Happy Hollow Day One

Scott and I are currently in Russellvile, MO.  It should have taken us only a little over 2 days to get here from home but instead took us all of 3 days!  Wind and construction slowed us down, and we always go a little slower on our first trip of the year while the new dogs and customer dogs get used to loading and unloading out of our truck with the dog box on it.
The temperature is a good introduction for our dogs to get used to the humidity.  It's only around 76F and overcast.  Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler with rain. It's so beautiful and green here and the grass on the field is a little high, making the outruns fairly difficult with the additions of rolling hills.  The camping area is a little crowded but not bad.  No room for big free runs with the dogs but there is enough room to get the job done.  The sheep are a motley crew of Katahdin crosses - some yearling lambs.

I was going to call this the peanut gallery but I think "trouble maker's" is a better label.

Scott and Don ran 9th in the morning and the sheep were at their nicest around that time.  Not that Scott needs much help from the sheep to win the class with Don, but that's what he did anyway.  The grass made it a little difficult to see the short dog but it didn't seem to bother Don.

Don trying to peer over the tall grass on the fetch

  It was a left hand drive and they made all their panels with a pen and single.

Don and Scott on the shed

 His score was a 92.
I ran Laddie as the sheep started to get heavy and it warmed up a little.  He had a great outrun which was unexpected from me because it was a little tricky.  He's been running out well at home but I'd been afraid he might have peaked too soon!  I blew him over a little bit and he lifted nice and went into the dip.  You can't see your dog for a little while before the fetch gates and it's hard for me to keep my mouth shut and be patient until I see them again.  He came up a little to the left of the fetch panels, then dropped down a tiny bit and to the right but we got it under control and made the panels with a nice finish to the fetch.  He also had a nice drive but I missed the crossdrive panels high.  A nice but slow pen (the sheep didn't move off the handler) and then a messed up shed.  I had a slow ewe with two yearlings.  I called him in on the slower ewe and I thought he needed a flank to come all the way through so I gave him a comebye and the brat regathered instead of finishing the shed.  I had 20 seconds left so I called him in on the front yearling who was running away and took what I could get.  He got a 73 for his run.
Next June ran.  She ended up with 3 yearlings and they were not happy about the speed demon behind them.  Scott smoothed her out but they didn't forgive her and  still ran.  However, they made all the panels and the pen and the shed.  They ended up in 6th place with a score of 82.
Next Hemp ran.  I have to say that even though aliens have clearly abducted the real Hemp, I didn't miss him today.  He was smooth, obedient and biddable.  Not your typical Hemp run.  I'm afraid pilot error was the only screw up and as I walked off the field, the judge told me I had it won until I missed the crossdrive panel AGAIN - this time low.  We got an 84 and placed 4th!
The Nursery course was very difficult.  They brought the outrun in a little, but not enough.  It was really too big for babies and I'm hoping they make it shorter tomorrow (they did in the Pro-Novice and it was a good distance).  They told us to drive the fetch panels to shorten up the crossdrive but the drive away was still as long as the open class.  There were alot of first timers to the post in the trial so we were all feeling the pressure.  Scott ran first with Marianna Schreeder's Jane.  (Stephanie Gorake's Liz X Alasdair MacRae's Nap)  Jane looked really good.  She needed a redirect on her outrun but made her panels nicely and with confidence.  Unfortunately, she got frustrated on the 3rd leg of the drive and gripped off.
Ford was next.  Like I said, time and time again - this is a training year.  I was happy that he needed only one stop and redirect on the outrun, but when he got up there, and realized he'd never seen this set out person before, he bailed back to me and wouldn't stop until he almost got back.  Then I realized he thought he'd just go behind me and retrieve the sheep he'd seen exhausted earlier ( I guess he figured they didn't have a set out person) so we walked off but I walked up the middle and made him retrieve his sheep and I'm sure that helped.
Scott and Diane Pagel's Wynn had a crossover - Wynn wasn't being belligerent, he just got confused.  However, after that he looked really good on his drive and pen and I have no doubt he'll do better tomorrow.
Bliss with Scott was handling the sheep well but as they went through the drive panels they tore back up the field (they were doing that on some of the runs) so she got an RT.  She looked like she had promise for her next run.
Finally, Scott ran Annette Haithcox's John (John's mother is same way bred as Ford -Pete X Lena - and his father is Annette's National Reserve Champion Nursery dog, Dod)  John was very good with the difficult run.  He needed one redirect on the outrun but listened and worked well with Scott, making his panels and pen and placing second - getting his first National's nursery leg!  Good Job John!
I don't have the finals for the Pro-Novice class yet but the last I checked, Scott was winning with Nan.  She had some sheep that wanted to graze or run but she kept her head.  They shortened up the distance for this class and since Ford had almost gotten it right the first round, he got the outrun easily clean with it being shorter.  This time he lifted his sheep and started to bring them to me

Ford is no taller than Don!

 but I had no line or stop until he was 30 yards away.  He had a nice turn though and actually a good drive away and made the panels,

Ford: Look Ma, I made the panels!

 but then sniffed and it was the first warning bell that maybe it was time for me to walk.  I grumped at him and he went back to work and took his flank to turn them but not his stop.  He started to bring them back to me and I thought it was time to impose my will so I walked away from the post to enforce it but he stopped just after it was too late!  I'm not sure I made my point as he was exhausting them so I may remind him of the meaning of the down before his runs tomorrow.  I think I will also send him the other direction on his outrun so he can work the other side of the field for experience.  I'm pleased with both his outruns today and that he spotted the sheep nicely.  Now a stop!  Fortunately, after this trial we have a week and a half to train at a friend's so I know what I'll be working on and Scott has his own ideas about his dogs so we'll be prepared for the next trial in PA.

Open 1 (31 dogs)
1. Scott Glen and Don 92
2. Roy Taber and Craig 88
3. Susanne Hoffman and Toss 87
4. Jennifer Glen and Hemp 84
5. Larry Birch and Dot 82
6. Scott Glen and June 82
7. Stephanie Gorake and Gwynn 81
8. Mike Gorake and Kate 80
9. Linda Myer and Natt 79
10. Peg Anderson and Hope 74

Nursery 1 (11 dogs)
1. Jennifer Boznos and Tony 68
2. Scott Glen and John 68
3. Stephanie Gorake  and Tweed 66
4. Margaret Johnson and Lark 65
5. Scott Glen and Wynn 62