Fetch Gate Nursery '10 - Day One and Two

While we are in New York state doing a clinic at Roger and Heather Millen's Fetch Gate Farm, they hold a nursery trial every year. The field is a great one for schooling the young dogs in a trial. It is lush green with a gentle slope (unless you are walking up it, then it feels like a big slope) and dog broke Katahdin sheep that are easy for the dogs to see. This year there were 8 dogs in the trial.

On the first day, Rainey did very well. Her outrun was the best it's ever been and her lines were pretty nice.

Diane Pagel's Rainey

She had a little trouble with the drive away but other than that she did well until the pen when she had some difficulty getting them in. She placed 3rd on the first day! On the second day her fetch and drive lines were not as nice so she didn't place.
Scout (the kelpie) also had a good trial. She had some trouble covering on the fetch on the first and second day due to pulling up short on the outrun but her drive was pretty good and she had a good pen both days.

Sherri Purcell's Scout

On the second day, Scout came in third - a personal best!
Kuro didn't have a good run either day. Some dogs do well when they sit for a few days and some don't. Kuro needs to be worked and had been sitting while we were clinicing. Fortunately, since he was already qualified, Scott was able to use the time to train on him and fix some problems that he would probably let go if he was still needing a leg for the finals.

Diane Pagel's Kuro

On the other side of the coin, Jr./Sweep showed that he could do really well if he has some time to sit and relax between trials. His biggest problem had been his outrun and on this field he really figured it out. He had a great outrun and a nice fetch.

Scott's Sweep/Jr.

His drive was nice too except for Scott's mistake. On both runs he turned short of the drive panel. On the first day it cost him the win but he was still able to hold onto second place and get his first leg for the nationals. On the second day, he still won and got his third leg for the nationals. Very good Jr!

Delta Bluez Rainey

Diane Pagel's Rainey

Diane Pagel's Delta Bluez Rainey is another one of Scott's nursery dogs this year. She was bred by Diane and is out of her Tess. Tess was one of the earliest dogs to get a ROM with the ABCA. As a nursery dog, Scott handled her to a 6th place finish on the difficult national nursery course at Klamath Falls, Oregon in 2001.

Rainey works sheep on our prairie farm

Rainey's father is a dog named Scott who was working as a cattle dog on the Coldstream Ranch in BC when Diane bought him. He is a grandson of Bobby Dalziel's Wisp. Scott is now owned by Janet Thorpe and at 10 years old is doing a good job of teaching his new owner how to be a good stockdog handler.
Rainey's first trial will be at the Kentucky Bluegrass.

Rainey fetching sheep