Dr. Ben's 2011 Day Two - Open

We didn't have much cloud cover today. It was mild in the morning but got hot and heavy humidity within a few hours of starting. Our course today was a left hand outrun and a shed, pen, single. Hemp drew up 10th and it should have been a good time but despite his good outrun he was hard to hold today. He had a great shed but took one too many steps at the pen and we had one of those older wily ewes who just ran around the pen. I got them in the mouth several times but Hemp just couldn't take a one step flank. He had to take two or three steps. When it was obvious I wouldn't have time to finish, I retired.
Debbie Bailey and her two dogs Huck and Camp set the bar early with a score of 102. Scott wasn't keen on being left out of the top 10 yesterday so he and Don made sure that didn't happen again with a 105 to take the lead and keep it all day. It was a precise and controlled run. Don looked great, even in the heat.

Don on his winning run

Lad and I ran a few hours later. Today Laddie ran a clean outrun, if a little wide and took care of his top end himself. I didn't blow a whistle to him until he was just in front of the fetch panels where he had a little bobble. There was another little bobble on the way to the drive away panels because the hearing was off in that area but after that Lad moved the sheep very well. Good shed, easy pen and good single for a 103!
Maid had a great run with not much off until her drive away when her sheep got a little jumpy and a quick flank shot them up the field. Scott retired after that because with such high scores, that was already out of the money.
Christine Koval and Tweed continued their hot streak with a 102 and Bruce Fogt and Cam are really starting to blend as a team and got second place with a 104. This qualified Bruce and Christine for the double lift (2 day combined scores). Debbie's Huck also qualified and Camp's combined score tied with Christine's so he also made the double lift. Christine had some bad luck with a ambulance driving by on the near by road at the time of her turn back. Her dog never got the sheep to the post because he couldn't hear her but he turned back anyway and fetched the second set. Unfortunately, she was disqualified for never bringing the first set to the post. Debbie's Huck had a very nice drive but in the end, Bruce and Cam completed the course and won the double lift.

OPEN 2 (57 dogs)
1. Scott Glen and Don 105
2. Bruce Fogt and Cam 104
3. Jennifer Glen and Lad 103
4. Debbie Bailey and Camp 102
5. Debbie Bailey and Huck 102
6. Christine Koval and Bess 102
7. Allen Hickenbottom and Vic 102
8. Christine Koval and Tweed 101
9. Marianna Schreeder and Penny 100
10. Peggy Wilkinson and Liz 99

DOUBLE LIFT (4 dogs)
1. Bruce Fogt and Cam
2. Debbie Bailey and Huck
3. Debbie Bailey and Camp
4. Christine Koval and Tweed