Alta-Pete Trials: Wild Rose 2012

It's been a week since we went to the Wild Rose trial up in Bowden, Alberta. With this trial being the last stop before we got home (after an absence of almost 10 weeks), the head cold I brought home with me, and compounded by not getting any good pictures, I neglected to report on it. I didn't want to let it go without remarking upon it because this is a great trial. It's one of my favorites and anyone, planning on attending the Calgary Stampede immediately following, should make a point to get to this trial.
This year, the setting was done on horseback and the sheep were provided by Louanne Twa. Other than one evil black ewe (who I seriously believe is the same one who attacked my young Ford a couple of months ago) that tried to chase an open dog off and succeeded with a nursery dog, the sheep were good.
Loren Landry from BC was the judge for the pro novice, open and nursery, and Wendy Schmaltz did the novice and intermediate classes. The weather stayed perfect for a dog trial - a little sun, but not too hot. The sheep were Dorper/Katahdin crosses and were set by horseback, all weekend, by the hard working Chris Schmaltz.
Jimmy Walker's dog Soot kicked all our butts both days in the nursery classes. Scott was second on the first day with Bliss, and 4th with Wynn but neither dog placed on the second day. We were looking forward to seeing Lisa Wright's Ben. Ben is a son of Scott's Don and a grandson of his Pleat. He is also a littermate to our Bliss. (bred by George Stambulic - who was 4th on the second day with his own littermate, Nan) We had heard alot of good things about Ben and with the recent, tragic loss of Lisa's Open dog, Kate, we were really hoping that Ben could step up to be her next good dog. Ben did not disappoint. He placed 5th the first day and 3rd on the second day, earning the Nursery overall reserve champion! Side note: Ben followed this trial up by winning the first round at the Calgary Stampede too!
In the open, the first day was won by Scott and June(that's my girl!) and Don was 3rd. On the second day, Scott was second with Don (beat by a good run of Norm Sommer and Lexi) and 5th with June. Donnie won the overall open championship and June was 3rd!
Laddie ran fine both days but just didn't do well enough to place. Both of my dogs had a little trouble releasing the pressure on the top half of the fetch and missed the fetch panels both days. Hemp had some things go wrong on the first day but on the second day, after the fetch panels he was outstanding. I had never had him work so well. Our score did not reflect how he worked but if he could do that all the time, we might actually win a trial one day!
Please check out the scores HERE and come up to this trial next year!