Field
With over 80 entries the Open class was big enough to run over 3 days. The field is big with a few rolling hills and a couple trouble-spots as far as hearing goes. Spain was my first up and she had a very tidy go around the course, but it was slow. I was having trouble getting set up for the shed and waited just a split-second too long to go for the Hail Mary...while she was taking the single away I stood there waiting for the judge to call it, when instead he called time. What a huge bummer, we'd have ended up 4th-ish with those shed points!! That was a hard pill to swallow...I was aware of my time, but miscalculated how long it would take the Hail Mary to play out. Shoot.
Friday a bunch of us got together for a fun dinner in Jan's house. Great food and great company, it was hard to call it quits and head to bed, but we all had dogs to run the next morning and several of my friends were key players in keeping the trial running smoothly, so they had plenty on their plate that weekend.
Gabe had a pretty nice go. He didn't quite flank as well as I'd like on the fetch, though I'm not sure if it was hearing-induced or pressure-induced. Whatever was going on, there were many dogs who didn't take their flanks on the fetch. His fetch wasn't bad, just that the first part was a little offline and he wasn't doing what was needed to correct it until halfway through. His drive was one of his better ones to date. I think he only took 2 wrong flanks, and I was even able to throw in a couple steady whistles on the crossdrive (usually we're too busy fixing the line). He even made the cross-drive panel which was a tough one to hit in the first round. Pen was fine and he finished up with a rather impressive shed and a respectable score! I was really happy with him!
Spain ran at the very end of the day and again had great lines around the course, but still slow. This time it was shed then pen, and we were already short on time when I got to the ring. A quick not-full-point-but-need-to-take-what-I-can-immediately shed and then rushed to the pen, but needed another 10 seconds there to complete the run. It wasn't that I didn't learn my lesson the first go, I tried everything I could think of to speed her up around the course, but she was just too slow. Something that I know can be an issue sometimes, but I'll try to work on it, because that makes for disappointing finishes.
Saturday night was the spectacular handlers' dinner catered by Cy's brother Phillip. He did a remarkable job preparing the meal and we all sat down together to enjoy it with each other. A bunch of us lingered well into the night and again had to tear ourselves away from the fun.
Sunday Gabe ran pretty early in the day and it wasn't pretty. He didn't flank well on the fetch and was missing (ignoring or not hearing?) my downs. On the way to the post I downed him a bunch of times to try to correct him in, but the driveaway consisted of a couple missed downs and wrong flanks, so I just quit. Whatever was going on, it wasn't meant to be that day. But I had to laugh, apparently the run wasn't going nearly as badly as it was in my own mind, because the handler after me said at the exhaust "Why did you retire?" To which I said "Because he didn't take a single correct whistle out there!" Poor Gabe, I know not to get mad at him, but I was. I need to do better.
I went home from the trial to celebrate Dad's birthday Sunday evening and then brought him back with me to watch LIVY run on Monday. Yes, I actually ran Liv, just in the Pro-Novice since she's been a bit excited away from home.
Her outrun was a little more shallow than I'd have liked, but I knew I couldn't fix her at that point, so let her be. Great lift and fetch, turn, and did a good job on the drive. I am still trying to get with her as far as running a course goes, and so my timing was a little off, but she listened great and did just what I told her. One wrong whistle on her end, but I'm fine with that. For the pen I was REALLY holding her back. She doesn't quite understand penning yet (hmm, maybe we should practice before a trial?), so I really had to keep the reins on her so she didn't head them. But these sheep walked right in. Livy ended up 2nd!
There was a second PN class that included a cross-drive. I decided to send her the other way since I wanted to use it as a training experience, and again she was a little shallow. I fussed at her but I don't think it really changed her trajectory (which is a problem I'm having at home, so no shocker to me, really). But her lift and fetch were quite nice and her first drive leg was much smoother than the previous run. Her turn was tight and we ever so neatly drove half-way across the drive too high. I finally realized this and got her to correct the line and we made the drive panels, good return leg and again holding her back as they walked in the pen. She got another 2nd place for that run and more importantly, I was really happy with what I saw. Though she was incredibly wound up, she listened so well to me and tried really hard to do what I asked her to. I just need to get her settled and thinking on her outruns away from home. She's still so yeeeeahhhh here I go to get sheep!!! She knows better, but you don't get a mulligan at a trial :)
Many thanks to Jan, Cy, Bob and Bobbie, and Sue for putting on such a wonderful trial. It was the most fun trial weekend I've had in ages. It is so sad to think that this was the last year for it, but I'm glad I was able to go enjoy myself one last time with so many friends who made the trip.
Happy Birthday, Dad!
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