Plumb Lucky '10 - Day One

It is so beautiful here at the home of Thad and Kelly Flemming in Leeton Misourri. The grass is green and the sun is shining. It's hard to believe that only a few weeks ago they were thinking of cancelling because the field was too wet. It is quite dry today but we are expecting a rain storm tonight and tomorrow AM so I expect that to change.
They ran one nursery class today and about 21 open dogs. We had a so so day. Kuro ran second in the nursery class and wasn't bad for his first time to the post. He ran out to the left nicely but then started to cut in at about 11 'o clock. Scott shouted him out and he corrected himself but these sheep really wanted to run and didn't need much of an excuse to run hell bent for leather to the barn.

Kuro starting the fetch

They missed the fetch panels but shortly after, got it under control. Around the post and almost made the drive away panels but Kuro misunderstood Scott's commands and tried to return to him causing the miss. The sheep started running again to the barn on our left on the cross drive and Kuro did a nice job of keeping them around the line and made the cross drive panels.

Kuro stopping a ewe breaking for the barn

His line to the pen was difficult while the sheep kept pulling on the draw but they made the pen. All in all he didn't do a bad job and considering he had never felt a draw like that before, he adjusted quite well.

Kuro on the way to the pen

Jr. ran later in the class and I missed it since I was running soon on the open field but Scott said it didn't go well at all so he retired him. If Sweep doesn't do well tomorrow, he'll scratch him from the other classes and run another dog in his spot. He can work on him next week while we are in Michigan between trials.
The open field is a nice one. They are setting on horseback and most people are sending left. They are running two ewes and a lamb and there is usually one mildly difficult sheep in each group. I sent Hemp to the left and he had a good outrun. He slowed up a little at the top and I thought he'd pull up short but he corrected it but the sheep had run off to my right. I flanked him over and he caught them and brought them on line, albeit a little fast and made the fetch panels. Nice turn and held his line well on to the right hand drive panels. The sheep pulled hard to the right but he had them and made the panels. Our turn was a little wide so our crossdrive wasn't great and we missed the crossdrive panels high. I gave him an away flank and he took the wrong one and crossed his course. We fixed it and headed for the pen. Unfortunately, I let my guard down a little with him and he sliced and the sheep headed around the pen. We tried a few more times but I realized that the run wasn't going well and retired. I liked some things about his run - he wasn't that hard to handle and I could have let up on my whistles but I was being over protective of the stops. He also handled the heat just fine (we have snow still at home and this is the hottest our dogs have been since September) but I also was disappointed that things I thought were fixed are still there. Not as bad as last year but I have to guard against them and I thought they were gone (taking the wrong flank after a panel, slicing at the pen). We will see how our next run goes and regroup next week in Michigan.
Scott ran Don today. He had to have a rerun since his sheep were let go early and I missed most of his second run because I was cooling down Hemp. It wasn't bad. Scott said the sheep were a little jumpy and he thought he had the drive away panels done but he made a little adjustment and the sheep surprised him by their reaction and got around the panels. He made the crossdrive panels, got his pen and then got the shed which is not easy. They are asking for a single on the head but most people aren't getting it (the lamb is making it difficult). Scott ended up taking the lamb on the butt so it won't be full points but it was getting hot for Don so he got what he could. His score was a 75.
I don't have all the open scores for today yet but after the first 11 dogs Tricia MacRae was in second with Cap and a 91. It was a very nice run. Vergil Holland was right behind with his Brooke (a half sister to Scott's Don) but Alasdair and Nap had a great run and they had a 95. I will try to get the rest of today's scores tonight or tomorrow AM.

Nursery 1 - 22 dogs
1. Alasdair MacRae and Coll 85
2. Lyle East and Bee 72
3. Lyle Lad and Nick 69
4. Tricia MacRae and Tess 69
5. Chuck Dimit and Cole 66 (don't know why but this dog has only 3 legs!)
6. Vergil Holland and Scott 63
7. Stephanie Gorake and Gwynn 62
8. Ron Enzeroth and Jake 59
9. Scott Glen and Kuro 59
10. Catherine Laria and Rae 56 (tie not broken)
10. Alasdair MacRae and Nick 56