Monday was the day for Novice, Ranch and ProNovice. There was over 100 runs and by then it had dropped to 99 runs so it was going to be full and busy day. They started early and I wandered down with Tess and Nan with coffee in hand. Tea and Sweep ran quite well and got the pen. I think she was in shock from completing the course. She and her husband, Pete have a sheep operation on the Island. She makes the best goat cheese! It just melts in your mouth. Carolyn ran Beth and did well and the best news was that she found out the history of Beth. Ray, the judge was the breeder and he updated her. Talk about Carolyn being happy as Beth came to her through rescue. What a happy ending for a sweet little dog! Jim Kling took rodeo to the post for the first time and started off nicely but retire but the pieces are there and they will out them together for the nest trial. Jim has been coming to watch a few trials and it is great to see that he is entering them now. We hope he keeps up the good work and come back out again. They camped at the handler area in a tent in the pouring rain and that was very brave. They are a very sweet couple and I can’t remember his wife/girlfriends name but she is a sweet.
I ran Taff in Ranch and that was amusing. He was amped and he cast out nice and wide and then about ¾ of the way up, zoomed in. He was hard on the lift and offline on the fetch. He was on the muscle and didn’t listen worth a dam. The last trial he was very good but this one, he was a wild one. On the first leg, she tried to dive in for a grip but I stopped him. The rest of our drive was like trying to hit a piñata with a blindfold and on one leg….all over the place. The only redeeming quality was the perfect pen. Needless to say, I was not happy at his lack of commitment as a team member. I pulled him from the PN as I didn’t want it to happen again at a bigger scale. I will go home and work on this. It might have to do with a set out person that was next to the sheep and I will set that up.
George took Nap to the post for the first time. Talk about a screaming run, not only did they win but also it was darn nice. They only lost four points. Very impressive! The cowboys, Randy and John made the trek from eastern Washington and held their own. They showed up in the hugest trailer and put out the welcome mat. Bob Bowless was there as part of the gang and I got some of his powered donuts! They are very cool guys and a joy to talk to and hang with. John ran Rail and she is one nice, working female and was the talk of several Open handlers.
Cindy Baker and Kael went up and had a smooth and quiet run. I haven’t seen Cindy for years and it was great to see her again. She handled Kael through the course as if it was a Sunday stroll through the park. If she was nervous, you could not tell. Kathleen and Emma had a nice run but Emma had her own ideas in a couple of places that cost her. Kathleen had a smooth pen with her and each trial you see that they get better and better…..it is just fine-tuning at this point.
Then right into ProNovice. I didn’t stay for this class as I had to hit the road. Bob Bowless helped me hitch up so I didn’t have to worry. He also showed me a better way to roll up my ground mat so it wasn’t so bulky!
Sue MacDonald ran Jackie and they have come so far. Jackie was starting to pace wonderfully and Sue handled her well. They completed the course and placed 9th overall. Once they get that final piece, they are going to be a hard team to beat.
At this point, I left as I wanted to miss the heavy holiday traffic. They did get through the runs in time. Janet ran Tess and Scott and she should have that posting in her blog soon. It was Janet’s birthday so everyone told her Happy Birthday. We think she is old enough to drink now (ha ha). She got an adorable Border Collie pillow from Sue MacDonald.
I had a blast at the trial and yet once again, much thanks to Sue and George MacDonald for hosting a challenging trial. The sheep were great, company was awesome, food was tasty and we just had a great time. They will have another one in late June and has the seafood potluck that is fantastic. I hope by the Taff is listening better! Thanks to everyone who helped at the trial and see you at the next one
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