Went to some trials in the Spring: First was the Deuce Cook Benefit Trial at Fair Wether Farm in KY. Deuce was Livy's brother who unfortunately lost his battle to lymphoma at the tender age of 3. It was an emotional weekend but I was glad to be part of it. Most of my runs weren't anything to be excited about, I used it for training on Spain (get around the course as fast as possible) and Livy (get out to sheep on a blind and tricky outrun). Gabe did some marvelous work all on his own as the setout dog split up his sheep before he arrived on one run. He went around a pond to bring back a single and then pull the other two off the setout, all blind to me, but relayed to me by the other handlers who were spectating. He finished one out of the placings when we couldn't get a pet sheep to get off me during the shed. As we were walking off the judge joked, "Feel free to smack that sheep!"
View from set out of PN; Liv worked in the pens.
Next we went to the GSDA trial at Hubert Bailey's. I was in a minor car accident that shook me up on the way to the trial, but Livy managed to brighten my day but running very well in the Ranch. She only had 5 off her gather and was working beautifully up to a point on the cross-drive where I fried her brain and she ran through her sheep. We got it together to finish well. I don't know why but I was out there running her like one of my Open dogs, and it was just too much for her to take, especially considering she's been in maybe 3 trials? Gabe had 2 tremendous gathers, both with very few points off, but also fell apart on the drive, and Spain had fair runs but no placements. She didn't listen too well, but really I'd only had her out running sheep around and keeping her happy, no formal schooling in a couple months for her, so I wasn't really surprised.
In May we went to the Bluegrass, which deserves its own post. Then we had the NC State Trial at Dr. Ben's. Gabe had two really good runs, and if he wouldn't have boogered up his outrun Sunday (how can he go from a perfect outrun to being silly in just one day??), he'd have been in the placings. He only lost a handful of points the rest of the way around which included split, pen, and single. Spain had a very good run Saturday and would have placed had I not gotten excited and pushed her last sheep out of the pen prematurely. Sunday we had a very nice go and ended 4th amongst some top competition and large entry. The top 3 combined scores made the double lift; I think we were 4th or 5th.
Sunday's scoreboard: Linda Fogt, Dwight Parker, Alasdair, ME AND SPAIN, Bruce Fogt, Jenny Glen, Bob Washer, Robin French, Scott Glen, and Bob Washer again.
For Father's Day weekend and my belated birthday celebration, I traveled to PA to go to the PA State Championship trial. No luck for Gabe or Spain with tricky sheep and poor hearing, and I chose not to run Livy but head home early instead. Regardless, I had a very fun weekend with my Dad and the Williams are awesome hosts, as always!
Dad and the gang at Hop Bottom. Spain didn't want her picture taken.
After that, I took a little time off from the dogs and did some "other" things. I did my continuing education at a beach resort in Florida, what fun that was!!
Destin, FL
I started a relationship that was great while it lasted, but in the end wasn't meant to be. No hard feelings. I actually bought his dog off him. Though I really wasn't in the market for a dog, she had lived with me for a couple months and I'd invested a lot into her. I just couldn't let her go. So here is Lena:
Lena in July, 12 mo old.
Daughter of Hubert and Dee's nursery dogs;
granddaughter of Jennifer Clark-Ewers' Sweep x Jesse
and Carla King's Floss x Tom Conn's Jim.
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