March trial update

I thought that I had posted this but did not so here it is, a couple of months late!

The morning came quickly and I struggled to get up. I had to leave by 6:30 to get the handler’s meeting and I was running, Nan, Roo and Faye in Open and Sleat and Taff in PN. Janet was going to go with me but was sick so I had to do the trek by myself. The frost was thick on the windshield so I let the truck warm up while I let the dogs out for a run and drank my coffee. I quickly loaded my gear and then the dogs all hopped in. Nan, Sleat and Faye were in the front while Roo and Taff were in the back and me next to the heater going full blast. I cranked the country western tunes up to full blast and sang along, badly I might add.

PN was the first class up and Taff was the first of my gang to go on deck. He was amped up and he was fixated on something other than the sheep. I had him set up to go left but he crossed at my feet. I stopped him and he took the down but kept focusing on the non-existent sheep to the right. Finally, he did look the direction that I wanted him to and sped up the field. At this point, his mind was on fire and he was pushing hard. He did a nice sweet stop at the top, nice lift then powered on like a runaway freight train. We struggled the rest of the way and it turned into a training session.  With Taff, if his mind goes awry, the run is over. So I need to stay on top of him and not him wired himself out of control. Homework for me.

Sleat ran out like a top and I had sent her to the right. she had to swim through a huge marsh pond that was over her head but she was game. Lifted nice and a off line fetch, Sweet turn at the post and then the sheep stalled. She didn't want to walk into the inside flank on the away side so at that point it turned into a training session, I finally got her to do the hard inside away flank but we ran out of time on the drive. It turned into a training session and she had some brilliant sections then parts she needed my help. I was happy with her efforts

Faye before her run.

Roo was my first dog up in Open. I sent him to the right to the water obstacle and he also swam. His lift was nice and fetch was good. On the drive, we had some bobbles and he got the pen. He ran quite well and I need to be crisper on some flanks and make sure he squares out better.  I also need him to settle a bit more on the top part of the fetch but overall, he did quite well. He was quite proud of himself when he was done.

Nan was sent to the waterside and she plowed through the water like a otter, had a nice lift, a bobble on the fetch. She had a nice drive but some difficulties at the cross drove, not wanting to release the pressure and got her pen. She also ran through the bit a little on her downs and I know what my homework will be with her. But all in all, I was happy with her run also.

Faye got in at the last minute and it was her first Open run. She went through the water but got hung up so I gave her a redirect and she took it. Her lift was nice and her fetch offline. She drive was good until the last part where she missed the crossdrive panel and I had to convince her to take the proper flank to bring the sheep to the pen. We had the sheep in the mouth of the pen when time ran out.  This was her first Open run and she was rusty since I had not run her since Oct in PN.

Nan got the third, Roo was fifth and Faye placed eight out of nineteen dogs. The lift was hard since the dog had to bring the sheep through a marsh and the sheep did not want to go into the marsh. of course, when the sheep saw Taff, they flew into the marsh at warp speed.!