ASCNE trial in NH

It was a one day trial yesterday.   Dually was the only dog entered.  It took me 2.5 hrs to  get there and I had to be there by 8am.   short night.

We started on cattle first.  I had a really nice group although they seemed pretty equal to me all day. They moved off the dogs and didn't want to fight. It was A course so there was a take pen. I sent him in on an Away to me, but he would not go so I said go by and he would not go.  Finally he went away to me on his own.  Maybe I should just say get around and let him pick.  Anyway it was a good take pen when he finally went. He did not go in and fight with them.  Maybe that close pen work in Maine had some residual effects.   Started right down the right side of the arena nicely but for some reason he turned them back twice.  Gotta fix that.  We got to the first panel and they wanted to go around but I gave him a go by and he took it and neatly turned them into the panel. Then took a nice away to keep them moving and held them on the back fence for the cross drive.  I gave him the away to me on the 2nd panel and MY timing was perfect according to the video but he hesitated for too many steps and they went in too deep which caused them to come out and hug the fenceline.  I was trying to avoid that so I could get a perfect turn to the chute. Anyway I kept saying away to me and he did turn them but past the opening so we were a little offline.  He got them over to theopening of the chute and they were about to turn out but I gave him a go by and he turned them nicely into the chute and they all went thru like little soldiers.  We won the class with a 113. Hmmm not sure where all those points came from.  It was not obvious to me and I'm usually a tough critic.

My sheep class was very nice too.  He took them out of the pen his way again and then before I could get the gate closed he had them half way to panel 1.  Thru panel 1 and the he had to adjust them back into the crossdrive.  I timed the turn around panel 2 perfectly and he took my flank but not my stop which caused the sheep to overrun the chute opening.  We took them around twice i think before Igot them thru.  We placed 2nd.

The geese run was interesting.  We won but only because we had a good set of geese. There were good and bad. 

We were HIT cattle and HIT aussie.

So today I went out and worked the damn E course again.  This time I used heavier sheep and I broke the sections down.  We were more successful that way.  I will continue to do that until he understands the course but in the meantime I will also throw a chute to the side and practice C course too. fun fun.

Edgie worked a lot tonight.  I worked driving and flanks.  And then I sat by the shed and sent him to get the sheep by himself  in the field back of the arena.  It's only about 150 ft but so far for him.  He stopped to look at me but I insisted and he got better. Then I sent him to get them at the barn .   He needs more of this. But it's frustrating for me because this is on part I feel should be built in already. Not that hard. Get the sheep. I don't care how you do it, just bring them.  He feels it's hard.