Strang Ranch Finals Benefit Trial - Day One

NOTE: The reception here is not enough for me to load pictures. I will add them later.
The Strang Ranch is absolutely beautiful, surrounded by snow capped mountains. We arrived last night and surveyed the trial field. This field is not the same as the one that will be used for the Nationals (but I got to look at that one and it's really nice) but is a nice little course with good sound, even when the wind was in your face. The sheep... well, the sheep ate the dogs for lunch. They are mostly yearling range sheep and were probably some of the most difficult I have ever dealt with, with the exception of last year's Soldier Hollow. Maid ran early and did a very nice job. Many many people had to leave the post or had drive's all over the place due to the lambs wanting to run back to set out. Maid had pretty nice lines though and made all her panels. She got her shed with only seconds to spare and got no pen. Despite that she got an 83 and won the day by quite a bit. There were others who got around but I believe there was only one pen and that was by the second place handler, Sonia Craig with her Walt dog.
Laddie had a nice lift and missed his fetch panel by only a little bit and his lines started well. After he rounded the post his lead ewe ran as fast as she could up the field. Lad got them stopped right in front of the drive panel and instead of taking my comebye to save the panel, he took a little away and pushed them to the other side. After that the sheep wanted nothing more than to run back to the set out and Lad stopped them a couple of times but then he just quit trying and let them get back so I called him off.
Don ran in the afternoon when the sheep were even worse (15 out of 31 dogs retired) He had a rough lift but started to get it straightened out when Scott flanked him. He didn't realize that the sheep were starting to split and Don ended up heading them which made them run back to set out so Scott retired.
Hemp. Oh, Hemp. We almost had it but it ended in a terrible disaster. He had a great outrun and nice lift. Just missed the fetch panels and made the drive away panels. The sheep were fighting him but he was doing so well and was running better than I had ever had him with these tricky sheep but after he missed the crossdrive panels, I attempted to get him back on line and he had had it with these sheep leaning on him. He grabbed one on the hock and would not let go and would not let go and would not let go. I ran up the field and he still held on. I was so surprised, because other than last year's Soldier Hollow, Hemp never gripped and when he did, he didn't hold on. This time he didn't let go until I was about 10 feet away from him and then he woke up and let go and ran away from me, realizing that he'd done wrong. I have to say, I'm afraid to run him now. I don't approve of grips and even though the sheep looked fine with no wounds or lameness, it was quite savage. I will be running him scared tomorrow and that isn't any way to run a dog.
We were hoping for more with the nursery dogs but this was their first time away from home and it was a little much for any dog. June and Reba did well for their first time out. Neither placed but almost. June had a crazy fetch with them running down the right side of the field, hoping to make a break for set out but once they got to Scott's feet they settled down and she had a nice drive but no pen. She was5th with a 61 but only 3 dogs qualified. Reba would have qualified if she hadn't seen something on the left that she was sure was sheep. She crossed on her outrun but once she got to the top she really did well and ended up with a 7th place and a 48 with no pen. Syn tried to come in early on her outrun and I had to shout her out. Unfortunately, this hurt her feelings and when the sheep broke to my right to the set out, she didn't put the afterburners on and lost them. Joni Swanke's Sage was heads and tails above the rest and ran an 84.

Open 1 (31 dogs)
1. Scott Glen and Maid 83
2.Sonia Craig and Walt 69
3.Tina La Platt and Tess 62
4. Rene LaBree and Jazz 51
5. Carol Lucero and Mesa 46
6. Ron Enzeroth and Dusty 45
7. Linda Whedbee and Liddy 45
8.Loreli Judd and Flash 43
9. Melinda Brenimer and Nell 42
10. Lise Anderson and Mack 41
Nursery 1 (14 dogs)

1. Joni Swanke and Sage 84
2. Bill Orr and Roy 71
3. Bill Orr and Sly 64
4. Sonia Craig and Jen 63
5. Scott Glen and June 61
6. Dan Keeton and 53
7. Scott Glen and Reba 48