Ranch Trial

It's not a good thing when  only 1 dog and handler team complete the course. It was not me.  Dually lost the cattle into the woods but got them out beautifully and then we got them to the first pen and we  could not get them in the pen and we gave up .  Dare lost them behind the duck arena but that was better than the woods and we got them to the first pen and with a lot of manipulation we got them in.  We were the only other team today that got the cows in the pen. Then we had to sort them and I am not used to sorting cows in a small pen and we got 2 of them sorted and then decided to move on with only 5 min left. We got down to the last arena and they called time on us. Yesterday I was ready to give Dare away and today he redeemed himself.  He kept those cows together and he turned one that was running with a bite on the nose and then held ground. He also bit hocks to make them move in the pen and I was very proud of him.  He showed he can be a real cow dog. 

Dare made it all the way around the sheep course  but we didn't get a qualifying score.  I was not allowing him to work because they are sheep and I am always afraid of what he is going to do so we lost control points all over the place. Too bad because he was probably the best dog at the trial for controlling livestock. Sorry Dare.

Dually had a nice sheep run but we (as well as everybody else)had trouble with the sort and  we ran out of time . 

THe course  was nice but the gates were horrible and the sort on those gates was virtually impossible to complete in time.  The first place dog didn't get the sort so no one got it.

Train the stock day

  We went out to breakfast this am and then we went to Cheryls to work stock.  We started on the cows but it turns out there were 3 rank cows in there and they wanted them separated out before we touched them. Ok, Then on to the sheep.  We could get them up the arena ok but they did not want to go in the Ychute.  I stood out there on one side with a dog while somebody else worked their dog from the other side. It worked a little. We were able to pull some lambs out that were not going to hold up thru any runs. 

Then we went and worked the ducks .  We did it with people first.  They had not been in a chute in the middle and it was not easy getting them thru there in little groups. It was also not easy getting the ducks to work away from their buddies.  Hopefully there will be a tarp up to hide them on trial day.  I went back later and worked Dare on the whole group and then some smaller groups. Dare was being and ass today.  Gosh he can make me mad.

But he did some nice things on the cows .  They went up to sniff him and I asked him to bite and he did and he stood there. He did that a number of times but when I asked him to flank and help me in the arena he was useless.

Dually was a good boy on the cows and the sheep.  He did not stand up and bite them like Dare but he did do what I asked him to most of the time.

Tomorrow is the ranch trial on sheep and cows. Both dogs are entered.

On to the next KOA

We packed up this morning and emptied the grey and black water and moved south to another KOA only 26 miles or so.   There is not a  fenced in area for the dogs but there is a really big field.  Peaches got to play for a long time with her purple egg and then I took Dually and Edge out to play with a toy and I have to take DAre out soon. 

Kim and I are going to run over to a Western store and see what they have as well as driving to Cheryls house to see where it is .

I stopped at Cheryls and met David and he said come on over anytime and work anything.  I think we will wait and go tomorrow. Just feel like chilling right now.  I have not had time to just sit and watch tv or read at all.

I have found out that Edge is not leash broke and he is going to pull me down and drag me one of these days.  I am trying but he is not getting it. He is also a bit of a scaredy cat.  He seems to want to hide under things or go back to his crate or just be alone.   He loves people but he doesn't like just standing and talking or waiting.

I leveled my trailer for this KOA  stay . I will be here for 6 days so I think level is better.  I got the water hooked up and it's not leaking(yay). The cable is working perfectly, but I could not get on their wifi.  It's 55 and sunny and it feels pretty good.

HIT sheep on course F

Dually laid down a really nice run on F course today. I didn't enter Dare.  I was the last one in the class because I entered this morning.  I did have the benefit of watching everybody else and I had also talked to the judge about penning the sheep on Sat when I couldn't pen them. He said fetch them in so I laid Dually down way out and walked in with the sheep and he gave me full control points.  We had a beautiful 1st panel and bobbled a little on the 2nd and missed a sheep on the 3rd and stuck the 4th > It was a nice run and good enough for 117 and  HIT .  I won another wonderful collar and a metal sculpture aussie head.  really  nice.

I entered cows too and I got 3rd place with a 62.  I guess 1st  and 2nd  place Q'd, but we sure didn't.  But we weren't alone.  It took quite a while to get Dually to stop overflanking and turning the cows back and then when we did we got to the 2nd panel and they called the 3 min warning and we lost them again to the back fence so I just repenned them.

We went out to lunch as a group after awards and said good bye  to Tony and Donna and the rest of the club members.  Great club and lovely people!!

Then we came back to the KOA and dropped off dogs and Kim and I went to the near by antique store. I found a lovely quilt I liked . Big and perfect condition and it looks handsewn. No price on it but I asked anyway and they called the booth owner and she said $42 , so I said sold and now I have it here.  It really is nice.  Off to Walmart for some stuff and back home to watch tv  and get ready to move to another KOA tomorrow. Also the next trial host called me and asked me to come over on Wed and work the ducks and the cows for them.  Okey dokey. Trial is Thurs so it will be really good to be able to work there with the ability to do some corrections. 

Dually HIt ducks and HIGH COMBINED WTCH

 They both had good cattle runs this am and then ok sheep runs and then Dare got excused right away on his duck run but Dually had  a run good enough to beat Roger's run and gave him HIT ducks and HIGH COMBINED WTCH  for the weekend.  The prize is phenomenal. It is a hand made firepit with HIGH COMBINED WTCH  carved out of the metal and a cow,sheep and duck and and and aussie all carved out.  It's really nice and really big but it fits in the car between the 2 sets of crates just perfectly.

I passed on the jackpot trial they had this afternoon on F course because I am tired and the dogs are tired.  I fet them and they are all sound asleep and it's early for them.

Picking up poop today, i see that somebody has  tapeworm and I have no med with me. But at any rate it means somebody has fleas to I will have to treat for that first.

Steak dinner out tonight at 7 --Who needs money anyway?

Dually HIT ducks again today but only in one trial

They were pathetic on the first trial cattle this am and then better on the 2nd trial, but I dropped the ball on the Y chute as usual. Sorry guys.  My competitive nature did not kick in.  I was in lala land.

Dare had a very hard set of ducks and could not get them up to the first panel. Dually had 2 good sets  and  2 scores over 100 ..  Sheep were as good as yesterday , but Dare could not listen to me the first go round and the 2nd go involved some sheep chasing .  Dually got some better scores.

Lunch was delicious , thanks to the club and after the trial, I chose to eat here and  do laundry and go to bed early-I"m still up though.

Steve  Shope and Jimmy Hartnagle were the judges and they were fair and dare I say it, Steve was sorta easy and Jimmy a little bit harder.  I never know what I am going to get for a score. Sometimes my runs seem all over the place and I get a high score and sometimes I have tiny bobbles and get low scores.  You'd think after all this time , I would have a clue.

Day 1 Trial Calhoun GA

76deg today. It rained last night and I thought it was going to rain all day but it got sunny breezy and just perfect.  Very very nice trial site and the people are wonderfully welcoming.

Dare and Dually had really nice cattle runs in the am trial although we were unable to pen anything all day.  Apparently I am not as good at it as  I thought I was.  The Pm cattle runs never got off the back fence. Hmmm need some ranker cattle to work I think.

The am duck runs were pretty good and the PM runs were 1/2good . Dually had a good run and Dare could not get them off the back fence.

The sheep runs went waayyyyy better than I had anticipated. The dogs were both being very very obedient.  Dare tried everytime to go away when I sent him for the gather, so that  was 4 runs that way. Not sure why. Dually had not trouble doing a go bye.

A couple of times I had the sheep in the free standing pen (in it) and could not get the gate closed before either the dog blew them out or I guess there is no or.

The trial site is really close so I am writing this while they finish trial 2 and then I am going back for awards(of which I have my doubts) and dinner.

Dually got HIT ducks with 116  --Don't remember that run being that good but ok.   We won a really nice decorated collar for HIT and for being High in ducks another cute collar.

I was very  pleased that both dogs worked at this location as if they had been here before. There was no 1 day adjustment period.  Dare normally works tentatively at a new loc with sometimes a deer in the headlights look but he was good.

Dinner was hot dogs cole slaw and chips.  We were hungry and it tasted good.

Also  really good to reconnect with one of my Blog readers Donna. Good to see you again and great job on the trial!