Fire Ridge Sheepdog Trial

I don't have scores or photos and my memory sucks, being this is well after the fact. Kathleen and I went to Fire Ridge Sheepdog trial. She ran Josh and Gael. I ran Bliss and Jude (owner Janet Thorpe). We took pics but I haven't downloaded them yet.

 

As usual, the sheep were tough range ewes who didn't take any prisoners. If your dog was weak, they ran back to setout or just refused to move on the drive. The outrun was about 500 yards, down a steep hill and just as steep hill to get to the sheep.

 

I sent Bliss on the away side and she went out like a champion. We had a decent run but timed out in the last section of the drive as she had a ill ewe that didn't want to come down the fetch and was weak. She basically backed her through the entire drive. Her points did not reflect the hard work she did and they pulled the ewe as she was terribly weak. I was happy with her run and she was calm.

 

I sent Jude on the come-bye side and it was the furthest he had ever run. He stopped on his outrun so I blew a huge redirect and he took it on the fly and came behind the sheep nice. Since the ewes were standing off the dog, I gave him a hard walk up and he lifted them well. They fought him the entire time and tried to run him off but he stood his ground. We timed out as they were entering the ring but I was happy as he was able to work the ewes well.

 

I was sick from chemo and radiation and really struggled at this trial and it turns out that I was going into heart failure as a result of the chemo but didn't know that.

 

On the second run, Jude went the same way and just needed a brief whistle and came nice behind his sheep.  They tried to run back to the setout but he handled them on his own and brought them to my feet. The drive was reversed and he drove a wonderful drive and I stepped too far from the post on the last leg so go a DQ as sheep entered the ring. I don't think he lost very much on the drive as he hit the  panels and lines were nice. He worked his heart out for me and the last four trials, his greatness began to glow.

 

I sent Bliss on the away side again and just let her lift as the seep were nutty. They had a hard time setting them so I let her figure it out. She did. Brought them nice and we had a good drive. Quick shed and as I was shutting the pen gate, we ran out of time.  Don't know the score but happy on how well she tried.

 

I don't remember how we placed as we left right after that. I do know about a week later I landed in the hospital with massive heart failure.  I had no energy at the trial and this explains why. But now, on the road to recovery.