Well no surprise we are sitting safely in a Florida campground due to a major storm blocking our route home. So I have a few moments to write about the weekend.
I ran out of fairy dust this weekend, getting independent ewes both days, one apparently known for never going in the pen. Craig did a good job nonetheless, shepherding so that the ewes didn't get their way, but enough to prevent stellar performances. We managed to place, but nothing to write home about. Mary Lou placed with both Dyna and Tim, with excellent drives on a very tricky drive line where the trees appear to move, and Linda also had a placement with Joe.
Saturday night was the annual bluegrass dance. Lots of fun and nice warm weather!
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Dogs on Wicklow hike
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Tuesday 19 February 2013
Florida sunshine
To reach the C54 trial, we have to take the rigs down a sandy, remote road to the massive fields behind.
The temperature was cold and the wind was strong as usual, upsetting the sheep and freezing the handlers. We Canadians were in full winter garb, parkas and all. However, the sun was out, which was a far cry better than the three feet of snow we have at home.
Craig ran really well, scoring an 86 to tie for second on Saturday (third on outwork) and winning Sunday with a wonderful run, earning a 96 from Irish judge Frank Cashen on a day where scores were not high and pens were few.
Linda also placed one day, and Dyna and Mary Lou also ran well.
We are now enjoying a few days seaside before the final trial at That'll Do and the long trek home.
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The temperature was cold and the wind was strong as usual, upsetting the sheep and freezing the handlers. We Canadians were in full winter garb, parkas and all. However, the sun was out, which was a far cry better than the three feet of snow we have at home.
Craig ran really well, scoring an 86 to tie for second on Saturday (third on outwork) and winning Sunday with a wonderful run, earning a 96 from Irish judge Frank Cashen on a day where scores were not high and pens were few.
Linda also placed one day, and Dyna and Mary Lou also ran well.
We are now enjoying a few days seaside before the final trial at That'll Do and the long trek home.
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Friday 15 February 2013
Wine connoisseurs
An American friend recently introduced us to a nice Pinot Grigio, and we thought we'd pick it up cheap in the US in between sheepdog trials. Usually the wines we buy in Canada range from $11-$15, so we are on the cheap end of things. We expected this particular wine to be $8-$10 in the US, assuming it was a similar class of wine to our usual brands and would reflect the cheaper US prices. Mary Lou almost fell over when she found the wine on sale at Walmart for $22.97! Even the Walmart cashier asked if it was a mistake, as wine over $15 at Walmart is usually a pricing error. Fortunately, Mary Lou had wisely balanced out the purchase with several single serving bottles of another Pinot Grigio for $1.00 a piece! ;)
Linda's old dog Nell started to do a taste test by trying the wine in an unsupervised glass but fortunately it had been the cheaper wine!
We are now enroute to the C54 sheepdog trial, an extremely flat 600+ yard outrun, where the dogs can mistake seabirds landing on the field for sheep, and the sheep shimmer in the heat waves, making you wonder if your straight fetch is really a mirage!
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Linda's old dog Nell started to do a taste test by trying the wine in an unsupervised glass but fortunately it had been the cheaper wine!
We are now enroute to the C54 sheepdog trial, an extremely flat 600+ yard outrun, where the dogs can mistake seabirds landing on the field for sheep, and the sheep shimmer in the heat waves, making you wonder if your straight fetch is really a mirage!
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Wednesday 13 February 2013
Washed away...
The Lazy J trial is a popular trial, with over 60 dogs running on lively hair sheep and a nice big field. Hitting the drive gates on this field is always a challenge because of the rolling terrain, unusual angles and changing light. Indeed, the drive on Sunday was around 500 yards, according to host Dawn Boyce.
Both days saw scores in the eighties and nineties, with Welsh judge Aled Owen sorting out the runs while still slowly recovering from what everyone suspected to be a bad case of the Norovirus. Linda, Mary Lou and I all scribed at some point, sitting in the truck with the still presumably contagious judge. I had visions of a movie like Contagion, with scribes clawing at the windows of the truck, but I didn't think Aled would appreciate me wearing a mask to scribe. I did, however, use the cool weather as an excuse to keep my gloves on, for all the good that probably did. I think we have cornered the market on orange juice, doing everything in our power to boost our immune systems! I had several decent goes, placing both days, as did Linda. Mary Lou and Dyna also ran very well with scores in the 80's both days, but the cross-drive panel was their nemesis both days, just grazing by. Mary Lou and Dyna made up for it on Monday by placing second in the double lift, just a point behind winner Bev Lambert.
A series of systems carrying torrential rain continued to sweep through the area, causing several people to be stranded in the field, and we decided to make a dash for Florida before we were washed away, in search of drier, warmer weather.
A few days in a Florida campground to do laundry and collect ourselves (and shop) is in order!
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Both days saw scores in the eighties and nineties, with Welsh judge Aled Owen sorting out the runs while still slowly recovering from what everyone suspected to be a bad case of the Norovirus. Linda, Mary Lou and I all scribed at some point, sitting in the truck with the still presumably contagious judge. I had visions of a movie like Contagion, with scribes clawing at the windows of the truck, but I didn't think Aled would appreciate me wearing a mask to scribe. I did, however, use the cool weather as an excuse to keep my gloves on, for all the good that probably did. I think we have cornered the market on orange juice, doing everything in our power to boost our immune systems! I had several decent goes, placing both days, as did Linda. Mary Lou and Dyna also ran very well with scores in the 80's both days, but the cross-drive panel was their nemesis both days, just grazing by. Mary Lou and Dyna made up for it on Monday by placing second in the double lift, just a point behind winner Bev Lambert.
A series of systems carrying torrential rain continued to sweep through the area, causing several people to be stranded in the field, and we decided to make a dash for Florida before we were washed away, in search of drier, warmer weather.
A few days in a Florida campground to do laundry and collect ourselves (and shop) is in order!
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Thursday 7 February 2013
Extremes...
After stopping to fix a propane leak en route from the Suwannee River sheepdog trial to the Lazy J trial near Atlanta, Georgia, (blowing up really puts a damper on your trip) we were looking forward to two days of education from the two-time World Champion Aled Owen, the clinic graciously hosted by Dawn Boyce. Although Aled was deathly sick with a flu and we were all staying miles away from him, he soldiered on and gave a brilliant clinic. The first day was beautiful dog (and people) weather, sunny, slight breeze, 67 degrees (about 18 degrees Celsius for our metric friends up north)...fantastic. Today...well...pouring rain, wind, in the low 40s... Can you say "chilled to the bone"? But Georgia in February is a case of extremes, so we were prepared with wool and down, looking like proper Canadians, although a bit waterlogged.
Now that we are all saying lie down in Welsh, tomorrow is a day of young dogs having their go, and then we are back in action on Saturday with Open.
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Now that we are all saying lie down in Welsh, tomorrow is a day of young dogs having their go, and then we are back in action on Saturday with Open.
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Location:Lazy J SDT,Carnesville,United States
Monday 4 February 2013
One glorious weekend...
...when the moon and stars are aligned and everything just falls into place. We survived ice storms and tornadoes, propane leaks and dark dead end roads to arrive in Branford, Florida at the Suwannee River Sheep Dog Trial.
Our always gracious hosts, Dick Williams and Cheryl Jagger-Williams, worked very hard and put on a wonderful trial, complete with Katahdin lambs and a UK judge, Welshman Aled Owen, who also worked hard for days sorting out the runs.
I ran relatively early with Craig, and scored a 97 out of 110, not bad but with enough small mistakes to leave the door open for someone. That someone was Mary Lou. Mary Lou and Dyna ran second last run of the day, and laid down a great run, worth 103 points and knocking my score out of first...Dyna rarely put a foot wrong and looked to be in prime form. Oh well, that meant Mary Lou was making drinks for all of us that night!
Day 2 saw me running first dog of the day with Craig, looking straight into the blazing Florida sunrise. Although it was beautiful, I had to ask the judge, to let me know when the sheep were out. We managed to have tidy run, with Craig taking a spectacular collared single in the shedding ring and saving my butt on a very small gap.
My score of 94 stood all day and by the time Mary Lou and Dyna were to run, they were the only ones left able to beat my combined score for the overall. Never fazed, steady Dyna shepherded her sheep around the course beautifully. Although my day score stood the test for Craig to win the Open trial for the day, Mary Lou and Dyna scored a 91, enough to win the overall title and capture second place day money.
As an added bonus, Dick and Cheryl ran a double lift, a great chance for the dogs to do a look back on another field. Mary Lou and Dyna were once again the top team, and Craig and I coming in third. Sheepdog trialing is usually a test of perseverance and perspective, and rarely such a story of success, so we are enjoying the moment as another day can be a very different story.
Now we are off to Georgia, to compete at the Lazy J sheepdog trial next weekend and see if the sheepdog gods continue to be so kind. This week we will get to work with Aled Owen at a clinic, and I'm sure the two-time World champion will be a treasure of information. Stay tuned!
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Our always gracious hosts, Dick Williams and Cheryl Jagger-Williams, worked very hard and put on a wonderful trial, complete with Katahdin lambs and a UK judge, Welshman Aled Owen, who also worked hard for days sorting out the runs.
I ran relatively early with Craig, and scored a 97 out of 110, not bad but with enough small mistakes to leave the door open for someone. That someone was Mary Lou. Mary Lou and Dyna ran second last run of the day, and laid down a great run, worth 103 points and knocking my score out of first...Dyna rarely put a foot wrong and looked to be in prime form. Oh well, that meant Mary Lou was making drinks for all of us that night!
Day 2 saw me running first dog of the day with Craig, looking straight into the blazing Florida sunrise. Although it was beautiful, I had to ask the judge, to let me know when the sheep were out. We managed to have tidy run, with Craig taking a spectacular collared single in the shedding ring and saving my butt on a very small gap.
My score of 94 stood all day and by the time Mary Lou and Dyna were to run, they were the only ones left able to beat my combined score for the overall. Never fazed, steady Dyna shepherded her sheep around the course beautifully. Although my day score stood the test for Craig to win the Open trial for the day, Mary Lou and Dyna scored a 91, enough to win the overall title and capture second place day money.
As an added bonus, Dick and Cheryl ran a double lift, a great chance for the dogs to do a look back on another field. Mary Lou and Dyna were once again the top team, and Craig and I coming in third. Sheepdog trialing is usually a test of perseverance and perspective, and rarely such a story of success, so we are enjoying the moment as another day can be a very different story.
Now we are off to Georgia, to compete at the Lazy J sheepdog trial next weekend and see if the sheepdog gods continue to be so kind. This week we will get to work with Aled Owen at a clinic, and I'm sure the two-time World champion will be a treasure of information. Stay tuned!
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