Magnolia Running Order

Magnolia Running Order for this weekend in Oregon

OPEN                                                                                                                                   OPEN

Saturday July 7th, 2012                                                                       Sunday July 8th, 2012

1                          Maggi McClure                Kep                                           1                          Joan Cudd                     Paddy

2                          Jo Ferguson                          Teak                                       2                          Maggi McClure      Lil

3                          Kathy Hoffer                        Trig                                            3                          Jeff Marroni                Carmen

4                          Diane Pagel                           Nan                                          4                          Carol Wiggins           Hickory

5                          Laura Vishoot                      Tucker                                 5                          Lora Withnell              Bella

6                          Bil Swann                                  Cap                                          6                          Ian Caldicott                Kate

7                          Jim Cooper                            Sweep                                  7                          Jo Ferguson                Gage

8                          Lasoya Lerma                    Blazin Beau                  8                          Bil Swann                        Lena

9                          Lora Withnell                        Nell                                           9                          Jim Cooper                  Zot

10                      Angie Untisz                          Butch                                    10                      Angie Untisz                Luke

11                      Maggi McClure                Rob                                           11                      Laura Vishoot            Brynn

12                      Ian Caldicott                          Joe Kidd                            12                      Diane Pagel                 Maid

13                      Deb Millsap                            Wyn                                         13                      Kathy Hoffer              Meg

14                      Joan Cudd                               Paddy                                   14                      Amy Coapman       Jean

15                      Mary Hamilton                  Toss                                         15                      Jim Cooper                  Amos

16                      Jeff Marroni                          Carmen                              16                      Mary Hamilton        Toss

17                      Carol Wiggins                     Hickory                               17                      Lasoya Lerma          Blazin Beau

18                      Amy Coapman                 Jean                                        18                      Jo Ferguson                Teak

19                      Ian Caldicott                          Kate                                        19                      Kathy Hoffer              Trig

20                      Jo Ferguson                          Gage                                      20                      Diane Pagel                 Nan

21                      Bil Swann                                  Lena                                       21                      Maggi McClure      Rob

22                      Jim Cooper                            Zot                                              22                      Bil Swann                        Cap

23                      Angie Untisz                          Luke                                        23                      Ian Caldicott                Joe Kidd

24                      Laura Vishoot                      Brynn                                     24                      Angie Untisz                Butch

25                      Diane Pagel                           Maid                                        25                      Lora Withnell              Nell

26                      Kathy Hoffer                        Meg                                           26                      Maggi McClure      Kep

27                      Lora Withnell                        Bella                                        27                      Jim Cooper                  Sweep

28                      Jim Cooper                            Amos                                       28                      Laura Vishoot            Tucker

29                      Maggi McClure                Lil                                                  29                      Deb Millsap                  Wyn

30

                                                                                                Deb Millsap                                               Ben (NC)

Nursery                                                                                                                              Nursery

1                          Ian Caldicott                          Clint                                          1                          Ian Caldicott                Goose

2                          Kathleen Torkleson    Josh                                          2                          Maggi McClure      Ben

3                          Laura Vishoot                      Piper                                       3                          Jenni Coleman       Mac

4                          Ian Caldicott                          Maxine                                 4                          Janet Thorpe             Jude

5                          Lora Withnell                        Gyp                                          5                          Ian Caldicott                Maxine

6                          Janet Thorpe                       Jude                                         6                          Lora Withnell              Gyp

7                          Jenni Coleman                 Mac                                           7                          Laura Vishoot            Piper

8                          Maggi McClure                Ben                                            8                          Kathleen Torkleson                    Josh

9                          Ian Caldicott                          Goose                                  9                          Ian Caldicott                Clint

Happy July 4th!!

Have a Happy Fourth of July!!

Eweful Acres Sunday Open write up

Sunday's arlam rang and jolted me awake but I took my time getting up.  I ran Jude in the Nursery as it was the first class and we had a harder time but worked through it. Janet will post about him in her blog as he belongs to her. The weather was hit and miss but generally was cool, perfect for sheep work but horrible for summer.

The Open course was a dog leg to a big tree, around it then back cockeyed to the fetch panels, and the drive was left but as the sheep approached the panel, they went out of sight and you hoped when they came out of the gulley, they were on. You could see them for the turn but they disappeared for half of the drive and if your lines were right, they passed through the middle of the fetch panels. Then you had to push the stubborn sheep up a steep hill to the last panels, a tight turn and then to a chute. It had one wing and you had one shot at it and then into the ring for a single.

Bevis Jordan was still judging and it would be his last day, and the last part of the day would be the Double Lift, which were the top two teams from each day.  He did an excellent job again and was consistent all day.

Nan was my first dog and she ran out quickly and as she approached the top, I hit her with a log down so she stopped short. I walked her in for a point loss and I am sure she thought I was nuts but did it as the first dog leg was pretty much 90 degree away. She started them fine but the ewes began to trot down so a short come bye flank stopped that and cost us two points and she marched them to the tree and a very tight turn and when they got below the tree, they swung underneath it and then marched them down the line to my feet. We lost six for the bobble. She was on the muscle but had a fast but good turn, a slight wobble to the first panel, but made it through and she was really on the muscle then. I really had to rein her in but she marched them up the line, was a bit off and we didn’t march them through the fetch panels and lost time points here and there for the wobbles, for seven point loss. Her turn was fine and she marched them to the chute and I didn’t’ want to swung below the chute so I angled it so they would hit it dead on and turn inside as she was covering the backside. Nice in theory, but they jumped to one side, slithered by, I called her to cover to push them back but we missed it so had to go to the shed. The lower half of the ring was in direct line of the exhaust and if you tried to shed there, it would be fruitless as the sheep would run over your dog to the gate. I eased the ewes to the top side and set up the shed and the speed demon came in at the speed of light and soon, one surprised ewe was standing by herself. Nan and I have been really clicking the last two months since my heart surgeries and we just seem to be as one on the field. I am really enjoying running her, although most of the times, she is a powerhouse but has made realize what I desire in a trial dog. She seems to live to make me happy at trials and I swear he goal is to try to win for me. She was very pleased with herself after her run and soon, she got her belly rubs and words of happiness. After her run, she slept soundly next to me under the handler’s tent and she knew her job for the day was done!!

We had a short lunch break and back for the last half of Open. Maid ran second to last and she was wired. I think hearing me run other dogs made her antsy and she ran out all wired! I blew a hard down to stop her short and she sort of took it, got the lift to the side so I could start the dog leg drive then she decided that I was in the wrong and refused to listen to my big come bye flanks but gave me a bunch of short ones. I went to voice and drew out the “Cooooooommmmmmeee Bye” but to no avail and we missed the tree panel but I got the sheep near the base of the tree for the last half of the fetch. However, she did listen although a bit on the muscle. Nice turn and we got smoothed out on the drive, hit the panels and I gave her a come bye to start the drive. Her line and my line were obviously not in synch as she came out high out of the hollow and I had to scold her to stop and listen. I couldn’t get her to release to make the cross drive panel so we missed them. She was very pliable on the last leg, aside from her taking one wrong flank. I lined up the sheep better this time and missed one sneaky ewe. She trotted them smartly to shed ring but was tight as she prepared them to single so I shouted her out and the release of pressure settled the ewes in the upper part of the ring, and she came in crisp for a tidy shed. This run was one of the worse one we had in a long time so we will be working on communication and releasing the pressure as well as her trusting me. In time, we will have this to be a non-issue as the other components, we are tight as a team. I only had her for seven months and three of those months I was out for surgery or out of town for work, so in reality, I only have been working with her for three to four months. We are so close and soon we will be really clicking as a team. I enjoy running her as she does try hard for me and is a great dog that I adore.

I am really enjoying running my two Open dogs. They are powerhouses and made me step up on my handling skills and showing that the last cross drive panel is an area, that I need to figure out what I am doing wrong. Our shed and singles have been tough but doable and the outwork on my part, is mainly slowing them down, once they get a line. On the drives, I try only to give steadies and flanks only if needed, so setting up the line properly at first is key. Once I get the line at the post turn, it is mostly steady commands and using a lot less commands than before. Both girls have been very patient with me and very soft sometimes to run. People have commented since my heart surgeries that my whistles are a lot clearer and stronger (which makes me even appreciate my dogs more when they ran well when my whistles were horrible prior to the surgery). Handlers also commented how much more improved my handling has gotten, which is true since my heart rate and blood pressure were doubled! I have a lot more energy too!

After Maid’s run, I packed up my trailer as it was a long drive home on a Sunday evening and I was very tired form running three dogs and lack of sleep from the low battery incident. I got caught in a traffic jam but got home at a decent hour. Getty unpacked the trailer while I sat on the couch for a few minutes and next thing I knew, I was dead asleep at 8:00. He woke me up for dinner but I was too tired to eat. I was glad that I left when I did as if I had waited longer, I would be too tired to drive. I still have some limitations so have to be aware and getting too tired was one of them I felt bad that I could stay to help with the Double Lift but that would have put me over the edge.

It was a fantastic but tough trail hosted by George and Sue MacDonald. The field may not be huge but the layout is challenging and will humble the best handlers. The potluck is superb and the comrade is great.

Thirteen years ago, I stepped out on this field running Tess in Novice with Scott Glen as the judge. Sue convinced me to take a lesson from Scott the day prior and I realized that I was nowhere ready to run. My two runs, I retired Tess but I was hooked on trials. Over the course of that summer, Sue took me under her wing, taught me the basics, was my local mentor and got me hooked. Scott kept in touch with me and loved how Tess worked so she went to him for winter training. I owe my success to Sue/George and Scott and want to thank them for all they have done. This trial is my favorite trial and will always have a special spot in my heart. Thanks for being my friend and believing in me.

Eweful Acres Saturday Open runs write up

Normally this trial is hot and a slight breeze and the tank tops and shorts are out in full force, but alas, this time, full raingear was out and hot coffee was the drink de jour. I was decked out in my rain gear all weekend and drank more than my fair share of tea and coffee. I pulled in on Thursday and Sue backed my  trailer in for me. I can’t back my trailer at all so now Sue just backs it in for me. She takes about 32 seconds and has it lined up perfectly. I practiced one day at my place and thirty minutes later, almost hit the side of my barn and dented my pond pasture fence. I will admit there are some things you are good at and some things you just plain suck at…and this is one of them!

I already wrote about Friday’s runs. I was disappointed on Rainey lack of push but her shining moment was when the sheep stalled, she stepped forward, gripped on the ass and they did move for a bit. It was a good butt grip, swift and made a point but the sheep stalled on the crossdrive and time ran out. I am going to keep working with her and hope I can get more push on her but she is a fantastic farm dog otherwise. Rain is Getty’s pride and joy and she loves to go to the post with me.

Kathleen stayed in my trailer so it was good to have company. However, she probably wasn’t too happy when the low battery alarm went off around 4:30 in the morning.  I leaped out of bed and tried to figure it out but to no avail. I had everything turned off aside the fridge, which was on propane. I had to flip a light switch on to stop the screeching. By the time I got back to bed, I was too wired to sleep and since the handler meeting was at 6:45 am, no sense in trying to sleep for an hour or so.

The course was a standard fetch,  right hand drive, then a single from the three sheep, a pen and then a single of the one marked sheep. There were two ewes and a lamb and they were sly sheep. They showed no mercy and if your dog was weak, they ran off merrily and if your dog was strong, they stuck together like glue. The marked shed was the bane of many of the handler and maybe only half a dozen did it from the 5o or so dog that ran.

Bevis Jordan had judged the last weekend trials on the light hair sheep and this weekend it was on tough, wily Scottish Blackfaces that refused to move if the dog was weak or took advantage and ran like deer. The sheep from last weekend and this weekend were polar opposites and Bevis judged them properly for each style. The draws changed and he judged according to them too. The handler that I talked to really enjoyed his excellent judging and we hope he returns again. He is very approachable and enjoyable to talk to on any subject, be it be dogs or clothing fashion designs. (His son is a menswear designer for Ralph Lauren in New York
He manages over 1400 Swaledales and over 125 cattle back in the UK and has ten working Border Collies. He is well noted for his black and tan dogs and is a very good hand. We were surprised to hear he manages the http://www.colliedog.net/index.php .  He laughed as he told us that he was "modern", while standing in his overall and workman cap! I would highly recommend Bevis if you are looking for a overseas judge.

Maid ran out clean and it was joyful to see such a wonderful partner.  She had a perfect outrun and lift and only lost three on her fetch, a slight wobble coming down the hill. A very tight turn and held the first leg like a champion. On the crossdrive at about halfway we were too low so I adjust but then we swung low again and missed the panel, I gave her an away flank,  she promptly overflanked,  pushed them through the panel backwards and we finally got them back online to the shed ring. Oh, that cost us dearly and it will be an area, we will work on in the next few weeks. In the  ring, I settled the sheep as they were looking to escape and I used that to my advantage and she came in for a perfect shed. She quickly gathered them and put them in the pen with no fuss. We were tight on time and as we were getting them ready for entry into the ring, the buzzer went off. Aside from the second drive panel miscommunication, I was very happy with her. She was quite please with herself and bounced up and down, her eyes gleaming with pride. The drive cost us 19 points in an otherwise flawless run.

Nan ran later in the day and sheep were quite heavy. Nan can lose her temper on heavy sheep and will slung one around if they don’t move quickly enough but I have been working on her to push than grip.

I stood in stunned silence as she ran up, checked for the sheep and kept a wonderful outrun,. She stopped quietly behind the sheep, took her time in lifting them, and softly worked them down the field. I held her tightly, not letting her run up their hind ends and she got the edge of the bubble and it began to click. She had a quick, tight turn and lined them up for the drive.  The drive was nice and again, I missed that crossdrive panel and it cost us ten points of the miss and offline. She came into the rig hot and wired and it took me a bit to settled her down and come in close. We got the shed and it was tough but she put the sheep back together quite well and marched them into the pen. As we were going to the ring for the marked shed, I saw I had an old gray-back ewe that had been the ringleader throughout the course. She stuck in the middle and knew I was eying her. The ole Scottie ewe had been through many a run and wasn’t going to give up easily. I slowly worked her to the edge of the ring, managed to get her in the front and called Nan in for the single. Nan came in like a bolt of lightning and before the ewe could blink, she was split from her buddies and she shot away from Nan and we got a two point loss. I was ecstatic on her performance and how we have been clicking on the field. The last few months,  we have just seems to be in rhythm and working as one unit.  Nan placed 6^th in the end of the day, with most of her point loss from the drive.  She was very tired after her run and we went back to the trailer and had a quiet hour, just sitting and enjoying each other. She laid down so I could rub her belly and soon she was in deep slumber. I am so grateful that I have two such talent Open dogs and now my goal is to fix that section of the cross drive that has been our nemesis.

The famed potluck was that night. I made a Asian coconut chicken salad with sesame dressing. It had almonds, cheese, fruit, dried cherries and other goodies in it. Each year, I make some type of Asian salad with meat and invent it each year.  Ron, the chef who has been cooking for many year, grilled pork roast and it was juicy and full of flavor.  There was fresh clam and oysters, hot off the grill, slathered in butter and they just melted in your mouth. I had seconds. Everyone made some dish and the dessert table was bending under the weight of so many desserts. By the time dinner was over, I was quite full and was very content. It was raining all day so I didn’t even pull my camera out to take photos so shame on me!

The WASH (Washington Association of Stockdog Handlers) had their annual meeting and award presentation. Rainy got second overall of the ProNovice Dog of the year and got a lovely picture frame award and lanyard. I was quit stunned and happy as one year ago, she could even finish a course. She won a few PN trials and placed highly in the others. She was very slow to mature and I am happy that she has come this far, and even thought she may never be a top Open dog, she tries her hardest. She also has taught me to grow a dog to their potential. It has been a hard journey but to see the try in her eyes, is well worth it.

Vicki Romero got the “Mary Ann Lindsey Award” for the year. She has rescued over 100 Border Collies and is an wonderful ambassador for the breed. Congratulation to an person who is well deserving of the award.

The raffle was after dinner and I put my 6^th place earning back into the tickets. I got the coveted wines that Fran brings each year. Plus these two cool sheep statures and other fun stuff.

Soon it was time to go to bed. We were very exhausted and sleep came quickly

Tomorrow: Sunday runs.

Eweful Acres Sunday Open results

No write up tonight as I just got home and time to go to bed. Will do the Sat/Sun write for tomorrow's blog. Nan ran well and Maid left her ears back in the trailer.  Still having issues with the electricity in the trailer.