The Killing Field...

It was the strangest thing to watch. Dog after dog on field 3 not stopping, not flanking, all in the same spots, even with top dog and handler teams. The field was flat and slightly downhill with some undulation and the wind in the face of the handlers. The field was also very loud, as the ground was rough cut stalks instead of grass. The general consensus was there were several dead spots perhaps complicated by wind and noise from the field. It became known as 'the killing field'.

Four or five of the top seven scores came first thing in the morning when the air and field were calm.

I thought Craig and I might have a chance, as we were near the end of the day when things might settle. After just grazing the fetch on the wrong side, and making the drive panel in dramatic fashion and turning the sheep perfectly at the panel, the sheep started to come down and once again the dreaded dead zone struck and Craig didn't take his right hand flank until far too late. Although we just missed the cross drive gate, our cross drive line was way off.

It has been a dry year for the North Americans in general as no one made it through to the semi-finals this go around, but a rich experience in learning that will expand our knowledge of sheep and sheepdogs for better performances in the future.

We feel very blessed for the lessons we have taken away. Sometimes hard falls are what spur you to greater heights if you take the lesson.

We will enjoy the semis and finals and then prepare for the long trek home.

Fortunately, we found a covert route to the trial field parking that cuts off 15 minutes and event traffic, but it's a bit rough...not for the faint of heart or a low riding vehicle! :)




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The parade to open the World Trial was very festive. Lots of Scottish entertainer and a big crowd.



The Canafian team was small but had a big presence in the crowd. Here's the Canadian Team 'selfie'...
Lee Lumb, Mary Lou and me.



Day 1 of the World Trial is done. Mary Lou and Dyna had a very good run. One sheep broke at the pen which cost points and time and as a result Mary Lou and Dyna ran out of time on the single. Mary Lou just before her run...



The going has been tough overall on the three fields, with scores generally being lower on fields 1 and 3. Field 3 has been dubbed 'the killer field' as the sheep and field are extremely tricky. I will be on field 3 later today.


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Onion is not a veg!

We picked up Mary Lou's daughter Alison from Edinburgh airport. While we were waiting for her plane to land we grabbed a quick bite to eat. One thing you learn very quickly in the UK...vegetables aren't as common as in North America. When the menu says "with veg" it doesn't usually mean anything colourful like broccoli. When we ask where the vegetables are, invariably the server points at the onion.




Now, I'm not known for my culinary skills, the smoke detector is just as likely to go off as the stove timer when I'm cooking, but onion as a main veg?...I'm just sayin'.....

Anyway, the Ettrick Valley is a beautiful place...the vastness is simply not captured in a photo...













...but sadly the planting of trees is changing the landscape and reducing the grazing, eliminating the Shepherd's livelihood.

The Ettrick Valley is quite (very) remote and there is a roving library truck that comes through every three weeks! Love it!






So after some sightseeing in Edinburgh and around the Ettrick Valley, and some dog work with Bobby, we are off to Tain! The countdown begins!

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