Ugg, I love this trial but it is HOT! Fortunately, the original forecast of 90 has been downgraded to 87 tomorrow so I'm hoping they'll keep dropping it! The humidity is hard too but if the dogs keep their heads cool, they'll do ok with the katahdins and there is water on the field. Bruce Fogt is our judge and we started tonight at 4PM with the first nursery. We won't do another nursery until Monday but it's nice to sneak in an earlier one today.
The class was won by Chuck Dimit and his very nice nursery dog, Chad, who is the same way bred (and as nice) as his 3 legged dog Coal.
Second was Scott and Diane Pagel's Wynn, who wasn't far behind Chuck. Wynn had not much wrong with his run, with a nice outrun, made all his panels and his pen, getting an 82.
Third place was nabbed by Scott and Missy Parker's Tex. Tex was a little shallow at the top but once he had that fixed the rest of his run was as good as Wynn's and also earned an 82.
Scott and Marianna Schreeder's Jane were working well but once in a while there is a tricky ewe in this flock who doesn't like to pen and makes herself known as you progress around the course. Jane drew this ewe and although she tested her, she did a nice job. The ewe ducked around the wrong side of the post and then at the pen she just wouldn't go in, even though most of the sets penned quite easily. They ended up with a 61.
Scott ran up the field when Bliss ran a little tight on the hill (it's a terraced hill so most of the dogs did a good job just getting it figured out) and then after the sheep left early (because she was a little tight) and she caught them, she came in a little fast and tight. He was able to make sure she knew she needed to open up before he walked off.
Ford did the best he's done! His score was only a 53 but I was really happy with him. He asked me for directions once on his outrun but then got up there the rest of the way on his own. The sheep left a little early but he wasn't that tight so they didn't go far. He found the set out person and figured they should have his sheep and stopped, looking around for them, but when I flanked him over, he started to look around a little and saw them. Our fetch was a little off the line and we didn't make the panels but it was nice and controlled with good pace and I didn't think I needed to press him at this point to make the panels. We took it slow around the post and actually had a nice drive away line and made the panels. I had to talk him through his crossdrive flanks and he didn't do too badly but we were a little low on the line and missed the panels low. He got a little excited when we made the turn for the third leg of the drive (probably because I got a little excited - our second chance at a pen!) but I settled him down and just as the sheep walked in the pen, he panicked like in the last trial and ran behind to keep them out. We had to repen them and I got the gate shut but he still ran around the back. I made him come to the front and stop before I flanked him behind to put them out again. I'm hoping I can get a little practice in on a pen when we get to NY, before the Fetch Gate Nursery in a week, but other than that, I'm feeling good about his progress.
Nursery 1 (14 dogs)
1. Chuck Dimit and Chad 83.5
2. Scott Glen and Wynn 82
3. Scott Glen and Tex 82
4. Barbara Ray and Pippa 72
5. Anita Young and Gil 68
6. Scott Glen and Jane 61
7. Linda Tesdahl and Gus 61
8. Vergil Holland and Cap 58
9. Jennifer Glen and Ford 53
10. Ken Arrendale and Levi 45
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