Dyna and Craig both finished in the money, Craig with a stellar performance on his drive, so it was a reasonable start to the trip, considering it was the dogs' first time on grass in two months.
The dogs are tired from the travel and running. Dyna took a nap with the pup's toy as a pillow...
Day 2 has been wild on a few counts...we knew we were in trouble with the red morning sky!
The wind was howling, the temperatures very cold, and the set out horse (when there are big distances, sheep are often set out with dog and rider on horse back) spooked at something and came charging down the field after tossing his rider. Dawn Boyce, the trial host and former horse woman herself, was in the middle of her run. She calmly finished her pen while the horse charged around her, bucking and snorting. We all agreed we would've been jumping the fence, to heck with the pen! Nothing is ever simple when it comes to animals!
As always in sheepdog trials, you can't afford a single mistake and none of us managed anything near perfection on this day. The wind made it difficult to demand precision above the fetch panels and we just didn't get it done. Oh well, another day. The double lift today bodes more of the same, with wind and cold, and many have fled south to warmer temperatures, but since championships must also be won in those conditions, we have stayed, added a few layers of down, and look forward to a good test!
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