Sheepdog News

Results of the Sonoma Wine Country trial can be found here.

Here are Amanda's pictures from Sonoma.  You can also click here and here for two batches of pictures from the Gold Country trial.

The phone problem was sometimes reception, which was spotty at best in the hills of Sonoma.  I am getting the hang of that thing.

On Sunday, Jeff Blackstone serenaded me with his trumpet–he is a pro–playing the Red Rose of Summer, (what a tear jerker) and Pictures at an Exhibition.  It was in Sandy's barn.  Sentimental music spa.

Sandy Millberg's trial has come to run like clockwork with all her great help, and her own attention to detail.  The settings are spectacular.  The sheep were beauties, (all except the one that got me in the leg) newly shorn range ewes, some a little recalcitrant but what a drag if they all acquiesced.  The judging was good.  The weather was perfect.  It is a two field show.  Clive won on the flat field.  But that rat, Haley Howard, scrunched Roz's 99 with Ross's blistering 101 on the Hill Field.  Clive couldn't catch  Haley and Ross for the championship with his awkward run on the Hill the day before.  I liked his work.  His outrun and lift went like a John Coltrane riff–cooler than cool.  But a ewe tried him repeatedly around the course with trouble to his fetch and drive score.  The kind of ewe you hope Beverly gets.  By the time they were at hand, he had them broken for a thirty point finish.

My flat field run with Clive brought me a sublime moment we all seek in dog running.  He made possible some near perfect turns and took charge just enough and conversely let go just enough.  What a way to come off the winter, when we don't really run dogs around here, and have him go like velvet Elvis.

Roz on the Sonoma sheep

Those two trials, that trip to California could be my favourite excursion of the year.  The dog running is outstanding, but all the diversions, the food, the wine, the gardens, the birds are things of dreams.

The trip home took all day, none of it very nice.  Airplanes and dogs are a miserable combination, made more miserable all the time by increased regulation and vexing challenges in the airports.  If you dwelled on it, you could think it wasn't worth it.  I can forget yesterday, as mothers forget childbirth and go for another one.  If you have to pick two trials to which to fly, these are them.

The was a cold rain in Kingston.  I lit a fire and hit the hay.

Editor's Note: Amanda has sent in some short notes that I hadn't quite realized her meant to be posted to the blog (I'm slow on the uptake!).  She's finding typing on her new Iphone a little challenging, but she's still bravely attempting to send information to her adoring fan base.  Sorry that I've been the slow link in the chain this time.  Without further ado . . . here are few tantalizing crumbs from the world of sunny California!

March 21

Haley Howard and Ross win overall at Sonoma. Amanda Milliken and Clive reserve.

March 20

Ray Coapman made me a fresh coloured fleet of whistles.  Very hip.  Accessorize!

March 20

Roz is leading the hill trial with a 99.  11 points room to clean my clock tomorrow.  That is half the dogs run. Clive had a rough run and I conveniently don't know my score.

Wino sheepdogs

We went to the All Seasons bistro in Calistoga.  Lobster bisque.  Mushroom risotto and fort Ross Pinot Noir, in honour of Haley's Ross. I have nursed an injury from a giant ewe, who took me out from the side of my bad knee.  My back and neck took it hard too.  Poor Amanda.

Today the trial sheep arrive at Sandy's.  I am shepherding.  I will take pictures with that little iphone when they jump off the truck.But I tonight, I go to the Kenwood Inn for spa time.

The trial sheep have arrived.

Clive did not run as well as Haley Howard's Ross,But he did run well enough to win overall–a fabulous crook with a twisted curl of oak at top.

The weather was perfection, sunny and 70.No wind. After the trial, Joni, Michelle, Haley andI, went wine tasting in the Shenandoah valley, full of surprising nooks and beautiful warm weather wines and ports. We finished the day at a hip restaurant in Plymouth, Taste.

I love California.

At the foodie's Mecca

Glorious spring weather of the type for which you go on vacation.  The sun was sweet, the grass green, flowering quince and camellias busting out everywhere.  Spectacular bulb plantings.   People say this is Gold County’s most perfect–it is never greener or lusher.  There was no wind.  All calm and bright.

I ran one dog today in the second trial.  Roz redeemed herself after yesterday with a good go around and a handler lacking eye for panels.  She tied Jennifer Clark Ewers at 81 with two missed panels.  Her outwork lost only two points off the fetch.  Clive runs tomorrow at mid day.
 

The course was the same but a reversed drive and turn in front of the hand around some rocks.

Late in the day I went for some wine tasting in the Shenandoah wine area.  The wines were surprisingly good and they have produced some charming port.  The summer heat likely abets the production.  Why did I not know about this place before?   It’s great.

Amanda Milliken is back as our guest blogger, complete with her brand-new Iphone that she has made great strides in mastering.  Here, she reports on day 1 of the Gold Country Sheepdog Trial in Plymouth, California:

*****

The trial field was expected to be big a flat but it is big and hilly and charming.The green is refreshing in the extreme.The outrun takes dogs in complicated undulations out three hundred and fifty yards or so in a field punctuated with live oaks, both the leaved type and those that will get leaves.Nothing prepared me for its beauty.Vista, vista and vista.It is me and Vie de Sackville-West.

The sheep have been good too.Yearlings.Range fine wools.They have bags of tricks that some dogs and hands have handled ok,They meted out enough trouble to post retirement and disqualification notices to the board–many sheep winners but more sheep victims.   Suzy Applegate and Jeff Blackstone leading the charge with tied 79's.It was so windy, I did not see so many more scores since they took the score board down to prevent its blowing in the wind.

The rainy weather from Friday gave way to bright chilly weather on Saturday. It was a stalwart Californian who could sit out in that north wind all day, tenacious, brisk and cool.

Roz was disappointment, chased off the field by an opportunistic ewe.  If she had just leveled an old-fashioned head grip in the first place none of this would have happened.I could even see the humour in it, but it would have been way funnier had been someone else, like Beverly.

Clive was pretty good.He ran last of the day, at dusk.We had trouble of that pen where I became suspicious of the intentions of couple of my ewes and their plans to go in different directions.After a few moments of costly chaos they went in.

The trial is not over with about ten dogs to run this morning.I never did see my own score as the wind was too much for the score board.

We found a lovely little cafe in Amador City, Andrea's bakery, where the coffee is good, and the almond croissants are as good as I have ever had.

Joni Swanke, Michelle Howard, Sandra Milberg and I all had a great supper last night at a good restaurant across the way–duck with raspberry reduction.  I will try to send in some results later.

Just noticed these great interviews with Ontario handler J. P. Lalonde, apparently right before the 2009 Kingston sheepdog trials:

Part 1

Part 2

Going to Florida? It looks like it will be a wonderful week of trialing. It is always a relief to get away from winter and get the dogs tuned up. This should be an exciting season in the east with the 2010 National Finals returning to Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown, Virginia.

There will be many fundraising efforts in the next few months including the availability of the 2010 Finals tee shirts at many the trials. Shirts available at the Lazy J February trial in Georgia hosted by Dawn Boyce, the Live Oak trial in Florida hosted by Jim & Joanne Murphy and the C-52 trial in Florida hosted by Steve Skara.

If you haven't seen the shirts, take a look at the post below!

There are many styles & colors to choose from in two different designs. They will also continue to be available on the 2010 Finals web site store.

In addition to the shirts, baseball caps and visors will soon be available.

Keep checking in to the finals site and Sheepdog News for more news and updates!

Available to ship by December 15 (in time for Christmas) is a great new shirt design by Betsy Drummond:

The shirts are available in four new styles (men's and women's long and short sleeves) and lots of cool colors. Check 'em out!