Sunday recap

Sunday recap: OMG!!

Well, I was going to title this “OMG” as that is how I feel. I am black and blue from pinching myself with excitement over today’s runs!!

Speaking of, on the heart recovery status. I was feeling pretty peaked yesterday at the trial and at the end asked Aileen (retired Dr) a few questions. My right leg and groin was VERY swollen and I ached. She told me to relax, lay down flat and sleep and today it was much better. I usually sleep on my side so I made a point of sleeping on my back with my legs flat out and this morning the swelling had gone down quite a bit and I ached only a little bit. I woke up hungry and wanting coffee.

I woke up at 6 and decided to sleep in since I was not running a PN dog. I rolled out of bed at 9 then had coffee at the hotel lobby and a small muffin. The coffee tasted good!!

I got to the field in time to see the last six or so PN runs. It went much better than the day before. We went straight into Open. As it was, I would not be running my dogs until after 1:00, so I had a pita bread stuffed with veggies, salami and cheese for lunch. I also had more coffee (thank you to Jennifer Coleman for the cup of java) and yogurt.

I took a bunch of picture again today and Jennifer took pictures of my runs. I’ll post them later this week as I am tired and it is almost 11:30 p.m.

Lucy was first on deck and I sent her. She flipped back as if to run to the exhaust so I gave her a heavy correction, redirect and she went out nicely. She slowed down at the exhaust so I blew a hard Away and she took it, came behind her sheep and downed when I told her. She lifted them offline and was slow to cover. The sheep ran to the setout but she stopped them and we were way offline until after the fetch panels where we got them back online. I had two sheep that wanted to run to the exhaust so she had to fight them to turn them at the post. On the first leg, they would try to curl around her to face her and it was a bit work to get that first leg. She was bending too eagerly off the pressure and had hard time walking into their heads but I worked her and she did it. The turn was fine and she had a nice crossdrive and turn and then to the shed.

We had a shed but she didn’t hold them and they ran out of the ring and she put them together. As she was putting them into the ring, she did an awesome shed by herself but A) it was not quite in the ring and B) I was not involved and Jack and the scribe and I had a wee bit of a laugh at that. We got the shed and she held the pressure very well to put them into the pen.

She was very tired as it was very hot and I gave her a huge hug for her gallant effort. She was much improved over yesterday and we just need to work on a few items to round us out as a good team. I like what I see and she gives me her all. Her score was 71.

Nan ran towards the end of the day and the sheep were very heavy to the exhaust or setout. She ran out wide then her eye saw the same item that drew her into yesterday so I stopped her and redirected her and she took it on the fly. She ran out and then saw her sheep then went wide and deep. Stopped at the top and did a nice lift and then the sheep bolted to the setout. I flanked her and she worked it and worked it and got them back online before the gates and we got the fetch gates. Nice walk to the post and then nice turn at the post. The sheep tried to go wide and back to the exhaust but we worked hard and after a slow start to the drive, she drove them straight and true to the first panels. I thought I had put the sheep through and flanked her but I was too early so we missed the gate. That cost us dearly. A little high on the drive but she made the crossdrive and straight into the ring. I flanked her a bit too much on the crossdrive so I need to place her better on that aspect of our work.

A nice shed, abet a bit slow for her to hold the sheep but she did. She marched them into the pan and we got a score of 80. I cost us a higher placing by missing the gates. We got 9th place today. There were a lot higher scores today and you had to have a flawless run to win. Again, Pearse and Riel did just that!!

Then they did the High combined for the weekend. Pearse and Riel got 175 for first place and Nan and I got SECOND OVERALL with 156 points.

OMG!! I can’t believe that.

I was so happy to see that we even did so well. Let alone place so well.

They took the top three scored (High Combined) from this weekend to go into the Double Lift tomorrow but since Nan had already qualified from the five Winter series trials, that spot went to a dog that place lower than us. I think the five of us who had already qualified from the Five Winter Series trial placed high in the High Combined so the three spots went to the people who placed lower.

So going into tomorrow’s Double Lift:

1. Cheryl Munson and Jett
2. Brian Ricards and Doc
3. Maggi McClure and Lil
4. Lee Lumb and Nan
5. Pearse and Riel
6. Lee Lumb and Mac
7. Brian and Mig
8. Diane and Nan

After the trial I hung out with Lani and Martha. They are the two coolest Canadians, ever. I enjoy chatting with them. Lani had a stellar drive today with Blair and only lost three points. Ironically, the three dogs who had only lost three points were all littermates. Blair, Ceri and Patch!!

I’ll write more later this week, as I need to go to bed. 6:30 a.m. is going to be pretty darn early for me!! The girls are crashed out on the bed and I plan to join them in a few minutes. Wish us luck!!