Well, we are finally back on this time zone, and the experience in the UK and Ireland still seems a bit surreal. We learned so much and I have been busily trying to write down all the lessons. I have been working my dogs with new eyes, and with a greater understanding and appreciation for what each dog brings to the table, instead of lamenting what they are missing. There were many dogs I saw across the pond that did beautiful work. Although the dogs had flaws, they were brilliantly handled.
The humidity in Ontario has been unreal, and is still limiting the amount work we can do with the dogs. Dyna is being watched closely to see if the Joe x Dyna breeding comes to fruition although realistically we won't know for a few weeks.
New life on the horizon and I think about the intertwined lives of sheep, sheepdogs and guardians on a farm. The end of an era is coming, with old Border Collies and guard dogs who have grown up together reaching their elder years. It started while we were away.
Sadly our best guard dog, Frodo, a Maremma, passed away while we were in England. He was a loyal dog and fantastic guardian that never left his charges. He stopped eating and then one day left his flock to a younger apprentice and went off to quietly pass on without ceremony as Mother Nature intended. We would've liked to have paid him our respects, but Frodo wouldn't have wanted a fuss, so I suppose things have played out as they should. Good bye Frodo, you were a great guardian and special dog and we will miss you.
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Dogs on Wicklow hike
Tuesday 27 September 2011
Thursday 22 September 2011
Homeward bound
We finally pointed our rental car toward Manchester airport, but not without a few adventures. We suddenly realized one of the crates we had acquired didn't have venting at the back, and would not be accepted at the airline. Thomas had gone off to market and we scrambled around looking for either a substitute crate we could use or a drill to put vent holes into the back. Finally, we phoned Thomas in a panic as our required time of departure was rapidly approaching.
Fortunately, Thomas was on his way back and with his typical friendly and gentlemanly demeanor calmly sorted the situation out for us by drilling some holes into the crate. It was a miracle of packing that got five dogs, five crates and all our luggage for the month into the Hyundai Santa Fe we were driving.
Naturally, because we were now running late the GPS took us on the worst possible route to the airport and we ended up stuck in morning traffic.
When we arrived, the rental company was also running late due to traffic and so wasn't there to pick up the car. We had no change for the multiple luggage carts we required but a kind gentleman saw us struggling and took pity on us. With the carts piled precariously with luggage and crates, several generous people assisted us in getting the carts from one end of the airport to the other, because of course the dogs had to be dropped off at the opposite end of the airport from the check-in.
Finally, all was tucked away and we collapsed into our plane seats, having just made it to the gate on time. Both of us were shaking from adrenaline. We sadly waved good-bye to England, already planning another adventure for the future as the experience was truly life changing.
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Fortunately, Thomas was on his way back and with his typical friendly and gentlemanly demeanor calmly sorted the situation out for us by drilling some holes into the crate. It was a miracle of packing that got five dogs, five crates and all our luggage for the month into the Hyundai Santa Fe we were driving.
Naturally, because we were now running late the GPS took us on the worst possible route to the airport and we ended up stuck in morning traffic.
When we arrived, the rental company was also running late due to traffic and so wasn't there to pick up the car. We had no change for the multiple luggage carts we required but a kind gentleman saw us struggling and took pity on us. With the carts piled precariously with luggage and crates, several generous people assisted us in getting the carts from one end of the airport to the other, because of course the dogs had to be dropped off at the opposite end of the airport from the check-in.
Finally, all was tucked away and we collapsed into our plane seats, having just made it to the gate on time. Both of us were shaking from adrenaline. We sadly waved good-bye to England, already planning another adventure for the future as the experience was truly life changing.
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Eminent bloodlines
Well, if you were going to have a bitch come into season, what better timing than the World Sheepdog Trial. Dogs had been sniffing at Mary Lou's Dyna for a couple of weeks so I took the liberty of enquiring about stud dogs in advance just in case the timing worked out. As it turned out, Bobby Dalziel's amazing Joe, two time winner of the Scottish National and the 2006 Supreme International Champion (won when he was only two years of age), had a free space on his dance card. We crossed our fingers that Dyna would be ready. It was going to be close.
In the meantime, we looked at several other dogs, and decided to bring a few back with us. A daughter of Jim Cropper's Reserve World Champion Sid, another young bitch who is a daughter of Denis Birchall's World Trial finalist Bill, and a pup that goes back to much of the great old Irish breeding were among our choices.
The big date between Joe and Dyna arrived, and the location behind cars in the large field car park felt like some sort of clandestine operation. Happily Dyna flirted, flagged, and stood for the studly Joe. Hopefully the breeding will take as Joe would be a fantastic addition to the breeding program. In addition, my Craig is the nephew of Nell, the Reserve Champion at the 2008 World Trial, so we have a lot of excellent bloodlines to choose from.
Fingers and toes crossed!
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In the meantime, we looked at several other dogs, and decided to bring a few back with us. A daughter of Jim Cropper's Reserve World Champion Sid, another young bitch who is a daughter of Denis Birchall's World Trial finalist Bill, and a pup that goes back to much of the great old Irish breeding were among our choices.
The big date between Joe and Dyna arrived, and the location behind cars in the large field car park felt like some sort of clandestine operation. Happily Dyna flirted, flagged, and stood for the studly Joe. Hopefully the breeding will take as Joe would be a fantastic addition to the breeding program. In addition, my Craig is the nephew of Nell, the Reserve Champion at the 2008 World Trial, so we have a lot of excellent bloodlines to choose from.
Fingers and toes crossed!
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Wednesday 21 September 2011
The big event
The day before the trial started, there was a big parade in the city of Penrith. Mary Lou and I elected to drive to the parade route instead of taking the bus as Dyna was in season. However, we had no idea where the parade route started. By the time we found parking, we were running late, and since we had the Canadian flag, it was kind of important for us to be in the parade. We saw a street lined with people, and deduced that was probably the parade route (duh). We ran to the road, but then weren't sure whether to run up the street or down the street. We decided to run in the direction everyone was looking on the assumption that they knew more about it than we did! People started cheering as we ran by. Handlers from several other countries who were in the same boat started to follow us on the mistaken idea that we knew where we were going. After sprinting through half the town we found the throng of handlers milling about waiting to start the parade.
It was quite a spectacular sight, led by the Earl of Lonsdale in a horse drawn carriage with all the countries and their colours following behind. We were surprised to see a lot of Canadian support in the crowd cheering, including Fiona Robertson who decided to come on the spur of the moment, as well as the US supporters.
As Mary Lou still wasn't 100%, we elected to leave after the parade.
Mary Lou ran late the following day, and had a good run with Dyna in the tricky field 3, which had several blind spots and a very rough, rocky area right on the drive line. Mary Lou and Dyna finished the course but a ewe that just wouldn't stay with the other four spoiled their chances. Although Mary Lou and Dyna managed her brilliantly, a few small wobbles or a bad sheep was all it took to knock you out of contention, as field 3 was considered the toughest field to qualify on Thursday. There were something like four Supreme International and three Continental Champions, plus multiple National winners.
Early the next morning, I ran Craig on the very difficult field 1. The first run was absent which I wasn't aware of, so there was only one run before mine and Craig didn't get much chance to see the sheep set.
I sent left because the right hand was into the huge field and many dogs got lost the day before. The left however was blind with several points that brought the dogs in and Craig needed a few redirects as he doesn't yet have that kind of experience. The run went well to the pen, which took some time and cost us getting to the single and really hurt our score, but he handled the sheep as well as any dog on the fetch and drive so I was very pleased with Craig.
With our runs done we became spectators for the rest of the weekend of brilliant running. The main activity has become staying out of the mud!
The level of difficulty on the final day was very high. Our good friend Denis Birchall made it to the final day, but it was another Irishman, James McGee and Becca who were crowned World Champions.
The Canadian team ran well, we were all proud of our dogs.
We headed our separate ways. Now for the homeward bound trip!
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It was quite a spectacular sight, led by the Earl of Lonsdale in a horse drawn carriage with all the countries and their colours following behind. We were surprised to see a lot of Canadian support in the crowd cheering, including Fiona Robertson who decided to come on the spur of the moment, as well as the US supporters.
As Mary Lou still wasn't 100%, we elected to leave after the parade.
Mary Lou ran late the following day, and had a good run with Dyna in the tricky field 3, which had several blind spots and a very rough, rocky area right on the drive line. Mary Lou and Dyna finished the course but a ewe that just wouldn't stay with the other four spoiled their chances. Although Mary Lou and Dyna managed her brilliantly, a few small wobbles or a bad sheep was all it took to knock you out of contention, as field 3 was considered the toughest field to qualify on Thursday. There were something like four Supreme International and three Continental Champions, plus multiple National winners.
Early the next morning, I ran Craig on the very difficult field 1. The first run was absent which I wasn't aware of, so there was only one run before mine and Craig didn't get much chance to see the sheep set.
I sent left because the right hand was into the huge field and many dogs got lost the day before. The left however was blind with several points that brought the dogs in and Craig needed a few redirects as he doesn't yet have that kind of experience. The run went well to the pen, which took some time and cost us getting to the single and really hurt our score, but he handled the sheep as well as any dog on the fetch and drive so I was very pleased with Craig.
With our runs done we became spectators for the rest of the weekend of brilliant running. The main activity has become staying out of the mud!
The level of difficulty on the final day was very high. Our good friend Denis Birchall made it to the final day, but it was another Irishman, James McGee and Becca who were crowned World Champions.
The Canadian team ran well, we were all proud of our dogs.
We headed our separate ways. Now for the homeward bound trip!
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Tuesday 13 September 2011
Hurricane Katia
There almost wasn't a World Trial.
The remnants of Hurricane Katia's fury tore down tents and fences and left the World Trial site looking like, in Thomas Longton's words, a war zone. You can see the collapsed marquee and toppled fencing in the picture.
We could only get a quick picture or two as we were directed away, as the site is quite dangerous and no competitors are being allowed on the site for safety reasons. The line of flags you can see on the ground is a line of collapsed tents.
More downed fences...
The weather is still poor today, windy and heavy rain and everyone is scrambling to salvage what they can. The vendors and large fair running in conjunction with the trial has been postponed until the weekend, which allows organizers scrambling to get the fields ready for the trials one less thing to have ready for Thursday.
Even so, spirits seem good around the trial site, and on the positive side, no one was hurt and there is enough time to recover. We'll see what tomorrow brings...
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The remnants of Hurricane Katia's fury tore down tents and fences and left the World Trial site looking like, in Thomas Longton's words, a war zone. You can see the collapsed marquee and toppled fencing in the picture.
We could only get a quick picture or two as we were directed away, as the site is quite dangerous and no competitors are being allowed on the site for safety reasons. The line of flags you can see on the ground is a line of collapsed tents.
More downed fences...
The weather is still poor today, windy and heavy rain and everyone is scrambling to salvage what they can. The vendors and large fair running in conjunction with the trial has been postponed until the weekend, which allows organizers scrambling to get the fields ready for the trials one less thing to have ready for Thursday.
Even so, spirits seem good around the trial site, and on the positive side, no one was hurt and there is enough time to recover. We'll see what tomorrow brings...
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Learning from the masters
We spent the morning with Thomas Longton, who is not only a brilliant sheepdog man, but a gracious host. If you ever want to experience a piece of rural English life in luxury, even if you don't run dogs, check out The Shepherd's Barn at www.longtonsheepdogs.com.
Thomas talked to us about sheep behaviour, picking a dog, judging and lots about handling. It was obvious this man was from a family that was involved with sheepdogs for generations. These people have grown up with sheep and dogs to a degree it is difficult for us to understand, as their culture is so rural. There are large tractors driving down major city roads on a regular basis!
Both Mary Lou and I had a bit of cabin fever from Mary Lou's illness, and since we had lost some time last week, decided to go visit another master sheepdog man and good friend, Gordon Watt.
Naturally, we underestimated the driving time and the sat nav (GPS to you North Americans) took us over hill and dale (or was it a moor?). With Hurricane Katia now landing full force, the narrow sheep trod of a road that we took over the high barren ground of the Pennine Moors was a bit daunting. The howling wind threatened to throw us off the side of the treacherous switchbacks. Definitely need a different route home in the dark!
Gordon drilled us on some of the finer points of the big trials, giving us confidence to go forward to the big day. He is fantastic at sizing up a trial. Gordon had a big open field and some lively sheep for us to play about on. The wind was hard to stand up in and the dogs couldn't hear whistling even close at hand at times so I think we are prepared for anything the weather gods can throw at us.
After a great visit, we headed back (on the motorway this time) and didn't get back until almost 1am, but it was worth it. The knowledge we have gained on this trip has been priceless, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming trial. We are changed forever.
Now it feels like the count down is on!
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Thomas talked to us about sheep behaviour, picking a dog, judging and lots about handling. It was obvious this man was from a family that was involved with sheepdogs for generations. These people have grown up with sheep and dogs to a degree it is difficult for us to understand, as their culture is so rural. There are large tractors driving down major city roads on a regular basis!
Both Mary Lou and I had a bit of cabin fever from Mary Lou's illness, and since we had lost some time last week, decided to go visit another master sheepdog man and good friend, Gordon Watt.
Naturally, we underestimated the driving time and the sat nav (GPS to you North Americans) took us over hill and dale (or was it a moor?). With Hurricane Katia now landing full force, the narrow sheep trod of a road that we took over the high barren ground of the Pennine Moors was a bit daunting. The howling wind threatened to throw us off the side of the treacherous switchbacks. Definitely need a different route home in the dark!
Gordon drilled us on some of the finer points of the big trials, giving us confidence to go forward to the big day. He is fantastic at sizing up a trial. Gordon had a big open field and some lively sheep for us to play about on. The wind was hard to stand up in and the dogs couldn't hear whistling even close at hand at times so I think we are prepared for anything the weather gods can throw at us.
After a great visit, we headed back (on the motorway this time) and didn't get back until almost 1am, but it was worth it. The knowledge we have gained on this trip has been priceless, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming trial. We are changed forever.
Now it feels like the count down is on!
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And the winner is....
Thomas had mentioned that the weather could go sideways occasionally and now we know what he meant. Sunday's trial had lashing rain and brutal wind. Apparently Hurricane Katia was on it's way. This trial had Swaledale sheep with a few Herdwicks thrown in for good measure.
The outrun wasn't long, but was left-handed through a gate and then the dogs had to cast around a berm to be correct behind their sheep. The sheep were blind to the dog as he came through the gate. The right hand outrun was almost impossible as the dogs had to find a small gap in a thistle hedge and then cast out in an area of rough ground that brought the dogs in. The fetch came over another berm through rough ground and the ewes, who knew the field well, would often bolt to the right behind the hedge, catching the dog out of position and making it impossible to stay in contact. It was difficult for the dogs to hear at times due to the wind and rain driving directly at the handlers.
There were a number of interesting faces at the trial. Several foreigners were there, including German, Finnish, and American handlers as well as one of our Canadian teammates, Wendy Schmaltz. It was obvious the World Trial competitors were starting to congregate.
Katy Cropper, well-known dog handler and trainer, also made an appearance.
Many runs struggled with the outrun and fetch, and the pen wasn't a gimme either. Then Mary Lou stepped to the post. Dyna went out through the gate like she knew the field and although seemed a bit tight at the top because she chose to go inside the berm to keep an eye on the feisty ewes, the sheep accepted her without batting an eye. As Dyna's run progressed, the watching handlers all started to go silent, realizing they may be watching the winning run. Dyna never put a foot wrong...the lines were beautiful, the turns tight, the pen and shed tidy.
The weather was so foul that we left straight after our runs without checking the scores, fearing a relapse of Mary Lou's recovering health status.
Later that day, Thomas tapped on the door of the barn, and handed Mary Lou a large rosette and an envelope. First place!
It looks like wee Dyna and Mary Lou are peaking at the right time!
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The outrun wasn't long, but was left-handed through a gate and then the dogs had to cast around a berm to be correct behind their sheep. The sheep were blind to the dog as he came through the gate. The right hand outrun was almost impossible as the dogs had to find a small gap in a thistle hedge and then cast out in an area of rough ground that brought the dogs in. The fetch came over another berm through rough ground and the ewes, who knew the field well, would often bolt to the right behind the hedge, catching the dog out of position and making it impossible to stay in contact. It was difficult for the dogs to hear at times due to the wind and rain driving directly at the handlers.
There were a number of interesting faces at the trial. Several foreigners were there, including German, Finnish, and American handlers as well as one of our Canadian teammates, Wendy Schmaltz. It was obvious the World Trial competitors were starting to congregate.
Katy Cropper, well-known dog handler and trainer, also made an appearance.
Many runs struggled with the outrun and fetch, and the pen wasn't a gimme either. Then Mary Lou stepped to the post. Dyna went out through the gate like she knew the field and although seemed a bit tight at the top because she chose to go inside the berm to keep an eye on the feisty ewes, the sheep accepted her without batting an eye. As Dyna's run progressed, the watching handlers all started to go silent, realizing they may be watching the winning run. Dyna never put a foot wrong...the lines were beautiful, the turns tight, the pen and shed tidy.
The weather was so foul that we left straight after our runs without checking the scores, fearing a relapse of Mary Lou's recovering health status.
Later that day, Thomas tapped on the door of the barn, and handed Mary Lou a large rosette and an envelope. First place!
It looks like wee Dyna and Mary Lou are peaking at the right time!
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The mules...
Okay, now we know why the cross of Blue-faced Leicester and Swaledale sheep are called Mules. Saturday's trial was on a nice sized field and as Mary Lou still wasn't feeling 100%, we decided to run early and get back to the barn, even though the sheep would likely be better later in the day when they were rerun.
The mule sheep were hard to gauge...they could run like the wind or turn and fight at the drop of a hat. Talk about touchy... These sheep sized up a dog in seconds. Wee Dyna went out and marched them around the field and other than a bit of trouble at the pen, had a very fair run that put her in the prizes.
Craig came on too strong at the pen and needless to say these shrewd ewes weren't having any of it! Mary Lou held up her end to put Canada in the money.
Thomas also ran his dogs in the trial, and it was a treat to watch such a seasoned competitor work the mules with his different dogs. I learned a few penning tricks in the process, to be applied the next time I see mules!
Oh well, back to the Shepherd's Barn for some more orange juice!
A quick drive home and more orange juice for all!
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The mule sheep were hard to gauge...they could run like the wind or turn and fight at the drop of a hat. Talk about touchy... These sheep sized up a dog in seconds. Wee Dyna went out and marched them around the field and other than a bit of trouble at the pen, had a very fair run that put her in the prizes.
Craig came on too strong at the pen and needless to say these shrewd ewes weren't having any of it! Mary Lou held up her end to put Canada in the money.
Thomas also ran his dogs in the trial, and it was a treat to watch such a seasoned competitor work the mules with his different dogs. I learned a few penning tricks in the process, to be applied the next time I see mules!
Oh well, back to the Shepherd's Barn for some more orange juice!
A quick drive home and more orange juice for all!
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Friday 9 September 2011
I don't stand a chance...
I don't stand a chance...
No, I'm not talking about sheepdog trialling in general or the upcoming World Trial in particular... I'm talking about not getting sick in the next week. I am currently sitting in a doctor's office surrounded by sick children. We are here because Mary Lou developed a cold on the ferry ride over that has progressed to the point of fever, fierce sore throat and a deep chest congestion. There is Kleenex all over the house.
I've cornered the market on orange juice and am considering echinacea, although I can't stand the taste. Due to a completely plugged nose, Mary Lou is breathing through her mouth all the time and the resulting belches are of epic proportion...including the one she accidentally just let rip out on the street as we were paying for parking...much to the horror of the very proper English gentleman nearby... and to Mary Lou, who was mortified, as that is very out of character.
Surrounded by wonderful fields of sheep and one of the masters of sheepdogs in Thomas Longton, our main excursions in England have been to pharmacies and video stores while Mary Lou convalesces.
The miserable weather, pouring rain and howling wind has added perfectly to the ambiance. I may have to think twice about whether I prefer rain or snow.
I'm hoping for a quick turn around for Mary Lou... If she had to blow a whistle in this condition it wouldn't be a pretty sight!
And I've got my fingers crossed that my immune system can keep up the fight at least until we land back in Canada. Oh no... did I just sniffle? Where's the orange juice!?!?
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No, I'm not talking about sheepdog trialling in general or the upcoming World Trial in particular... I'm talking about not getting sick in the next week. I am currently sitting in a doctor's office surrounded by sick children. We are here because Mary Lou developed a cold on the ferry ride over that has progressed to the point of fever, fierce sore throat and a deep chest congestion. There is Kleenex all over the house.
I've cornered the market on orange juice and am considering echinacea, although I can't stand the taste. Due to a completely plugged nose, Mary Lou is breathing through her mouth all the time and the resulting belches are of epic proportion...including the one she accidentally just let rip out on the street as we were paying for parking...much to the horror of the very proper English gentleman nearby... and to Mary Lou, who was mortified, as that is very out of character.
Surrounded by wonderful fields of sheep and one of the masters of sheepdogs in Thomas Longton, our main excursions in England have been to pharmacies and video stores while Mary Lou convalesces.
The miserable weather, pouring rain and howling wind has added perfectly to the ambiance. I may have to think twice about whether I prefer rain or snow.
I'm hoping for a quick turn around for Mary Lou... If she had to blow a whistle in this condition it wouldn't be a pretty sight!
And I've got my fingers crossed that my immune system can keep up the fight at least until we land back in Canada. Oh no... did I just sniffle? Where's the orange juice!?!?
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Wednesday 7 September 2011
Living in a barn
As we left Ireland, we were treated to a spectacular rainbow over the fields of sheep. Although we didn't find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we certainly felt that we had found as much of a treasure in good friends and sheepdog knowledge.
We headed to Thomas Longton's farm and his spectacular Shepherd's Barn, a five star self-catering accommodation that is second to none. It is a renovated barn that makes you shake your head about what is possible if you have vision!
There are eight gorgeous kennels for dogs, and fantastic fields to train on. Thomas kindly showed us around, and there was a variety of sheep from Herdswick and Hebridean to Mule sheep.
Our luck with the weather seems to have run out temporarily, as there was severe flooding at the bottom of the drive when the creek overflowed its banks with the driving rain and a neighbour's drive shed was partially underwater. On the other hand, perhaps our luck is still holding as we are on higher ground!
Thomas showed us a couple of his dogs...he has a quiet calm about him, so much so that I had to strain to hear him in the high winds and driving rain. Both his whistling and his speech were almost inaudible to me but the dogs never missed a beat... mind you my hearing is questionable at the best of times!
The only glitch is access to wireless, so we are sitting in the Yummy Cupcake Company at the moment to get online (free wifi is common here). This might become a regular stop!
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We headed to Thomas Longton's farm and his spectacular Shepherd's Barn, a five star self-catering accommodation that is second to none. It is a renovated barn that makes you shake your head about what is possible if you have vision!
There are eight gorgeous kennels for dogs, and fantastic fields to train on. Thomas kindly showed us around, and there was a variety of sheep from Herdswick and Hebridean to Mule sheep.
Our luck with the weather seems to have run out temporarily, as there was severe flooding at the bottom of the drive when the creek overflowed its banks with the driving rain and a neighbour's drive shed was partially underwater. On the other hand, perhaps our luck is still holding as we are on higher ground!
Thomas showed us a couple of his dogs...he has a quiet calm about him, so much so that I had to strain to hear him in the high winds and driving rain. Both his whistling and his speech were almost inaudible to me but the dogs never missed a beat... mind you my hearing is questionable at the best of times!
The only glitch is access to wireless, so we are sitting in the Yummy Cupcake Company at the moment to get online (free wifi is common here). This might become a regular stop!
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Monday 5 September 2011
Huntin' the dogs
It's quite a different lifestyle to get up, do some stuff around the house, and then drive 10 minutes to a trial. Saturday's trial was hosted by Denis in the big field, and is a popular trial - handlers don't get many opportunities to challenge their dogs with that kind of a long outrun. People were coming and going, trying to juggle their schedules and all the things they needed to do before heading to the International in a couple of days. When one lives on an island, one lives by ferry and airline schedules.
Although they had been calling for poor weather all week, the conditions were ideal. Mary Lou finished 7th with Dyna on 93 points, just out of the placings by a point (it is always to 6 placings, no matter the number of competitors and there were a sizable number at the trial), and Craig and I placed 4th with a 94! Talk about tight competition!
Denis won the trial on 98 points, not much room for error around here. Man, these guys (it is almost entirely men) can turn panels!
At the end of the trial Mary Lou, Denis, his lovely wife Bridget and I raced to Dublin to watch the semi-finals of the greyhound racing, the winner of the race would take home €120,000! I think I'm in the wrong dog sport...
At the races...the size of the stadium was unbelievable!
We got home late and since we were all exhausted, hit the hay to prepare for another day of trialling.
Sunday's trial was overlooking Dublin, we had passed it en route to the races the night before. Lovely field with a beautiful stone church at the bottom. The sheep were quite touchy and not easily penned, as there were several flocks brought together for the trial.
Mary Lou talking with the trial host at the top of the field...
It seemed by now everyone knew that Denis was hosting a couple of Canadian girls and that we were heading back to England the next day, how word travels! Craig had a very good go with a tricky ewe who wasn't mates with the others. Although he was on 86 points, it wasn't good enough on this day. Mary Lou and Dyna ran great, once again eliciting admiring comments from the handlers and spectators. Mary Lou and Dyna finished in a three way tie on 89 points and claimed the 6th place position.
Several people came up to congratulate Mary Lou, and all the women commented that it was nice to see women running well and in the placings. It was apparent that the sheepdoggers aren't used to catering to women at these trials. For example, when directed to the loo, it was in a cow field, missing a door, did not flush, had a beer can and some black water in the bowl, and was missing the seat...
We opted for a stinging nettle bush instead...
All in all, a successful tour of Ireland. Home to Denis' to pack and prepare for the next adventure...England!
Although they had been calling for poor weather all week, the conditions were ideal. Mary Lou finished 7th with Dyna on 93 points, just out of the placings by a point (it is always to 6 placings, no matter the number of competitors and there were a sizable number at the trial), and Craig and I placed 4th with a 94! Talk about tight competition!
Denis won the trial on 98 points, not much room for error around here. Man, these guys (it is almost entirely men) can turn panels!
At the end of the trial Mary Lou, Denis, his lovely wife Bridget and I raced to Dublin to watch the semi-finals of the greyhound racing, the winner of the race would take home €120,000! I think I'm in the wrong dog sport...
At the races...the size of the stadium was unbelievable!
We got home late and since we were all exhausted, hit the hay to prepare for another day of trialling.
Sunday's trial was overlooking Dublin, we had passed it en route to the races the night before. Lovely field with a beautiful stone church at the bottom. The sheep were quite touchy and not easily penned, as there were several flocks brought together for the trial.
Mary Lou talking with the trial host at the top of the field...
It seemed by now everyone knew that Denis was hosting a couple of Canadian girls and that we were heading back to England the next day, how word travels! Craig had a very good go with a tricky ewe who wasn't mates with the others. Although he was on 86 points, it wasn't good enough on this day. Mary Lou and Dyna ran great, once again eliciting admiring comments from the handlers and spectators. Mary Lou and Dyna finished in a three way tie on 89 points and claimed the 6th place position.
Several people came up to congratulate Mary Lou, and all the women commented that it was nice to see women running well and in the placings. It was apparent that the sheepdoggers aren't used to catering to women at these trials. For example, when directed to the loo, it was in a cow field, missing a door, did not flush, had a beer can and some black water in the bowl, and was missing the seat...
We opted for a stinging nettle bush instead...
All in all, a successful tour of Ireland. Home to Denis' to pack and prepare for the next adventure...England!
Guh-lug guh-lug guh-lug and other Irish translations
It's true that as your ear gets used to an accent, it becomes easier to understand. I think we are down to saying "What was that again?" less than 20 times a day. We are now huntin' dogs instead of working our dogs, and apparently the word "yoke" can be used for any item under the sun... I think it roughly translates as "thing" or "stuff". We were originally talking about drugs injected into animals and someone said something about injecting yoke and at first we thought they meant egg yolk...hmmmm, how does that work?
Phone calls might end with guh-lug guh-lug guh-lug (approximate phonetic translation, said at high speed) which we were finally brave enough to ask about... It is very Irish to wish someone "good luck" (with a repeat or two) at the end of a conversation.
We needed some luck as we were going to be "hunting" our dogs on the weekend. We started out by heading to a local Irish crook maker, Tom Kavanagh. We didn't risk flying our own crooks across the pond and had been borrowing crooks up to that point. He had a nice variety of sticks, and we picked up a few, as they are so hard to come by.
So now that we have seen "yo" man with the yokes, we are ready to hunt our dogs. More shortly after the trials!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Phone calls might end with guh-lug guh-lug guh-lug (approximate phonetic translation, said at high speed) which we were finally brave enough to ask about... It is very Irish to wish someone "good luck" (with a repeat or two) at the end of a conversation.
We needed some luck as we were going to be "hunting" our dogs on the weekend. We started out by heading to a local Irish crook maker, Tom Kavanagh. We didn't risk flying our own crooks across the pond and had been borrowing crooks up to that point. He had a nice variety of sticks, and we picked up a few, as they are so hard to come by.
So now that we have seen "yo" man with the yokes, we are ready to hunt our dogs. More shortly after the trials!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday 2 September 2011
The visionaries
We headed off to the west coast to watch Denis do a brace demonstration and then planned to do some sight seeing and shopping. Denis did this incredible demo, and sheep quickly changed their minds about challenging a dog when a second dog came into view.
The highlight was when Denis worked one dog on sheep and the other on ducks... All the more impressive when you knew that he didn't practice doing it, the dogs were just that well schooled!
From there we headed to Galway, looking for clothing for a potential Double Lift final. Mary Lou tried on a few things, but I didn't think purple suited her and I was worried the hair piece might come off in high wind...
From Galway, we headed to the spectacular Cliffs of Moher (which we pronounced mohair quite incorrectly). There was the safe tourist area and then there was a small slippery trail right along the cliff's edge.
You had to pass several "Danger: Do Not Enter" signs and a number of memorials of people who had died at the cliffs. There were dozens of people universally ignoring the warnings, so naturally we felt the urge to risk our lives as well. We climbed over the barrier and went about 20 yards, where we decided to take a picture. Mary Lou slipped and landed on her "arse" (Irish for buttocks) trying to take the pic. That was slightly unnerving as the path only got narrower!
The view of the Atlantic was incredible and also alluring. It is interesting that many from the west coast of Ireland head for "America", while those on the east coast tend to go over the Irish Sea to the UK. Joe O'Flynn (remember Rat Salad) had made an observation about people becoming like the land they live in. The west coasters were often visionaries and explorers who crossed the ocean, the midlanders were wealthy and content in their fertile farms and the east coast settlers in the mountain ranges were a passionate and volatile type of temperament, very like to the mountains. I contemplated this as I looked out over the water and understood how the view would inspire a quest for adventure. It was overwhelming to think of our home in Toronto over 5000 miles away and the brave souls who had attempted the crossings back in the day, not knowing what they would find and hoping for a different life.
Another few yards later both our legs were feeling a bit weak from the height and we decided we had flirted with danger long enough. We turned away from the Atlantic and headed back to the mountains.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The highlight was when Denis worked one dog on sheep and the other on ducks... All the more impressive when you knew that he didn't practice doing it, the dogs were just that well schooled!
From there we headed to Galway, looking for clothing for a potential Double Lift final. Mary Lou tried on a few things, but I didn't think purple suited her and I was worried the hair piece might come off in high wind...
From Galway, we headed to the spectacular Cliffs of Moher (which we pronounced mohair quite incorrectly). There was the safe tourist area and then there was a small slippery trail right along the cliff's edge.
You had to pass several "Danger: Do Not Enter" signs and a number of memorials of people who had died at the cliffs. There were dozens of people universally ignoring the warnings, so naturally we felt the urge to risk our lives as well. We climbed over the barrier and went about 20 yards, where we decided to take a picture. Mary Lou slipped and landed on her "arse" (Irish for buttocks) trying to take the pic. That was slightly unnerving as the path only got narrower!
The view of the Atlantic was incredible and also alluring. It is interesting that many from the west coast of Ireland head for "America", while those on the east coast tend to go over the Irish Sea to the UK. Joe O'Flynn (remember Rat Salad) had made an observation about people becoming like the land they live in. The west coasters were often visionaries and explorers who crossed the ocean, the midlanders were wealthy and content in their fertile farms and the east coast settlers in the mountain ranges were a passionate and volatile type of temperament, very like to the mountains. I contemplated this as I looked out over the water and understood how the view would inspire a quest for adventure. It was overwhelming to think of our home in Toronto over 5000 miles away and the brave souls who had attempted the crossings back in the day, not knowing what they would find and hoping for a different life.
Another few yards later both our legs were feeling a bit weak from the height and we decided we had flirted with danger long enough. We turned away from the Atlantic and headed back to the mountains.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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