Boywood Border Collies

Regrouping...

2012-02-27T06:07:00.001-08:00

Well, the tow trucks couldn't find us for an hour and a half...how do you miss two 50 foot rigs on the side of the Florida Turnpike? I think I ate half a bag of Oreos at the side of the highway, a pathetic sight I'm sure. But when they finally arrived they were friendly and efficient...

...and my truck was towed away...

We had found a camp ground and a Ford dealership nearby...
The woman at the front desk was new to her job...she spoke at full volume and seemed to have trouble multitasking so gave us the wrong spaces to pull the trailers into, the tow guy had to move the trailer to three different sites before we were settled...which we later realized appeared to be a giant fire ant hill...
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Location:S Libby Rd,Groveland,United States

Trials, trucks and tribulations

2012-02-26T13:33:00.001-08:00

Well the last few days have been a bit of a high for me. I finished fourth on Saturday at the That'll Do trial, had a great time dancing up a storm to some great Bluegrass music and then when we headed north on Sunday after our runs, I was sitting in second place. Life was looking good. Oh, by the way, I should mention I'm writing this on the side of the Florida Turnpike where the transmission fell out of my truck.

I did say I thought this trip might be one too many and I didn't want to push my luck... my lease is up in six weeks...

So as we wait for the specialty tow truck, we are trying to decide how to get three people and a ridiculous number of dogs (don't ask) into one truck and trailer...did I mention the lambs are popping like popcorn at home...?

To make it even better, Mary Lou just got a message that they aren't sending a tow truck until they get more information...it's starting to rain...

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Location:Florida's Turnpike,Montverde,United States

Snow birds

2012-02-23T04:58:00.001-08:00

I'm starting to get this Florida thing. We wake up to a spectacular sunrise...

...go work dogs with an International Champion...

...go to the beach...

...and see colourful wildlife.

We even experienced the local cuisine...a place called Bizarros, famous for great pizza and terrible service. The owner was unbelievably rude but the place was packed. A young lady was deciding what she wanted and her boyfriend started to order (I think he knew the system)...she interrupted him to say she didn't know what she wanted yet. The owner (a giant guy covered in tattoos, like ex-navy, an evil
Popeye) looked at her menacingly and pointed outside to the waiting line..."they all know what they want, get out of the way...". Then he yelled at everyone who had ordered and paid to get out and it was an evacuation like a movie set. Seriously? Mary Lou looked at a nearby customers and asked, "You pay for this?" at which point we all ducked expecting a sawed off shotgun to come up from behind the counter...

Back to the safe confines of a farm field!

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Location:Kramer Ln,Malabar,United States

Blind-sided

2012-02-19T10:54:00.001-08:00

Today's running is over (for us) and truly it was an example of up one minute, down the next.

The early morning runs were relatively calm, as a beautiful Florida sun came up through the mist. This 575 yard outrun seemed short compared to the 625 yard outrun from the day before. The scores started to drop rapidly as the wind picked up ahead of a storm front, and sheep get nervous in unsettled conditions.

Mary Lou and Dyna went to the post, hoping for a repeat of the previous day. One sheep seemed really out of sorts with the other two, but given the conditions, perhaps not surprising. Dyna's run was a struggle with this sheep the whole way and in the heat Mary Lou decided to retire. On the way to the exhaust, Mary Lou ended up on the sheep's right side and noticed its right eye was opaque, blind in that eye...oh well, have to pray harder to the "good sheep" gods!

My run came in the middle of the day when the trailers felt like ocean liners in a hurricane. Craig had one of only two scores posted out of the 25 dogs that ran in the middle of the day. After a great outrun, lift and fetch, a wide turn and missed crossed drive due to impossible hearing conditions from driving wind may cost him a placing. Although I expect to run well at any time of day, I will pray harder to the "draw at good time of day" gods.

We have been extended an offer to a beach house for bar-b-que and martinis while listening to the crashing surf in the upcoming storm. That sounds pretty good right now! :)

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Location:Sebastian,United States

Blue Ribbon!

2012-02-19T07:53:00.001-08:00

Well yesterday was quite the day! Several funny stories to relate which I will share over the next couple of days, but the highlight of the day was Mary Lou and Dyna with a 91 to win the Open class of over 80 dogs!

The wind has picked up today, storms are coming in and the sheep are acting more like the trial sheep we are used to here...very touchy and wild! More to report shortly...

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Location:Brokenwell Rd,Palm Bay,United States

Pickin' on the porch...

2012-02-16T05:17:00.001-08:00

We aren't complaining about the cold anymore. The temperatures are above 20 degrees Celsius and the humidity is 94%.

The two days of Open running were tough here at Swannee River. Some groups simply refused to come down the field, others ran down the field like screaming banshees.

Mary Lou and I fared well enough. The scores were low on Day 1, but I managed a 5th and Mary Lou also placed in the money out of 70 some odd dogs. Day 2 saw the first three handlers walk up the field to get their dogs as the sheep absolutely refused to play. The fourth dog to the post was Mary Lou's Dyna and she posted an 88 under extremely difficult conditions that lasted until the last 10 dogs of the day when the sheep finally gave in. One handler was very complimentary, commenting "imagine what your score would've been on the good sheep". Part of sheepdog trialling is luck of the draw, and five of the top ten runs came in those last tries of the day, bumping Dyna to fourth.

I'm running a dog named Taff for Alistair, as he works with a few of his younger dogs. Taff scored an 80, which I was pleased with considering it was only our fourth run together. Actually, both Craig and Taff ran well for me with good scores in the middle of the day when the sheep were difficult, Taff just falling off the board at the end of the day with the last run.

The southern hospitality geared up in the evening, with some local musicians serving up some good old western music. There was a lot of foot stomping and swinging about, and the odd chiropractic adjustment as dancers who had partook of the homemade beverages tried to spin their partners in biomechanically impossible positions.

I'm thinking the novice runs aren't going to start on time this morning! :)

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Double trouble

2012-02-13T04:40:00.001-08:00

The day dawned sunny and bright, albeit cold, but the bone-chilling wind decided to take the day off, so the conditions were fine for the double lift at the Lazy J trial.

I was the first to go from our group. The sheep were set far into the corners of the field, quite a distance away from where they were set during the previous Open runs. Dogs often look for sheep where they have found them before, so were likely to draw in. Craig ran reasonably well, but the couple of months off of fields was evident. We completed the international shed with seconds to spare so I was happy with that.

Linda had a great run going with Joe, but gripped in the shedding ring.

Mary Lou had a heart stopping run with Dyna. Good outwork, and with just over a minute to go finished the international shed getting the last two sheep away from the collared five. We were running on 14 sheep and shedding 9 off. The final two uncollared sheep were undecided about whether to join the discard pile or rejoin the collared ewes, which would be disaster. Mary Lou kept trying to chase off the two while the collared sheep started to break and Dyna had to repeatedly stop them, one collared yearling in particular that had been causing trouble the entire shed. The groups edged closer together, all near the pen. With time running out, Mary Lou decided to take a chance, and directed Dyna to take control of the collared sheep, and attempt the pen with the others nearby. Darting from side to side, the collared sheep attempted to escape a few more times, and with seconds remaining, Dyna hooked them into the pen, for an ending more exciting than any Super Bowl!

We packed up and put in a few miles headed south before it got dark. There was a hard freeze warning in effect, and naturally we ran out of propane in the middle of the night, so everything froze, including us! It is the same temperature at home as it is here. I'm starting to think the concept of the the south being warm in the winter is propaganda!

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On the wild side...

2012-02-12T05:02:00.001-08:00

The first day of Open ran with lightly dogged yearling sheep that had their own opinions about how things should go. Dog after dog struggled, with an undulating field and a fetch line just to the right of the sheep trod (sheep walk the exact same path all the time and it is hard to get them to come off it). Apparently the trial host had fenced off the fetch gate area for erosion reasons, with the added benefit that sheep didn't think it was possible to go through that space, making the dogs have to work to push the sheep through the fetch gates.

Dyna and Craig both finished in the money, Craig with a stellar performance on his drive, so it was a reasonable start to the trip, considering it was the dogs' first time on grass in two months.

The dogs are tired from the travel and running. Dyna took a nap with the pup's toy as a pillow...

Day 2 has been wild on a few counts...we knew we were in trouble with the red morning sky!

The wind was howling, the temperatures very cold, and the set out horse (when there are big distances, sheep are often set out with dog and rider on horse back) spooked at something and came charging down the field after tossing his rider. Dawn Boyce, the trial host and former horse woman herself, was in the middle of her run. She calmly finished her pen while the horse charged around her, bucking and snorting. We all agreed we would've been jumping the fence, to heck with the pen! Nothing is ever simple when it comes to animals!

As always in sheepdog trials, you can't afford a single mistake and none of us managed anything near perfection on this day. The wind made it difficult to demand precision above the fetch panels and we just didn't get it done. Oh well, another day. The double lift today bodes more of the same, with wind and cold, and many have fled south to warmer temperatures, but since championships must also be won in those conditions, we have stayed, added a few layers of down, and look forward to a good test!

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Location:Carson Farm Rd,Carnesville,United States

Young prospects

2012-02-10T16:51:00.001-08:00

Running young dogs is always fun. There is all this hope and excitement for the future, the things that need working on, the talents that keep evolving. Everyone watches the special youngsters that are upcoming, assessing breedings and potential mates.

Mary Lou and Linda both had young dogs on the field, and both performed well. Linda's young bitch, a talented pup from a breeding that Mary Lou had done, finished second in Nursery (a class for elite performers two years old or younger).

My youngster, little Biddy, a five month old little spitfire that is a granddaughter of Mary Lou's little World Team bitch Dyna, was very studious on the sidelines.

Things start to get more serious as the "big hats" and experienced dogs have their go over the next two days. Results from the Open field tomorrow night!

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Location:Carson Farm Rd,Carnesville,United States

Down south

2012-02-08T15:41:00.001-08:00

Georgia is a bit of culture shock to a Canadian. You have to watch out for scorpions, fire ants, snakes and the odd 'gator. "Run in a zig zag" is the advice we are given if an alligator tries to chase us...seriously? I suppose we could return the favour by explaining how to escape a bear and drive a dog sled...
This time of year, the perils of the south are fewer as most poisonous creatures are hiding from the cold (yes, it's 15 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees F, but everything is relative), so the dogs are enjoying some much appreciated time in the sun. The downside to this is the Georgia red clay. This clay takes on a life of its own, and we will still be finding it caked in trailer and truck crevices come the summer. The other amazing feature of the clay is its ability to permanently stain white dog fur. A black and white dog becomes a black and orange dog for weeks, despite one's best efforts at exfoliation. Little Biddy, below, is just beginning her transformation to black and orange.

For us Canadians, 60 degrees Fahrenheit is a godsend in February, so we can take a little dirt and deal with the odd killer species.
Why did we come down here again? Oh yes, sheepdog trials! From beat-up old trailers to well travelled motorhomes and massive toy haulers, a caravan of RVs is pulling in one by one to find camping spots in the fields. Next on the agenda, young dogs running! Stay tuned for tomorrow's updates!
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Location:Carson Farm Rd,Carnesville,United States

Sheepdogs, sunshine, and snow tires

2012-02-04T13:45:00.001-08:00

Sheepdogs and travel just seem to go together. So much so that our trip, which probably should've taken two and a half days given the fantastic weather (following our initial snow squall experience), stretched into five long days. Okay, admittedly there were several stops for shopping, but with the dollar almost at par, who could afford not to?

I never dreamed I would wish for cold weather when heading south, but we had this conundrum traveling between Canada and Florida in February. It is suicide to not have snow tires in Canada, and it IS suicide to drive on snow tires in Florida with a load in the heat. I've never learned so much about tires in my life.

It turned out a very reputable tire company had sold me four-ply snow tires, despite the fact I had explained my usage very clearly. Apparently I really should've had a minimum of six-ply. Then I learn that snow tires like to blow apart above 15 degrees Celsius, especially with a load. Every year I've been to Florida they've had record lows, and I've had all-season tires so this was a non-issue. Naturally, this year it looks like its going to be really warm and I've got thin snow tires. Great.

A student of Mary Lou's who is extremely knowledgable about tires recommended we regularly check the tire pressure, check for unusual wear in the tread and feel how hot the tires are. So Linda, Mary Lou and I look like a race car pit crew every time we stop...we even calibrated our multiple pressure gauges when we discovered one gauge was faulty...

I think we are all watching the tires in the mirror more than we are watching the road. So really, the shopping was for safety reasons, to give the tires time to cool.

So, finally this evening, we arrived at our first destination (Georgia) having travelled through busy towns...

...some uncertain shopping experiences...

...and finally found water to de-winterize the trailers and have showers! You learn to appreciate the small things when you are on the road...

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The window, the window, the window

2012-02-03T15:54:00.001-08:00

The morning routine...get up, let dogs out, make coffee, and check weather on the computer to see if there is a "window" of good weather to get the trailers through to the southern US for a series of sheepdog trials. Then repeat the same routine to get back to Canada, dodging through winter storms that everyone always blames on "Alberta Clippers". Cold weather is always Canada's fault...

Every year, we become so obsessed with this that we get sick of talking about "the window, the window, the window".

And every year we swear we aren't doing the trip again after freezing in record lows, harrowing driving experiences and general feelings of stress, because invariably lambs that aren't supposed to be born at the farm until March start arriving like popping corn, earlier than expected.

Well, here we are on the road again headed south. We decided to leave last Monday, as the weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday looked the same and Saturday was beautiful. Well "the window" lasted less than three hours when a heavy snow storm started and we were forced to take refuge in a Walmart parking lot (the first of many, I'm sure). So we managed to get about two and a half hours into our trip... The fun begins...! :)

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End of an era on the horizon...

2011-09-27T06:18:00.001-07:00

Well, we are finally back on this time zone, and the experience in the UK and Ireland still seems a bit surreal. We learned so much and I have been busily trying to write down all the lessons. I have been working my dogs with new eyes, and with a greater understanding and appreciation for what each dog brings to the table, instead of lamenting what they are missing. There were many dogs I saw across the pond that did beautiful work. Although the dogs had flaws, they were brilliantly handled.

The humidity in Ontario has been unreal, and is still limiting the amount work we can do with the dogs. Dyna is being watched closely to see if the Joe x Dyna breeding comes to fruition although realistically we won't know for a few weeks.

New life on the horizon and I think about the intertwined lives of sheep, sheepdogs and guardians on a farm. The end of an era is coming, with old Border Collies and guard dogs who have grown up together reaching their elder years. It started while we were away.

Sadly our best guard dog, Frodo, a Maremma, passed away while we were in England. He was a loyal dog and fantastic guardian that never left his charges. He stopped eating and then one day left his flock to a younger apprentice and went off to quietly pass on without ceremony as Mother Nature intended. We would've liked to have paid him our respects, but Frodo wouldn't have wanted a fuss, so I suppose things have played out as they should. Good bye Frodo, you were a great guardian and special dog and we will miss you.

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Homeward bound

2011-09-22T03:51:00.001-07:00

We finally pointed our rental car toward Manchester airport, but not without a few adventures. We suddenly realized one of the crates we had acquired didn't have venting at the back, and would not be accepted at the airline. Thomas had gone off to market and we scrambled around looking for either a substitute crate we could use or a drill to put vent holes into the back. Finally, we phoned Thomas in a panic as our required time of departure was rapidly approaching.

Fortunately, Thomas was on his way back and with his typical friendly and gentlemanly demeanor calmly sorted the situation out for us by drilling some holes into the crate. It was a miracle of packing that got five dogs, five crates and all our luggage for the month into the Hyundai Santa Fe we were driving.

Naturally, because we were now running late the GPS took us on the worst possible route to the airport and we ended up stuck in morning traffic.

When we arrived, the rental company was also running late due to traffic and so wasn't there to pick up the car. We had no change for the multiple luggage carts we required but a kind gentleman saw us struggling and took pity on us. With the carts piled precariously with luggage and crates, several generous people assisted us in getting the carts from one end of the airport to the other, because of course the dogs had to be dropped off at the opposite end of the airport from the check-in.

Finally, all was tucked away and we collapsed into our plane seats, having just made it to the gate on time. Both of us were shaking from adrenaline. We sadly waved good-bye to England, already planning another adventure for the future as the experience was truly life changing.

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Eminent bloodlines

2011-09-22T03:36:00.001-07:00

Well, if you were going to have a bitch come into season, what better timing than the World Sheepdog Trial. Dogs had been sniffing at Mary Lou's Dyna for a couple of weeks so I took the liberty of enquiring about stud dogs in advance just in case the timing worked out. As it turned out, Bobby Dalziel's amazing Joe, two time winner of the Scottish National and the 2006 Supreme International Champion (won when he was only two years of age), had a free space on his dance card. We crossed our fingers that Dyna would be ready. It was going to be close.

In the meantime, we looked at several other dogs, and decided to bring a few back with us. A daughter of Jim Cropper's Reserve World Champion Sid, another young bitch who is a daughter of Denis Birchall's World Trial finalist Bill, and a pup that goes back to much of the great old Irish breeding were among our choices.

The big date between Joe and Dyna arrived, and the location behind cars in the large field car park felt like some sort of clandestine operation. Happily Dyna flirted, flagged, and stood for the studly Joe. Hopefully the breeding will take as Joe would be a fantastic addition to the breeding program. In addition, my Craig is the nephew of Nell, the Reserve Champion at the 2008 World Trial, so we have a lot of excellent bloodlines to choose from.

Fingers and toes crossed!

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The big event

2011-09-21T09:52:00.001-07:00

The day before the trial started, there was a big parade in the city of Penrith. Mary Lou and I elected to drive to the parade route instead of taking the bus as Dyna was in season. However, we had no idea where the parade route started. By the time we found parking, we were running late, and since we had the Canadian flag, it was kind of important for us to be in the parade. We saw a street lined with people, and deduced that was probably the parade route (duh). We ran to the road, but then weren't sure whether to run up the street or down the street. We decided to run in the direction everyone was looking on the assumption that they knew more about it than we did! People started cheering as we ran by. Handlers from several other countries who were in the same boat started to follow us on the mistaken idea that we knew where we were going. After sprinting through half the town we found the throng of handlers milling about waiting to start the parade.

It was quite a spectacular sight, led by the Earl of Lonsdale in a horse drawn carriage with all the countries and their colours following behind. We were surprised to see a lot of Canadian support in the crowd cheering, including Fiona Robertson who decided to come on the spur of the moment, as well as the US supporters.

As Mary Lou still wasn't 100%, we elected to leave after the parade.

Mary Lou ran late the following day, and had a good run with Dyna in the tricky field 3, which had several blind spots and a very rough, rocky area right on the drive line. Mary Lou and Dyna finished the course but a ewe that just wouldn't stay with the other four spoiled their chances. Although Mary Lou and Dyna managed her brilliantly, a few small wobbles or a bad sheep was all it took to knock you out of contention, as field 3 was considered the toughest field to qualify on Thursday. There were something like four Supreme International and three Continental Champions, plus multiple National winners.

Early the next morning, I ran Craig on the very difficult field 1. The first run was absent which I wasn't aware of, so there was only one run before mine and Craig didn't get much chance to see the sheep set.

I sent left because the right hand was into the huge field and many dogs got lost the day before. The left however was blind with several points that brought the dogs in and Craig needed a few redirects as he doesn't yet have that kind of experience. The run went well to the pen, which took some time and cost us getting to the single and really hurt our score, but he handled the sheep as well as any dog on the fetch and drive so I was very pleased with Craig.

With our runs done we became spectators for the rest of the weekend of brilliant running. The main activity has become staying out of the mud!

The level of difficulty on the final day was very high. Our good friend Denis Birchall made it to the final day, but it was another Irishman, James McGee and Becca who were crowned World Champions.

The Canadian team ran well, we were all proud of our dogs.

We headed our separate ways. Now for the homeward bound trip!

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Hurricane Katia

2011-09-13T06:48:00.001-07:00

There almost wasn't a World Trial.

The remnants of Hurricane Katia's fury tore down tents and fences and left the World Trial site looking like, in Thomas Longton's words, a war zone. You can see the collapsed marquee and toppled fencing in the picture.

We could only get a quick picture or two as we were directed away, as the site is quite dangerous and no competitors are being allowed on the site for safety reasons. The line of flags you can see on the ground is a line of collapsed tents.

More downed fences...

The weather is still poor today, windy and heavy rain and everyone is scrambling to salvage what they can. The vendors and large fair running in conjunction with the trial has been postponed until the weekend, which allows organizers scrambling to get the fields ready for the trials one less thing to have ready for Thursday.

Even so, spirits seem good around the trial site, and on the positive side, no one was hurt and there is enough time to recover. We'll see what tomorrow brings...

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Learning from the masters

2011-09-13T00:48:00.001-07:00

We spent the morning with Thomas Longton, who is not only a brilliant sheepdog man, but a gracious host. If you ever want to experience a piece of rural English life in luxury, even if you don't run dogs, check out The Shepherd's Barn at www.longtonsheepdogs.com.

Thomas talked to us about sheep behaviour, picking a dog, judging and lots about handling. It was obvious this man was from a family that was involved with sheepdogs for generations. These people have grown up with sheep and dogs to a degree it is difficult for us to understand, as their culture is so rural. There are large tractors driving down major city roads on a regular basis!

Both Mary Lou and I had a bit of cabin fever from Mary Lou's illness, and since we had lost some time last week, decided to go visit another master sheepdog man and good friend, Gordon Watt.

Naturally, we underestimated the driving time and the sat nav (GPS to you North Americans) took us over hill and dale (or was it a moor?). With Hurricane Katia now landing full force, the narrow sheep trod of a road that we took over the high barren ground of the Pennine Moors was a bit daunting. The howling wind threatened to throw us off the side of the treacherous switchbacks. Definitely need a different route home in the dark!

Gordon drilled us on some of the finer points of the big trials, giving us confidence to go forward to the big day. He is fantastic at sizing up a trial. Gordon had a big open field and some lively sheep for us to play about on. The wind was hard to stand up in and the dogs couldn't hear whistling even close at hand at times so I think we are prepared for anything the weather gods can throw at us.

After a great visit, we headed back (on the motorway this time) and didn't get back until almost 1am, but it was worth it. The knowledge we have gained on this trip has been priceless, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming trial. We are changed forever.

Now it feels like the count down is on!

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And the winner is....

2011-09-13T00:16:00.001-07:00

Thomas had mentioned that the weather could go sideways occasionally and now we know what he meant. Sunday's trial had lashing rain and brutal wind. Apparently Hurricane Katia was on it's way. This trial had Swaledale sheep with a few Herdwicks thrown in for good measure.

The outrun wasn't long, but was left-handed through a gate and then the dogs had to cast around a berm to be correct behind their sheep. The sheep were blind to the dog as he came through the gate. The right hand outrun was almost impossible as the dogs had to find a small gap in a thistle hedge and then cast out in an area of rough ground that brought the dogs in. The fetch came over another berm through rough ground and the ewes, who knew the field well, would often bolt to the right behind the hedge, catching the dog out of position and making it impossible to stay in contact. It was difficult for the dogs to hear at times due to the wind and rain driving directly at the handlers.

There were a number of interesting faces at the trial. Several foreigners were there, including German, Finnish, and American handlers as well as one of our Canadian teammates, Wendy Schmaltz. It was obvious the World Trial competitors were starting to congregate.

Katy Cropper, well-known dog handler and trainer, also made an appearance.

Many runs struggled with the outrun and fetch, and the pen wasn't a gimme either. Then Mary Lou stepped to the post. Dyna went out through the gate like she knew the field and although seemed a bit tight at the top because she chose to go inside the berm to keep an eye on the feisty ewes, the sheep accepted her without batting an eye. As Dyna's run progressed, the watching handlers all started to go silent, realizing they may be watching the winning run. Dyna never put a foot wrong...the lines were beautiful, the turns tight, the pen and shed tidy.

The weather was so foul that we left straight after our runs without checking the scores, fearing a relapse of Mary Lou's recovering health status.

Later that day, Thomas tapped on the door of the barn, and handed Mary Lou a large rosette and an envelope. First place!

It looks like wee Dyna and Mary Lou are peaking at the right time!

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The mules...

2011-09-13T00:15:00.001-07:00

Okay, now we know why the cross of Blue-faced Leicester and Swaledale sheep are called Mules. Saturday's trial was on a nice sized field and as Mary Lou still wasn't feeling 100%, we decided to run early and get back to the barn, even though the sheep would likely be better later in the day when they were rerun.

The mule sheep were hard to gauge...they could run like the wind or turn and fight at the drop of a hat. Talk about touchy... These sheep sized up a dog in seconds. Wee Dyna went out and marched them around the field and other than a bit of trouble at the pen, had a very fair run that put her in the prizes.

Craig came on too strong at the pen and needless to say these shrewd ewes weren't having any of it! Mary Lou held up her end to put Canada in the money.

Thomas also ran his dogs in the trial, and it was a treat to watch such a seasoned competitor work the mules with his different dogs. I learned a few penning tricks in the process, to be applied the next time I see mules!

Oh well, back to the Shepherd's Barn for some more orange juice!

A quick drive home and more orange juice for all!

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I don't stand a chance...

2011-09-09T05:23:00.001-07:00

I don't stand a chance...

No, I'm not talking about sheepdog trialling in general or the upcoming World Trial in particular... I'm talking about not getting sick in the next week. I am currently sitting in a doctor's office surrounded by sick children. We are here because Mary Lou developed a cold on the ferry ride over that has progressed to the point of fever, fierce sore throat and a deep chest congestion. There is Kleenex all over the house.

I've cornered the market on orange juice and am considering echinacea, although I can't stand the taste. Due to a completely plugged nose, Mary Lou is breathing through her mouth all the time and the resulting belches are of epic proportion...including the one she accidentally just let rip out on the street as we were paying for parking...much to the horror of the very proper English gentleman nearby... and to Mary Lou, who was mortified, as that is very out of character.

Surrounded by wonderful fields of sheep and one of the masters of sheepdogs in Thomas Longton, our main excursions in England have been to pharmacies and video stores while Mary Lou convalesces.

The miserable weather, pouring rain and howling wind has added perfectly to the ambiance. I may have to think twice about whether I prefer rain or snow.

I'm hoping for a quick turn around for Mary Lou... If she had to blow a whistle in this condition it wouldn't be a pretty sight!

And I've got my fingers crossed that my immune system can keep up the fight at least until we land back in Canada. Oh no... did I just sniffle? Where's the orange juice!?!?

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Living in a barn

2011-09-07T05:40:00.001-07:00

As we left Ireland, we were treated to a spectacular rainbow over the fields of sheep. Although we didn't find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, we certainly felt that we had found as much of a treasure in good friends and sheepdog knowledge.

We headed to Thomas Longton's farm and his spectacular Shepherd's Barn, a five star self-catering accommodation that is second to none. It is a renovated barn that makes you shake your head about what is possible if you have vision!

There are eight gorgeous kennels for dogs, and fantastic fields to train on. Thomas kindly showed us around, and there was a variety of sheep from Herdswick and Hebridean to Mule sheep.

Our luck with the weather seems to have run out temporarily, as there was severe flooding at the bottom of the drive when the creek overflowed its banks with the driving rain and a neighbour's drive shed was partially underwater. On the other hand, perhaps our luck is still holding as we are on higher ground!

Thomas showed us a couple of his dogs...he has a quiet calm about him, so much so that I had to strain to hear him in the high winds and driving rain. Both his whistling and his speech were almost inaudible to me but the dogs never missed a beat... mind you my hearing is questionable at the best of times!

The only glitch is access to wireless, so we are sitting in the Yummy Cupcake Company at the moment to get online (free wifi is common here). This might become a regular stop!

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Huntin' the dogs

2011-09-05T02:17:00.001-07:00

It's quite a different lifestyle to get up, do some stuff around the house, and then drive 10 minutes to a trial. Saturday's trial was hosted by Denis in the big field, and is a popular trial - handlers don't get many opportunities to challenge their dogs with that kind of a long outrun. People were coming and going, trying to juggle their schedules and all the things they needed to do before heading to the International in a couple of days. When one lives on an island, one lives by ferry and airline schedules.

Although they had been calling for poor weather all week, the conditions were ideal. Mary Lou finished 7th with Dyna on 93 points, just out of the placings by a point (it is always to 6 placings, no matter the number of competitors and there were a sizable number at the trial), and Craig and I placed 4th with a 94! Talk about tight competition!

Denis won the trial on 98 points, not much room for error around here. Man, these guys (it is almost entirely men) can turn panels!

At the end of the trial Mary Lou, Denis, his lovely wife Bridget and I raced to Dublin to watch the semi-finals of the greyhound racing, the winner of the race would take home €120,000! I think I'm in the wrong dog sport...

At the races...the size of the stadium was unbelievable!

We got home late and since we were all exhausted, hit the hay to prepare for another day of trialling.

Sunday's trial was overlooking Dublin, we had passed it en route to the races the night before. Lovely field with a beautiful stone church at the bottom. The sheep were quite touchy and not easily penned, as there were several flocks brought together for the trial.

Mary Lou talking with the trial host at the top of the field...

It seemed by now everyone knew that Denis was hosting a couple of Canadian girls and that we were heading back to England the next day, how word travels! Craig had a very good go with a tricky ewe who wasn't mates with the others. Although he was on 86 points, it wasn't good enough on this day. Mary Lou and Dyna ran great, once again eliciting admiring comments from the handlers and spectators. Mary Lou and Dyna finished in a three way tie on 89 points and claimed the 6th place position.

Several people came up to congratulate Mary Lou, and all the women commented that it was nice to see women running well and in the placings. It was apparent that the sheepdoggers aren't used to catering to women at these trials. For example, when directed to the loo, it was in a cow field, missing a door, did not flush, had a beer can and some black water in the bowl, and was missing the seat...

We opted for a stinging nettle bush instead...

All in all, a successful tour of Ireland. Home to Denis' to pack and prepare for the next adventure...England!

Guh-lug guh-lug guh-lug and other Irish translations

2011-09-05T02:14:00.001-07:00

It's true that as your ear gets used to an accent, it becomes easier to understand. I think we are down to saying "What was that again?" less than 20 times a day. We are now huntin' dogs instead of working our dogs, and apparently the word "yoke" can be used for any item under the sun... I think it roughly translates as "thing" or "stuff". We were originally talking about drugs injected into animals and someone said something about injecting yoke and at first we thought they meant egg yolk...hmmmm, how does that work?

Phone calls might end with guh-lug guh-lug guh-lug (approximate phonetic translation, said at high speed) which we were finally brave enough to ask about... It is very Irish to wish someone "good luck" (with a repeat or two) at the end of a conversation.

We needed some luck as we were going to be "hunting" our dogs on the weekend. We started out by heading to a local Irish crook maker, Tom Kavanagh. We didn't risk flying our own crooks across the pond and had been borrowing crooks up to that point. He had a nice variety of sticks, and we picked up a few, as they are so hard to come by.

So now that we have seen "yo" man with the yokes, we are ready to hunt our dogs. More shortly after the trials!

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The visionaries

2011-09-02T02:32:00.001-07:00

We headed off to the west coast to watch Denis do a brace demonstration and then planned to do some sight seeing and shopping. Denis did this incredible demo, and sheep quickly changed their minds about challenging a dog when a second dog came into view.

The highlight was when Denis worked one dog on sheep and the other on ducks... All the more impressive when you knew that he didn't practice doing it, the dogs were just that well schooled!

From there we headed to Galway, looking for clothing for a potential Double Lift final. Mary Lou tried on a few things, but I didn't think purple suited her and I was worried the hair piece might come off in high wind...

From Galway, we headed to the spectacular Cliffs of Moher (which we pronounced mohair quite incorrectly). There was the safe tourist area and then there was a small slippery trail right along the cliff's edge.

You had to pass several "Danger: Do Not Enter" signs and a number of memorials of people who had died at the cliffs. There were dozens of people universally ignoring the warnings, so naturally we felt the urge to risk our lives as well. We climbed over the barrier and went about 20 yards, where we decided to take a picture. Mary Lou slipped and landed on her "arse" (Irish for buttocks) trying to take the pic. That was slightly unnerving as the path only got narrower!

The view of the Atlantic was incredible and also alluring. It is interesting that many from the west coast of Ireland head for "America", while those on the east coast tend to go over the Irish Sea to the UK. Joe O'Flynn (remember Rat Salad) had made an observation about people becoming like the land they live in. The west coasters were often visionaries and explorers who crossed the ocean, the midlanders were wealthy and content in their fertile farms and the east coast settlers in the mountain ranges were a passionate and volatile type of temperament, very like to the mountains. I contemplated this as I looked out over the water and understood how the view would inspire a quest for adventure. It was overwhelming to think of our home in Toronto over 5000 miles away and the brave souls who had attempted the crossings back in the day, not knowing what they would find and hoping for a different life.

Another few yards later both our legs were feeling a bit weak from the height and we decided we had flirted with danger long enough. We turned away from the Atlantic and headed back to the mountains.

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The long (and narrow) road to trialling

2011-08-30T11:03:00.001-07:00

We've decided that it is easier to tow a huge trailer in Chicago traffic during an Oprah Winfrey event than drive on the left hand side of a ridiculously narrow road that has a 100 km speed limit and a stone wall within inches of the side-view mirror. We've now had a few up close and personals with the brush on the "verge" (edge of the road), I hope the rental car isn't scratched. I think one road we were on through the Wicklow mountains was actually a sheep trod in disguise. The trial we were heading to was an hour and a half away which, when it feels like you are about to have a head-on collision at any moment, seems like a four hour drive. No wonder 30 minutes is more the norm.

There were about 35 runners in this local trial. Handlers with multiple dogs went first, and then when everyone is down to a single dog, they do a draw so that all the single dogs run on rerun sheep. The sheep were a mixed flock, and touchy only begins to describe them. It wasn't unusual for there to be a completely unworkable sheep in the group of four. But since most people had multiple dogs, had driven less than 30 minutes, paid five Euros to enter and the money went to charity, no one really got too fussed. The sheep were tricky to shed, and even tougher to pen as the handler and dog often had to manage an independent thinker.

Denis had a good go with his wonderful dog Bill, and even though his sheep were flying, his timing for the turns at the panels was incredible. Mary Lou had a very good run with Dyna while managing an uncooperative sheep, prompting "the boys" to ask about her breeding, who had trained her, and mutter to each other "that's a brilliant little bitch". I, on the other hand, managed to miss both drive panels with flying colours, trying to hang on to a little hogget (a one year old sheep) that wanted nothing to do with the apparently foreign ewes. I tried to do a high speed "point and shoot" at the cross drive panel, but where every other group of sheep pulled high, my little hogget decided not to play by the rules. Even so, a few asked me about Craig's breeding.

I had run fairly early, while Mary Lou and Denis had drawn up near the end of the running order, so it was fairly late when we got back to the farm.

Denis has an absolutely amazing family that works together like no family I've ever seen, and dinner was waiting when we arrived. His two daughters have been looking out for us, rescuing us when we were lost, and making the meals for everyone. This night, the evening meal was salmon with lemon and dill, and a decadent dessert with fresh strawberries, blueberries, cream, chocolate and meringue. We are wondering if they are willing to adopt two more. They have certainly made us feel like family.

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Rat Salad

2011-08-28T12:51:00.001-07:00

I can't believe how much we are learning... About sheep, about dogs, and about handling. Our dogs are flanking better, shedding better, going back better. Denis is truly brilliant with the dogs. It is incredible to watch how fast he can train a dog. The way he gets into their mind is amazing.

We decided to give our dogs a day off and go explore Dublin. After a bit of shopping, we went (where else?) to the Guinness Storehouse. Arthur Guinness was a visionary who signed a 9000 year lease for the land and water source for the famous beer. There is a lesson to be learned in his faith and belief in making Guinness beer the success it is today.

We managed to turn the wrong way out of the tourist attraction and ended up in a bad part of Dublin. Upon asking for directions, we were warned to watch our purses while walking back towards the public transit. I guess our shopping bags were a bit of a giveaway that we were tourists. After a stressful but uneventful walk to the transit, we safely boarded the light rail and headed out of the city.

When we got back, we decided to take the dogs for a walk before dinner, as they hadn't come with us on our Dublin excursion. Since we hadn't yet explored Dun Lavin, the nearby village, we decided to walk the dogs there. As we got into town to walk the dogs, we ended up talking to a woman (who spoke very fast and with a strong accent) on the street who suggested we go see Rat Salad. What? Rat Salad. We couldn't quite make out what exactly it was she was saying, but she said it was only a couple of miles up the road and it was beautiful. We thought it was probably the name of a town, so we hopped in the car again and off we went. Beyond every curve or cluster of homes that came into view, we expected to come upon a village, but none appeared. Suddenly, we passed a golf course with the name Rathsallagh. Perhaps the golf course was named after the town? No village came into sight, but a sign for the club house appeared soon after and Mary Lou, who was driving decided to chance it.

We drove up a spectacular driveway and came to a rather private looking members' clubhouse. I drew the short straw to ask for directions. Since many high end golf courses don't allow jeans and street shoes (especially shoes that may be sporting some sheep substance), I was a bit concerned about being tossed out on my duff. I walked in trying to look like I belonged there, at least hoping to get past the door. I had on a vest that looked equestrian so maybe I could pass for a rich Canadian horse person? Not likely. I ran into an Irish gentleman and told him I was looking for Rat Salad (I tried to slur it a bit as I was pretty sure that wasn't the actual name and didn't want to offend anyone). He said, with a bit of admiration, "Are you staying at the house then?" I made a non-committal kind of a noise, not really sure what "the house" was. He pointed to a nearby lane way..."Just follow that lane, it will take you there".

Back at the car, we decided to to attempt the lane, signed Rathsallagh House. It ended up being a service road that took us straight through the middle of a gorgeous golf course, with spectacular views as the light started to fade. We waved as we passed the last golfers of the day, getting a view of the course I'm sure few people get to enjoy (or are allowed to). We couldn't turn around without driving on the turf, which we knew would be a BIG faux pas so on we went. We ended up in the staff parking lot. Obviously, the fellow back at the club house decided I wasn't cut out to be a guest. We got out of the car, praying the dogs wouldn't start barking and cause us to be arrested for trespassing. We didn't know how to get back without cutting through the course again and didn't want to press our luck.

There was a very luxurious house that appeared to be housing a number of guests, so we went over to the [Reception]. There were guests eating at tables surrounded by beautiful equine memorabilia. It turned out that Rathsallagh had been converted from Queen Anne stables in 1798 into a fabulous golf course, luxurious guest house and restaurant. A very classy looking lady met us as we came in and asked if we were staying with them. I said no, but that they had been recommended to us. She led Mary Lou and me to a table near the bar. We soon met Joe O'Flynn (owner of Rathsallagh, along with his wife Kay, who had greeted us earlier) who was a huge dog lover and sporting man and over a glass of wine he told us many colourful stories that had us laughing heartily. It is amazing how dogs bring people together.

After a pleasant visit by the fire, Mary Lou decided to run to the very posh washroom (known as the "toilet" in the UK and Ireland, but we still can't bring ourselves to say it). After some time had passed, she finally reappeared. She was looking a bit sheepish (pardon the pun) and trying not to laugh at the same time...I knew something was up. As we walked out, Mary Lou whispered to me that she was so embarrassed. She had gone to pull a piece of toilet paper out of the holder before she had a seat, and the entire unit had come off the wall and landed in the toilet! She had been trying to dry everything off and so had left it on a nearby ledge to dry out. Trust us to have a grand exit, nothing is ever normal with us.

We made it back to the Birchall's just before the search party went out... I think they've all come to realize we need a bit of minding as adventures tend to follow us!

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The Big Field

2011-08-24T02:30:00.001-07:00

We were invited to stay at Denis Birchall's for a few days, and today Denis suggested we go out to "the big field". He loaded up some Scottish Blackface sheep into his small (sized for Irish roads) stock trailer and we headed off.

"The big field" was an understatement. It was a massive field, wide with an 800 yard outrun and young cows bouncing around. Denis shooed the cattle away and trailered the sheep down to the far end of the field, where white sheep looked like bits of rice and darker sheep were pretty much invisible.

Both Mary Lou and I were able to send our dogs the distance, 800 yards being a first for both dogs, and it didn't take long before they were listening well at that distance, if only I had binoculars for eyes so I could give them the correct commands! Driving the sheep back up that length of field was great experience for the dogs.

Another first for me was setting out both groups of sheep for a double lift by myself. Trying to get the second group out in time was a bit stressful, but getting to try a turn back (which we each took a turn at) in that field under Denis Birchall's watchful gaze was fantastic!

So far, we really had not had any major glitches in the trip. We decided to go do a bit of shopping and give the dogs a break. As we went to pull out of the driveway, I looked at the rear right tire, which I had thought was a touch low when we picked up the car. Sure enough, the tire was almost completely flat. Fortunately Denis had an air compressor nearby and filled the tire and then directed us to a local tire shop, which fixed the tire immediately for €15 so overall the "almost" flat was relatively painless. And to top it off, we found a local coffee shop with great cappuccino and free wireless (I really like tea, but with jet lag, tea just isn't quite cutting it). We sat in the sun on the patio with a good caffeine hit, connected wirelessly to the world, dogs at hand, in a sheepdog lover's heaven, what more could one ask for? We were so relaxed, we decided the shopping could wait for another day. I could get used to this...

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First running

2011-08-22T01:53:00.001-07:00

This morning we headed to Hollywood. Big white letters up on the side of the hill. But wait, there's sheep grazing around the letters. No, this wasn't Hollywood, California, but rather Hollywood, Ireland. There is an amazing little local fair held in Hollywood every year, where many locals dress in period costumes of the early to mid-1900s. There are antique cars, steam tractors, horse-drawn buggies, old time Irish music and it feels as if you've gone back in time. True to form, there is also a sheepdog trial.

Mary Lou and I were some of the earlier ones to arrive (around noon, very laid back around here). We had to jump a barb wire fence after throwing our dogs over it to get to the path that took us to the field. Through a cemetery, over a stone bridge crossing a small stream, walk through another small stream, you get the idea. The field was small, but the sheep were set out of sight behind a [berm]. You couldn't see the sheep and the dog had to get directed out through a gap in the brush. As a matter of fact, you couldn't see anything, it was pretty much a blind fetch until your dog hopefully brought the sheep on the small path through the brush. On top of it, the sheep were extremely touchy and they could see the exhaust. The spectators were on the field everywhere. If you sent right, your dog ran past people, who needs a fence? I wondered about the liability of it all, in North America you'd be signing waivers until the cows came home.

It was first come first served, so I walked up to take my try about the fourth go but a lady "needed to make the boat", so she went ahead of me.

I sent Craig right, and he went out beautifully, and didn't need a redirect. He'd seen a few previous runs and worked out where the sheep were. He overshot a bit and the only reason I knew was I had a glance of sheep heads going sideways (it's a good job I'm tall). I whistled him over and he elected to bring the sheep through the scrub instead of on the sheep trod, but oh well, by the time you saw them, it was time to worry about the fetch panel. We made the panel but turning the post was tough with the exhaust and all the spectators. We got it done, but (I'll blame it on jet lag, it's as good an excuse as any) I was shy on both my drive panels. Got the shed alright, but none of these sheep were fond of the pen, which by the way, had no gate or rope on it and was the smallest thing I'd ever seen. Is there a time limit here? Which side of the pen do you stand on? Does anyone care?

I finally managed to slide my sheep into the pen with some excitement here and there. Is this when I head to the beer tent?

Mary Lou and Dyna went shortly after, and they looked great. Dyna found her sheep with ease, walked them beautifully around the course, except for a little bobble at the cross drive panel where the spectators were so close they were almost blocking the panel. The shed was a bit tricky and the pen was relatively straight forward. Several people stopped Mary Lou to compliment her on Dyna and their run. The trial was to carry on all day, and Denis Birchall had invited us to go watch a demo he was doing so we left straight away instead of waiting for our scores.

However, we lost sight of the person we were following to the demo and got lost. We stopped in at a pub for lunch instead, and tried to rip open the leather bound squares that were on the table in front of us that we assumed were leather-bound menus. Turned out they were place mats and the lady at the table beside us could barely contain her laughter as she watched us struggle. We decided to try elsewhere as we were in a search for a wireless connection. The server suggested we try the Hollywood Inn. Sounds familiar...

We drove in circles for awhile and ended back at the fair. We decided to go back in and look around as what we had seen looked pretty spectacular. The fair had basically taken over the town and it was closed to cars so we went back to our original parking spot in a field and went in the same way (over the barbed wire, etc). As we walked through the fair, we came upon the Hollywood Inn and Pub. Duh. (No wireless however.) We decided to try an Irish Guinness. Everyone says you have to try Guinness beer in Ireland. As we were having a sip, a hornet landed on Mary Lou and stung her. She yelled and leapt up, throwing her beer (accidentally) all over herself, me, the dogs, and a passing lady in a dress. Oops. Sorry about that.

The dogs handled the commotion with remarkable steadiness as we forced our way through crowds of people, horses, buggies and steam engines with children reaching out to pet them randomly. Jet lag was setting in on all of us and we decided to call it a day, after many laughs and adventures.

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The Irish National Sheepdog Trial

2011-08-22T01:52:00.001-07:00

Still slightly bleary eyed from an overnight plane trip into Manchester, a drive to Wales on the wrong side of the road, and a less than average B&B, we took the fast ferry to Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dun Lharry, don't ask me how), and went to pick up dog food at a cute little pet shop five minutes from the ferry terminal. We had reluctantly switched the dogs onto kibble for the trip, and since we were able to find Orijen, which is Canadian, we figured it was at least patriotic. The dogs were able to accompany us at a local bistro for lunch (love the dog-friendly atmosphere over here), and then we started another drive on the wrong side of even narrower roads, and it started to rain. Mary Lou informed me that I had been driving like a church mouse up until that point, but now that the hedges were getting close to the passenger side mirror and the road was wet, she felt my speed was excessive. Whether I was getting more comfortable or her nerves were starting to fray has yet to be determined. :) We finally arrived in Tinoran, County Wicklow to catch the last afternoon of running of the Irish National. It was interesting to watch the level of competition with fresh eyes, having just come off the Kingston trials.

Just as we got to the trial, our judge at Kingston from two weeks earlier, Aidan Gallagher was at the post. The sheep were a North Country type, in fantastic condition and working beautifully on their third day of running. The field was on a beautiful rising hill with a clear view of the sheep, although slightly blind on the left. Three men set the sheep, barely using the one dog that was with them. The top scores were extremely high, 214 leading the way. The lines were very straight (sheep rarely even glanced to the side) and the turns were unbelievably tight. Handlers were retiring at the slightest bobble. Many people said it was the best sheep and best Irish National ever.

Although we were enjoying watching the running immensely, both Mary Lou and I had to take a short siesta in the overstuffed car as we had not yet conquered our jet lag. I'm sure anyone looking into the car would've laughed at us with our little inflatable pillows wrapped around our necks and surrounded by suitcases.

Last year's USBCHA Finals judges, Allistair Lyttle and Denis Birchall made the team in singles and doubles respectively, and Frank Kashen, one of this year's USBCHA Finals judges, won the team in brace.

We're heading to a small trial at a local fair tomorrow, so we'll see how it goes. It'll be nice to get the dogs out and let them stretch their legs on some sheep!

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80 Acres & Kingston (Part 2)

2011-08-22T01:51:00.001-07:00

80 Acres (continued)
On Monday, the 80 Acres Trial hosted the Novice classes. Two more of Mary Lou's students joined the action. In fact, they set a very high standard for the quality of work with good outruns and their dogs under good control, sweeping the top three positions. Neto finished first and third with his two dogs, and Tricia finished an impressive second in her first ever trial with a daughter of Mary Lou's Dyna, Boywood Kix. Mary Lou was very proud of them both.

Kingston
From there, we moved on to the Grass Creek site. The trial field is very picturesque with the St.Lawrence River in the background and the Wapoos Island sheep are always a (fun?) challenge. These sheep live on an island for a good portion of the year and don't see many dogs or predators, or even humans for that matter. They are quick to test a dog's courage and Wiley enough to escape the dogs that are willing to stand up to them. There is a line of trees on the left side of the field that tempt the sheep to make a run for cover and near the handler's post at the bottom of the field is the famous "Heartbreak Hill" where the sheep disappear from the handler's view in an attempt to get to their friends and some shade and rest. Many a good run has ended because a frustrated dog, trying to get the sheep back over the hill, has his lost patience and has gripped a stodgy ewe. This year there was an additional challenge early in the week of a wet, almost swampy area in line with the fetch and shedding ring that the sheep really shied away from.

The format was two trials over four days and Mary Lou and I were both running one dog (Mary Lou had a second dog but he came up lame just before the trip). As luck would have it in a random draw, both Mary Lou and I were scheduled to run fairly early on Day 1 and then not again until near the end of the day on Day 4. Fortunately there were enough friends to watch, good dogs to admire and shopping to keep us busy in between.

Trial 1
The scores didn't start out promising on Day 1, although sheep often run well in the morning. Chuck Dimit and Rex scored a 79, and stayed at the top of the leader board for a long time. Mary Lou and I both ran fairly early and although we both ended up with scores that gave us a chance to get to the Double Lift final with good second runs, neither of us were able to get our pen, so also losing out on the final element of work, the single. Alistair and Linda also finished in the top 20%, so also having a shot at the Double Lift and gaining points towards qualifying for the 2012 USBCHA Nationals.

Trial 2
Sheepdog trialling is an activity where fortunes can change in a hurry. The sheep can turn good or sour in the space of a run, and luck and skill play their part. The scores were low in the second trial and Mary Lou and I waited through three days of trailing for our second try. The announcer, the respected and knowledgable Bev Lambert, started to explain to the spectators how the sheep would likely start to get very difficult as the trial wound down because the sheep that would come out would be the ones that had managed to avoid being used for four full days. They were likely wiley, head strong and not amenable to being herded politely around a field. Right on cue, the scores started to plummet as group after group of sheep came out and outfoxed the dogs. It was getting so comical that those of us remaining to run began to make jokes about our chances. The run immediately before Craig was a wreck, so it didn't seem likely the tide was about to turn.

I walked out with Craig and immediately began assessing my sheep. They were just grazing! Not a one was trying to run off or act independent. I may have been lucky enough to get the last settled group of the trial. Craig went out beautifully, and his out work was very good. In the shedding ring, the sheep started to get twitchy and we took some time trying to get the shed set up. Time started slipping away. Finally the sheep came apart and Craig took his two sheep nicely, but the other two bolted for "Heartbreak Hill". I sent Craig for the sheep, but they beat him over the hill. The other two joined them shortly. My heart sank. I couldn't see a thing except the occasional sheep head appearing over the bank for a moment.

Suddenly, Craig appeared over the hill with all four sheep, I don't know how he did it. I ran for the pen as I overheard the announcer say, "She only has 10 seconds and these sheep take at least a minute to pen, she had to use up too much time in the shedding ring". I grabbed the rope and swung the pen door open and glanced back at Craig. I couldn't believe my eyes! Craig was marching the sheep right at the pen opening! I started counting down in my head. The sheep paused just on the inside edge of the pen opening. Craig kept coming on and I came on strong and squeezed the sheep the last few inches myself. I swung the gate so fast trying to beat the clock I almost fell. Bang! We penned an instant before the buzzer went! What a high! And a score good enough to make the Double Lift!

Mary Lou's run was shortly after. Her group was already fractious at the top, with a runner and a laggard. Dyna was on her outrun when the group disappeared temporarily. But Dyna picked them up with her typical no-nonsense like style and started bringing them down the field. The runner started to run. Mary Lou and Dyna did a brilliant job of stopping the runner and gathering up the single sheep who kept lagging back. They stayed right on line. Throughout the outwork, Dyna kept managing a difficult situation beautifully, and Mary Lou was spot on with her handling, making all her panels and keeping her lines and turns tidy. In the shedding ring, the runner kept causing them problems by trying to leave the ring, but finally Dyna got her two sheep off. Once again, the sheep didn't cooperate and ended up behind the pen, with time running low. The announcer again commented what a difficult situation this was with less that 40 seconds to pen and the sheep in an extremely touchy situation. Dyna swung around and simply marched them back towards Mary Lou, who by now had swung the pen door open. As time counted towards zero, the sheep approached the pen opening from behind the pen, and just when the sheep arrived at the point where they had broken away from most of the dog and handler teams, Dyna gave a little flank and turned the sheep straight into the pen. Mary Lou swung the gate...Bang! Buzz! Once again, a heart-stopping exciting pen at the buzzer! Sometimes in sheepdog trialling, you see brilliant work in a difficult situation where the score can't reflect the quality of the work and this was just such a situation. Aidan Gallagher, the respected Irish judge, came out to Mary Lou and said, "That's a brilliant little bitch you've got, I'm very impressed with both of you!"

Well, both Mary Lou and I left the trial knowing we had work to do before the World Trial and that was as it should be. My Double Lift performance the following day finished in the middle of the pack and again I was happy for the lessons I had taken away from it. Onwards and upwards, UK here we come!

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80 Acres Trial & Kingston (Part1): The warm-up to the World Trial

2011-08-11T14:24:00.001-07:00

With only two weeks left before leaving for the UK, Team Boywood headed for Kingston, Ontario to participate in the formidable Kingston Sheepdog Trials at Grass Creek Park, and the warm-up 80 Acres Sheepdog Trial.
These trials have challenging sheep and fields and both Mary Lou and I were hoping to get a sense of how the dogs were running. The heat and humidity this summer has made it difficult to do much work with the dogs. Our good friends and students of Mary Lou's, Alistair Simpson and Linda Comeau were also attending the trials.
The 80 Acres Trial can be a bit hard on the faint of heart, because the field is very long. Did I mention VERY LONG? And flat. Enough undulations to keep the dog popping in and out of sight, but flat enough to mess with your depth-perception. With 90+ dogs running this year, the outrun distance wasn't overly long which helped move things along, but without a nearby backdrop of trees there was still the optical illusion that the sheep were miles away.
The sheep seemed happy enough to cooperate, and there wasn't much room for error as top scores were in the 90s both days.
I had no idea what to expect from Craig, with so little work through the summer, but he ran great, placing both days and handling his sheep really well. The second day in particular he had a stellar run, very tidy all the way around. His first back to back scores in the 90s!! Maybe I should give him time off more often!
Dyna and Mary Lou also looked very good, but it just seemed like some small thing would go wrong each time. Herding can drive you mad if you let it, so we have a rule that whoever has the best score at the end of the day makes everyone else a refreshment. The person with the best score is happy to do so, and the others can enjoy being served a much needed drink!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Welcome to the new Boywood Blog!

2011-08-11T08:31:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone and welcome to the new Boywood Border Collie Blog! We will be keeping you posted on our adventures throughout the world and at home on Boywood Farm as we travel on the amazing journey of the working sheepdog. We look forward to sharing the trials (excuse the pun) and tribulations, the highs and lows, the incredible people and characters, and the many lessons and hilarious stories that mark the daily interactions of life with sheepdogs and livestock.
- Kathy & Mary Lou