Lori: hunger games
Got on the road to Utah to Soldier Hollow this morning. After spending the last three weekends trialing, I was left to try to coordinate packing for this trip this past week, after work, exercising the dogs, chores, etc. I will be surprised when I get to Utah to see what I have actually brought with me. It’s been a blur. Only my two open dogs, William & Matt, are along. Thankfully, both are seasoned & easy travelers and I enjoy their company. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to attend Soldier Hollow. I always told myself I would go if I got the chance so off we go.
I am adverse to flying my dogs, so in planning the long drive, I decided to leave the RV at home & just take the truck. I’m renting an RV unit in Salt Lake City instead of staying in a hotel. More fun to stay on site and cheaper than booking at one of the local ski resorts marketing themselves as a summer destination. Just a bear to think of all the things I am spoiled to have at hand in my own RV. I’m sure I will survive & there will be ample shopping choices for forgotten stuff. On the plus, I can travel much faster each way & save some gas $$. As a veteran of multiple RV mechanical snafus (I think I might be able to apply to be a NASCAR tire changer) I won’t miss it on the drive. Don’t mind hoteling it along the way for a few nights. We are spending our first night just outside of South Bend, Indiana. Got lucky & found the Notre Dame football parking fields are near the hotel. Great to give the dogs a good walk. Will stop someplace in Nebraska tomorrow.
I am very grateful to have been offered some good opportunities to stop and work the dogs on the trip tho that’s a couple days & a lot of miles ahead. Listening to The Hunger Games trilogy audio book…33 hrs worth!
Amanda: heading out
Heading off to parts west again . . .
After cleaning up my post Kingston camper, I am reloading for my long road trip. New tires on my truck, oil change, laundry all around, packing essentials, wine, dog food, maple syrup, contraband tomatoes, spray the wasp nest under the slide. What a job. I got a new ipad to make road yak easier and it is full of new audio books. I thought a re read of Sometimes a Great Notion was appropriate since I was en route to Oregon. And a few nouveaus, suggestions from my book consultant, Gillian Graham.
I plan to ride I-80 all the way, from Chicago.
The dogs are running pretty well but I have had unpleasant surprises from them before. I am taking all four of my runners, Monty, Roz, Dorey and Feist, and my youngest, Augusta, is coming along for the ride, to get worldly. Howell and Bart will stay at home for jobs with Christopher, shifting sheep.
I will be pushing hard for the first few days to get myself into altitude and relax with the dogs for a day or two, before Soldier Hollow. We have a private screening of Away to Me, at the Sundance Resort. It will be hard for it to be more fun than the one in Kingston.
Leaving home is complicated and difficult. The worst part.
Amanda: photos, photos, photos!
Amanda Milliken had technical difficulties and wasn’t able to blog this year, but she sent along these photos for all of us to enjoy.
BevLive: The Big One, Day 2
Last day of the trials and last blog entry. Today was the hottest day we’ve had since the double lift day of the Blue Grass, by the end of the day it was in the nineties and really sunny and cooking. The wind was a big factor today. When the running started at 7:00 the wind was in our faces at about fifteen miles an hour by the end of the day we’d worked our way up to 25-30 mph always in the wrong direction. Our suspicion was that the dogs heard very little on the gather.
The early runs started well and things tended to go down hill from there although all day the odd dog would have a good run. The winner came in the middle of the trial, my Joe with a 82. This was a large enough score to win the overall as well. Second went to Jean Gellings and Star with a 79. Third was Tom Wilson and Sly, fourth Bud Boudreau and Sam, fifth Robin and Zac, sixth Joni and Sage with Amanda and Monty finishing seventh.
Was a really great trial, good sheep, challenging but very doable. The hill and the great, huge field are the best. Amanda described this as “extreme dog trailing” and I believe she is right. These two trials are tough for all of the dogs, right on the limit of the possible. What a wonderful feeling when your dog actually manages to do the course. Getting a prize is nice but the point of these events is the accomplishment of getting dog and sheep around the course.
BevLive: The Big One, Day 1
Email isn’t working since the huge thunderstorm last night so I’ve no idea when you’ll get this.
First day of the Big One went well. Sheep were the most agreeable they’ve ever been here allowing many to finish. I suspect over half the dogs had scores. Dennis Gellings and Han won with a 68 Joni and Possum were second and Tom and Roy were third. Joe did a great job for me, heeding two redirects on the outrun he ended well on top and listened like a grownup coming in. He had a good drive and a good finish to finish sixth. Hemp wasn’t quite as clever and a good finish couldn’t save a bad gather and poor drive.
Sue Schoen and Esther turning the post. The speck on the top if the hill is the set out point half a mile from the post.
This is one of the greatest trials in North America. The thrill of seeing your dog appear behind the sheep half a mile away up a mountain can’t be beat. The hearing was good today with a steady following wind allowing those dogs that were willing to be directed in the fetch. The whole thing was tremendous good fun. Made the drive worthwhile and from someone two thousand miles from home that’s saying something.
BevLive: Slash J, Double Lift
Double lift day got off to an easy start as we only had fifteen dogs to run. The outruns should have been straight forward and the first few dogs made them look easy. Alas, as the day wore on the big paint horse so few dogs had been able to find in the regular outrun proved to be too much of a landmark for many of the double lift dogs.
The paint held the first, left hand group of sheep and since it was a long way to the setout remained on the field during the runs attracting many a confused canine before the day ended.
The sheep worked very well around the course showing little ambition to go anywhere except where the dog directed. We ran two groups of four. Two of the sheep were sprayed with red paint and those two and any other two were to be shed and penned.
The shed sheep showed some proclivity for following their mates to the pen and made for some very exciting finishes.
The winning run saw Tom and Sly closing the pen gate just as the four shed sheep galloped up. Exciting stuff.
Robin and Bill were second. Hemp and I were third in spite of a cross over, as once he’d gotten that bit of stupidity out of his system he was a very good boy.
We have mostly all moved over to the Kerr Ranch now and are parked in probably the most spectacular trial field in the country, at least the best one I’ve ever seen. We’re in the midst of a really violent thunderstorm. My camper is rocking which is a first for this little horse trailer. I can’t imagine what it must be like in the big campers.
Tomorrow we all send our dogs a half mile up the butte. It sure will be interesting to see what young Joe makes of this. The field here is about the same size as Connecticut.
BevLive: Slash J, Day Two
Very tough day of trialing , at least for me. Robin French, Amanda and Joni all had very nice morning runs and I think ended up 1, 2, 3. Tom and Sly had a good afternoon run when it appeared hopeless, and indeed was for me, to also place. I’m sorry I don’t have the full placings, I think Dennis Gellings and Jan were in there as well but I’m not sure.
It was a little windy which didn’t help the work but on the outruns it was mainly a case of visible cows and invisible sheep. The sheep got very persistent to the exhaust as the day wore on and Hemp at least couldn’t make the turn. Many teams DQed at the turn, pen and shed even if they had reasonable trips around when the sheep just wouldn’t give it up.
A very tough day. Being the wild optimists we all are the lucky fifteen of us who are in the double lift hope for a better outcome tomorrow. I’m up fifth with Hemp and very glad for the chance.
BevLive: Slash J, Nursery
Today was the Nursery/Open Ranch. The dogs were all run together about 45 dogs run twice. The outrun was just under three hundred yards. Most of the dogs managed the outrun but only about half the dogs got scores and those scores were quite low generally.
Nursery field at the Slash J
The first Open Ranch was won by Laura Hicks and Rock followed by Ron Enzeroth and Mick. The second Ranch was won by Ron Enzeroth again giving him the overall. Ron Burkey and Shadow were second.
The Nursery was won by Joe and I both times. Dennis Gellings and Tess were second. In the second nursery Ron Enzeroth was second with Mick.
I’m at Joni’s now where a clutch of brilliant handlers have prepared dinner and kindly invited me to share. Happy day and good boy Joe.
BevLive: Slash J SDT, Day 1
Sorry been a little remiss. Last day of Front Range was a small open, 12 dogs. Sheep were still tough and a lot if fun, especially as there was less wind with which to contend. Hemp had a good run to win. Joe was second with a better run but no pen.
I left as soon as the class ended and had an uneventful but very pretty drive to Belle Fourche, SD where I spent the night at a fair grounds. I arrived at Joni
Swanke’s lovely ranch at lunch time and spent the afternoon cleaning the camper and goofing off.
Today started off rainy but soon cleared to cool with light (by ND standards) winds. We had a 6-700 yard outrun and fairly willing sheep. The running was tough as the outrun was very challenging for the dogs with nearly invisible sheep and a very long and in many places silent gather.
Joe’s sheep weren’t up to his speed and one lay down for an early morning DQ. Amanda Milliken and Monty had a good morning run to win. Joni and Sage second, Robin French and Bill
third with me and Hemp running near the end and getting fourth.
BevLive: Castle Rock, Day 2
Not much to report. I had an adventure this morning when I apparently walked my dogs past a coyote den, disturbing mom. She came out to warn us away, very successfully, without my dogs ever even knowing anything was amiss. Intrepid hunters indeed.
Sheep spotters
Anyway was a fun day in the jackpot. Had a bunch of fun obstacles to negotiate made challenging by the great sheep.