience, all I learned, the further development of my relationship with my dog.....could make a MasterCard commercial...Priceless!

I watched and taped...and watched some more. I saw some really fabulous dogs and runs. Patrick Shannahan and Riggs, Diane Deal and Pat, Bill Orr and Boone, Joe Haynes and Rain, Lavaon Calzacorta and Tess, Francis Chia and I believe it was Chime...the list goes on and on! The dogs that struggled but held it together...the handlers that helped, trusted, directed, cheered and pushed through the hard moments to put down amazing scores. I am in awe!

Here is one of my favorite photos from the trial....guess who is in that porta potty!? Reminds me of the time Joe Haynes stole my dog when I did this same thing.....hmmmm......and we were just talking about pay-backs!

April was sort of a "thinking" month. It started out with a lesson with Patrick Shannahan talking and working through some of the handling challenges I had at Sonoma. I got to meet and audit a clinic put on by Simon Leaning for Australia. In honor of my Snook dog, that won't be seeing the trial field much this season, I ran in an AHBA trial at Bringand's Hideout. I had goals for each dog, as I walked to the post...and was pleased with the relationship I am developing with each of my girls. A clinic day with Elvin Kopp and a clinic with Kathy Knox, where Nell showed she really could be a "rock star". Then I sheared! Now I am on to May....and life gets more exciting and less heady....okay...maybe not less heady....

So here's to the 2009 trial season.....a fresh slate....all 100 points waiting for my next run......waiting to see how little I can give away under the eye of the judge. Scio is next....

Seize the day!!!!

Sweet Sonoma!!!

Life does not get much better than this! I stole this picture from Patrick Shannahan......he took it with his cell phone. This is the big hill field at Sonoma.....the field that Patrick judged.....first thing Saturday morning. It was so beautiful...but the fog delayed running. The right drive panels are just out of view...but the turn took the sheep through the last trees on the right and into some very wicked terrain (especially if you were off line!). I ran Saturday morning...the sheep were wild but nice enough. I got my fetch panels.....lost my feel on the drive...hmmm...then in the ring for a nasty shed....and to the mouth of the pen...timed out. Every run, Sally and I are becoming a better team......and for that I am thankful!
Here is the flat field on Sunday morning. Saturday proved to be very challenging......as Geri said, the sheep were winning. I ran second with Sally on Sunday...and had one of those runs that keeps a person coming back. It was magical.....the sheep really liked her and she did a good job finding where she needed to be. Our drive work was the best we have done together. I even got my pen! That feeling of complete team work is something I have been striving for.....and my girl gave me her all. I am so dang proud of her....

now I just need to wrap my head around getting my shed with good, clean, consistent technique! Amanda Milliken just sent this shot of me.....and Sally getting our shed. Hmmm......okay.....I've got some work to do!

I must admit...the sheep were so tough...it made the trial! I am continuing to see how much of a run is the handler's job of reading situations and helping put the dog where it needs to be. Hence, my journey continues........
On the long....(did I mention LONG!) drive home....I kept thinking of my runs...what went really great.....what was consistent with my goes at Heppner...and what I need to clean up. I am glad to have the month of April to sort through, soul search, and clean up before I head to Big Willow.

It is now Spring Break.....time to Seize the Day!

Oh Heppner!!!!

THE SHEEP

THE FIELD
THE PLAYERS
MY STORY
I arrived at the Heppner trial field on Saturday morning, greeted by a nice day! Remembering all those stories I have heard about the weather and how hard the sheep pull into the draw, I was amazed at how different the 2009 Heppner sheepdog was turning out. I was looking forward to putting Sally on the sheep.....she has never seen Rambouillet type sheep before. They seemed quiet honest, a little touchy, and I was amazed at how much handling made or broke a run! Our first go was mid afternoon on fresh sheep......WHAT A RUN! Now we missed all our panels....but hey...she got a hold of those sheep.....felt them....listened.....and gave me her all. I achieved my goals of just whistling and staying calm at those darn panels...keeping a line and driving and not messing with flipping her about trying to hit them. I left feeling like we had the best "team work" run I have ever had with my girl! I was also quite excited to get my shed.....in the shed ring, I was amazed at the sheep and how they reacted to me.....it was a great learning day for both Sally and me!

Saturday evening the wind started....and with it...a little storm blew in. I scribed nursery for the judge, Derek Fisher, and learned a lot about method and intent. The sheep were quiet hard on the nursery dogs....but I saw some really great young talent!
I got up early Sunday....to high winds and a bitter dry cold. I scribed for the open judge, Don Helsley, and learned so very much! I love scribing for judges that share their knowledge and explain why they take off or leave points! He gave me things to think about when it comes to setting up a shed.....shedding is so much more than just getting the dog to come through the sheep!

As I walked to the post in the early afternoon on Sunday....I kept thinking of staying calm, whistling, and keeping Sally in the appropriate place......but with the course change, and the fact the sheep had run before...it was a different feel all together. I had to flank Sally more then I would have liked...but staying true to just whistling....she took all my flank handling and we hit a few panels! I got to the shed ring......applying what I had just learned earlier that morning and got my shed with about 45 seconds left in my run! The whole run had a different feel to it....but I was so tickled with two really consistent runs where my dog and I worked as a team! My goals of "recovery and letting go" became closer to how I want to handle...and my dog really likes the new me.....one that is quiet and not yelling corrections...go figure!

What a great trial, great weekend.....and now...I begin to prepare for Sonoma! Let the trialing season begin!!!!

Seize the day......

What a great weekend.....

Starting out Friday afternoon, I had a lesson with Patrick Shannahan up at Brigand's Hideout. I showed him my Nell...and then we worked Sally. It was sunny and almost warm. As always, I learned more in an hour then my brain could actually hold!
Saturday morning, I was up WAY before the sun to go check that ewe that was thinking of having her lambs...and then on the road to Sedro Woolly...a good 5+ hours north of me. Here is what Snook thought of the first part of the drive.....she must not trust me as she is sleeping with her eyes open!
And when she realized that we were going to a sheepdog trail.....then she got interested and started telling me how to drive.....

I made it to the trial site.....just after a brief visit of snow.....and took this terrible picture (nice snow fence!) but I tried to get the feel of the vastness of the field. The sheep were set way up at the top of that hill...and the handlers post was way back to the left of the pen. It "felt" big and long to me.

What a lovely trial...a great way to take a look at what I had learned at my lesson just the day before. On the good side, Sally took her blow out whistle and we got our shed. Nell had her coming out party into pro novice and, though it was nothing to write home about, she worked nice for me...we timed out on the cross drive. What I learned..., I might consider doing a little course work with Nell...laughing to myself! And Nell will be put on whistles before I run her again....ugh on standing at the post yelling my commands! And Sally....well, I am working on where Sally needs to be on each group of sheep. I think once I begin to consistently see where she needs to be, feel where she needs to be, and apply where she needs to be....it will start coming together with Nell more as well. I left the trial with all those thoughts on my mind....and did not even look at my scores...guess I'll have to wait until Dirk posts them! Until then.....

Seize the day!

Accessorize

Yesterday was the day to accessorize the lambs. I called my 16 year old son and asked if he and his two friends would like to come catch lambs for me. They all said that sounded like FUN! So, after a little game of chase and catch....each lamb was given an ear piercing...with a "salmon" colored tag....girls on the left...boys on the right. Might I mention that "salmon" is NOT a very pretty color when it comes to ear tags....but back to the task. I was afraid I was going to lose my very enthusiastic and FREE help when I flipped the first boy lamb and applied his matching day-glow orange band....but I talked those city boys through it and the task was done in record time. The boys did not hang out with me...but left as quickly as possible....I don't know why ;)
Here's Val...still the cutest lamb at Rocking Dog Ranch...and I still don't tell the others! And in the background....little 902 looks like he is trying to figure out why the girls did not get day-glow bands.....
Seize the day!!!

Before and After Glamour Shot

BEFORE AFTER

I would have bet my last dollar there were triplets in that ewe! But heck, two big healthy lambs, udders enough for all!! The ewe lamb looks like a Barb and the ram lamb looks like a Hereford. Go figure.......

This is my friend Adele, she got the honors of pulling the ram lamb. She promptly named him Rambo!

PS....here is a secret shot taken of the mischief and mayhem that happens when bossy, big girl lambs bully little boy lambs! True BFFs in the making!!!!Seize the day!!!!

Editor's Note: Due to the modern technology available in the year 2009, I now know why this ewe was so big. Because her babies each weighed in at 10 pounds a piece.....that is why! We all know who the "alfalfa-hog queen" of the flock is!! Maybe I should change her name from Red to Pig!!!!