Quick recap....full pictures on Monday. They moved the field to across the Street. Sheep are about 350 yards up a VERY steep hill. Everyone sent to the left and some dogs, never turned in and went over 800 yards to a deep gully, then followed the gully, up the ridge line and landed well over 1/3 mile away. Sheep were set on the hill, then a short dog leg fetch, left hand drive, spilt then pen.
Nan ran well, only losing one point for outrun and lift. Offline and missed fetch panel and nice drive, missing both panels by a hair. Then a swift shed and gather then when one bolted when she turned to pick up the other three and was a DQ. Regardless, she ran very well and I was happy. I over flanked her on the drive and but she did well in spite of me. She is a real trooper.
Maid started to look like she was going to do the extended scenic outrun and I was ready to stop her, when she turned in and went up the hill. Stopped nice and I flanked to cover the draw and she took it. Nice fetch and listened like a champion, and sheep to the fetch panels when they went sideways to the right. She got them and one kept trying to break back to the setout pen which was 40 feet away. She was soft and worked them together and she brought them to my feet. I tried not to over command her and she was very good. Nice but slow drive, due to me stopping her but she was right on the sheep and very calm. Got the first panel, aside from one that just scraped and missed all with by a hair on the second panel. She had to worked very hard there, as they wanted to break back to the pens but she held them softly and brought them to the ring. She was very pliable in the ring and I set the sheep up but timed out. She got 64 with not split or pen, which means she lost only 16 points by the time she entered into the ring. I was very happy with her and how she tried so hard to please me. I told Scott her softness was by working chickens...she has been working the chickens and has learned to be quiet and calm BUT that wasn't the reason she ran so well. He didn't buy that! First of all, she was trained by Scott and had tons of miles and second of all, we are jelling as a tea, She has learned to deal with my downs, slow commands and not being a Scott. Once on the fetch when that one ewe was giving her so much trouble, she peered over the sheep at me as if to say, "I want to bite this Mother*&%*(^, but I will listen to you and be calm and bring her down." What I saw was she willingness to look to me for guidance. I was over the moon with her run and how well she did. At least, Scott didn't have to wear the "Hat of Shame" like he did last year when I ran her. (Hat of Shame= I can't believe how awful you run this dog when she ran so great for me).
After her run, Maid was so happy and I .gave her a quick side massage. She grinned at me as if to say, "Someday, I will make a handler out of you!"
I don't have all the scores as we lift right after Scott run with Don. He retired with June and made it to the pen with Don when he timed out. I don't know his score.
